UK-based car hire company, Rhino, has launched its operations in the Middle East, after signing a strategic agreement with UAE-based TIME Hotels. TIME Hotels is now a contracted affiliate of Rhinocarhire.ae allowing TIME to offer ‘live’ car rental bookings through its own website. Real time rates and availability will be visible to the millions of online visitors that log on to TIME Hotels’ website every year. “We wanted to partner with Rhino, principally because their entire business strategy is built on offering exceptional value-for-money, in a rate sensitive sector, without compromising on operational quality, or customer service. That’s something we believe in very strongly and the bedrock of our own brand,” said Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels. Goldstein Research analyst forecasts the UAE car rental & leasing market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of more than 9% between 2017-2025, as investments by the new and existing market players in the region is expected to surge in coming years. Furthermore, with the increased number of tourist arrivals year-on-year and the impending Expo 2020, the growth of the car rental & leasing market is forecast to continue unabated. Indeed, based on the rental type, services like chauffeur drive, Uber, or regular taxis, have acquired 45% of the UAE car rental and leasing market. Declan McNaughton, CEO – Middle East, Rhinocarhire.ae, commented, “Given these very encouraging research figures, we are excited about expanding into a dynamic market, with a trusted partner such as TIME Hotels. With an ‘on the ground’ presence in Dubai, we are confident that we can build on our global success and confident we can bring the Rhino brand to both domestic and international car rental customers in …

In addition to applying for an Italian visa at VFS Global Visa Application Centre, travellers heading to Italy from Bahrain now have access to a wealth of information at the newly inaugurated Italia Tourist Information Centre located in Manama. VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, also launched The Little Book of Italy travel guide at the opening ceremony, in the presence of H.E Domenico Bellato, Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of Bahrain, on June 16, 2019. With the launch of the Italia Tourist Information Centre and the Little Book of Italy, VFS Global and the Italian Embassy aim at providing applicants with first-hand information on visa procedures and travel tips. Speaking at the inauguration, Bellato said, “It is a pleasure to inaugurate the Italia Tourist Information Centre in Bahrain. There are not many places globally which can match the combination of history, culture, scenery, fashion, shopping, and food offered by Italy. With the launch of this centre and the Little Book of Italy we hope visa applicants will receive timely touristic information from a reliable source. We are confident that the centre will help to further increase the number of Bahraini citizens and residents who choose Italy as their destination for tourism and business.” Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO – Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to take our partnership with the Government of Italy to the next level with the launch of Italia Tourist Information Centre. Bahrain has a large number of travellers to Italy for leisure and business, and this new centre will bring accurate information to their close proximity as …

Millennium and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem hotels situated in Makkah City Center at Al Naseem district opened their doors to meet the rapidly increasing demand of rooms and luxury stays within the holy city of Makkah. The two properties add 1307 keys to the 4067 keys currently operated by Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and supporting the 2030 vision. The two properties are part of Al Rajhi complex in Al Naseem district in the holy city of Makkah and at a walking distance from Al-Rajhi Mosque that is part of the complex. Millennium and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem provide a convenient location for pilgrims close to the holy sites including Arafat, Mina and Mozdalifa and a relaxing atmosphere to Umrah performers and business travellers. A 24/ 7 free shuttle service to and from the haram, on-site recreational activities, entertainment, restaurants and business facilities are available within Al Rajhi complex for the guests to enjoy while staying in the hotels. Kevork Deldelian, Chief Operating Officer at Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, stated, “We are pleased to introduce these new properties to Millennium Hotels & Resorts portfolio in the Kingdom, as the fruitful outcome of our partnership with Sulaiman A.Al-Rajhi Real Estate Investments Company.  We look forward to seeing these properties among top hotels within the Makkah province.” Khalid Saud Abuhaimed, CEO at Sulaiman A.Al-Rajhi Real Estate Investments Company, commented, “We are witnessing a huge leap in the development of Al Rajhi complex and these new openings represent an essential part of the complex complementing its comprehensive facilities.  As one of the leading Saudi holding groups, we are keen to keep up with the strong growth …

