HE Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism highlighted that the launch of the world’s largest underwater diving park is currently underway. The park will be the largest diving park in the world spanning an area of 100,000 sqm, and is expected to open to divers and visitors in August 2019. According to sources, the largest ever plane is to be submerged in the ocean as the first phase of Dive Bahrain got under way. Local and international divers and a fleet of tugboats are working to relocate the decommissioned Boeing 747 jumbo jet to its new home in the Arabian Gulf. The 70-metre long plane was bought from a Dubai-based airline. It is expected to rest at a depth of around 24 metres and will be positioned nose up in the water to allow novice divers access to the aircraft at shallower depths. In preparation for its submersion, the Dive Bahrain team worked for eight months to ensure the aircraft was environmentally friendly. “We could have just sunk it the way it was when it was transported here, but that’s not our intention. Every hazardous material has been removed; all plastic material has been removed. Even the bolts and the screws were removed so that we could clean any oil residue, before putting them back on,” said Hamad Al Mahmeed, project manager at Dive Bahrain. HE Zayed bin Rashed Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry and Commerce revealed, “We are proud to launch this unique eco-friendly project in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Environment and the private sector.”  

According to a press release of the EU Council, the Schengen visa fees will increase 33.3% from 60 euros to 80 euros once the amended regulation comes into force. “To ensure member states can better cover the costs of visa processing without constituting a deterrent for visa applicants, the visa fee will be increased to 80 euros. The regulation also introduces a mechanism for reviewing every three years whether the visa fee should change,” says the press release. After the final adoption by the EU Council today, the new EU Visa regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Six months later, it will come into force and start applying to all third country nationals that need a visa to the Schengen zone. If the final text is published by the end of this month, in January 2020, third country nationals in need of a visa will need to pay 80 euros to apply. The new rules also permit applications to be submitted for a maximum period of six months, and no later than 15 days, before the trip. So far, the maximum period has been three months. In addition, the EU intends to introduce a harmonised approach to the issuing of multiple entry visas to regular travellers with a positive visa history for a period, which