As part of the month-long celebrations for flydubai’s 10th anniversary the flydubai team came together on June 18, 2019 at Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall for a preview of the story of how flydubai changed the way people travel around the region.  At the event, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said, “Over the last 10 years, we have carried more than 70 million passengers, introduced new and under-explored destinations and brought people closer to share experiences and opportunities. We remain as determined as we have always been to bridge the distance between people and in doing so enrich their lives.” The airline shared the flydubai Story with its employees first recognising the contribution they have made to the success of the airline. Reflecting on the remarkable journey over the last 10 years, Ghaith, continued, “We began operations as a low-cost carrier to allow more people to travel to more places more often, however our real aim was to improve accessible air travel for over 2.5 billion people within the flydubai network. This has seen the airline evolve, introducing Business Class and refining our product offering without compromising our operational integrity. Today, we offer our customers value beyond the fare, ensuring opportunities are within reach of everyone, everywhere we fly.” Having shared the flydubai Story with colleagues, flydubai is today sharing it with those who have been brought together by choosing to flydubai over the last 10 years. Ghaith, outlining the formula for the airline’s achievements, said, “At flydubai we put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our commitment remains to open new and underserved destinations to ensure our network complements and enhances Dubai as a hub …

marhaba, part of dnata and one of the world’s fastest growing passenger services providers, continues to expand its global network. In addition to its popular facilities in Dubai, Melbourne, and Karachi, marhaba opened another airport lounge in Singapore and now offers excellent value services for passengers of all airlines and travel classes at Changi Airport too. Located at Terminal 3, the newest marhaba lounge features comfortable seating for over 130 guests, a quiet zone for relaxation, and shower facilities. It is open 24 hours a day and offers superfast Wi-Fi and all-day dining with an international buffet catering to a wide range of dietary and ethnic requirements. The comfort of guests is ensured by a diverse team of 40 customer-oriented staff, who speak a total of six languages. Passengers wishing to relax or catch up with work in the pleasant marhaba lounge can make online bookings at marhabaservices.com from S$55 or gain access via one of the lounge loyalty card programmes. Dirk Goovaerts, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific, dnata, said, “We are delighted to open our newest marhaba lounge at Changi Airport, one of our largest bases. Today’s passengers expect a seamless travel experience and we are passionate about supporting our airline customers in delivering this, by providing quality and reliable ground handling and catering services at some of the world’s busiest hubs. Offering the same excellent quality globally, our 12 lounges also contribute to a pleasant passenger journey at the airports. Our dedicated team looks forward to welcoming all passengers departing or transiting in Singapore to our brand new marhaba lounge.”  

Etihad Airways is preparing to launch seasonal flights between Abu Dhabi and the coastal city of Salalah, southern Oman, in time for the region’s unique Khareef, or green season. Etihad will fly to Salalah four times per week between July 2 and  August 31, the peak of the green season.  The flights, to be operated with two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, will depart Abu Dhabi at 8.05 am each Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving at 10.00 am, and enabling guests to begin their break by early afternoon. Salalah is one of the few locations on the Arabian Peninsula that experiences a monsoon season, creating extensive vegetation growth and spectacular waterfalls throughout the coastal ranges, and delivering significantly lower temperatures than the rest of the GCC. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Salalah is one of the most sought-after destinations in Oman, and Khareef is an amazing season in which to visit. The green mountains and flowing waterfalls are rare and beautiful in this region, and less than two hours flying time from Abu Dhabi. Our new seasonal flights provide a great opportunity to experience this extraordinary destination at one of the best times of the year, either for a short break or an extended period.”  

Emaar and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have joined hands to offer Dubai Metro users exceptional discounts. Hop on the Metro and head straight to a world of wholesome entertainment, while enjoying a slew of attractive offers on some of Dubai’s most famous attractions. Dubai Metro users will have the exclusive opportunity to experience 360 degree sweeping views from At the Top, Burj Khalifa – levels 125 and 124 of the iconic Burj Khalifa for AED 75 per person instead of AED 141 inclusive of a complimentary signature beverage at The Café. Dubai Metro users can also enjoy a 50 per cent off on all Emaar Entertainment attractions including the Explorer Plus ticket at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Ice Golf at Dubai Ice Rink, any Dolby Cinema experience at Reel Cinemas and double their credit on a minimum AED 100 spend at VR Theme Park. Visitors can indulge in appetising delicacies at a 30 per cent discount from over 50 food and beverage outlets at The Dubai Mall. Dining at Address Downtown restaurants, including NEOS and The Restaurant, will also be at half price. Also on offer at half price are the mesmerising Front of House tours of Dubai Opera to learn more about the iconic architecture, hidden secrets behind its breathtaking design, beautiful sculptures, art pieces and the modern technologies used to deliver a magnificent experience. To avail of these great offers, Dubai Metro riders only have to collect the discount voucher from Dubai Metro stations and present them at the ticket counters of their chosen leisure destination along with a valid Emirates ID. Vouchers are available at all metro stations. One can enjoy this limited offer …

Emirates will be expanding its services to Jeddah and Medina with an additional 46 flights to help facilitate travel for Hajj pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The flights will be operated between July 27 and August 22 to support the Hajj journey to the Holy City of Mecca. The services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina, and will be available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa. This year, Emirates expects thousands of pilgrims to travel on its services for Hajj, coming from top inbound destinations such as Pakistan, the United States, Senegal, the UK, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa and Ivory Coast. Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran, Emirates, said, “Hajj is one of the most significant events in the Muslim faith, and every year, Emirates’ primary focus is to help facilitate seamless travel for our Hajj passengers as they converge on the Holy City of Mecca for this once in a lifetime journey.” On the ground in Dubai, Emirates has commissioned a dedicated team to manage check-in and transfers for the seamless movement of Hajj passengers leaving from and transiting in Dubai. In the air, Emirates has planned several initiatives that uphold the values and traditions of pilgrims when travelling for Hajj. Extra provisions will be made to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablutions and other cleansing rituals as well as advising passengers when they have entered Al Miqat zones to ensure readiness for Ihram (the point when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) through dedicated passenger announcements.

Global Travel and Tourism, one of the leading travel agencies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with Sabre Corporation to continue use of its innovative technology and platform to manage travel. Under this agreement, Global Travel will continue to access Sabre’s portfolio of innovative technology and its intelligent platform Sabre Red 360, allowing it to harness more data, content and flexibility to differentiate its offering, compete more effectively and grow faster in the region. “As a key customer for Sabre for more than a decade, we’re thrilled to continue to support the future growth and plans of Global Travel,” said Abdul Razzaq-Iyer, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “We are constantly evolving our technology, enabling us to offer agencies faster innovation and more flexible solutions infused with data-driven insights.” Online travel is growing significantly in the Middle East driven by high adoption for consumer technologies and high expectations from the travel players. Studies indicate that online travel bookings represent approximately 32 per cent of the overall ME travel market and this is projected to reach 40 percent by 2021. “We are delighted to renew our long-standing partnership with Sabre to support our plans to enter the online space,” said Suhaib Kidwai, CEO, Global Travel and Tours. “We have enjoyed a very successful long-standing partnership with Sabre and now it’s time to extend this privilege to use their global expertise to establish our online presence in the region. We are sure Sabre is the right partner to lead us through this transition and trust that it has the technology, expertise and the right team to make this happen.”

WeinMsafer is a new online platform dedicated to Arabic speaking travellers, designed to help, explore and guide them to the world’s most attractive destinations. The new Arabic language site – www.weinmsafer.com – provides everything for a traveller to explore destinations and plan a trip for a family, group of friends, a business trip or even a solo adventure holiday or long weekend city break. This includes travel tips, recommendations, special offers and best deals for everything from flights to accommodation and advice on special requirements and occasions including planning honeymoons and for those seeking more luxurious travel experiences. Travel planning and preparation takes time and commitment as travellers explore the globe for new and exciting destinations. Where and when to go, what to do and see, and then find the best offers to match the itinerary, this is where www.weinmsafer.com comes in as a solution with all the information required in a single place online. It is the first online destination for Arabic speaking travellers looking for advice on the top destinations around the world, especially Europe and the Americas. www.weinmsafer.com provides everything needed to plan a trip – discover tourist destinations from Europe and the rest of the world, while learning about what to do while there. The online destination guides help explore individual destinations, including finding luxury hotel options, a specialised restaurant or even a shopping street in any country or city. Online guidance includes a helpful ‘Traveller’s Encyclopaedia’ offering travel tips, the latest tourism news, with information about the best airports for travel and transit, all to help Arab travellers decide on the right destination and then plan the trip.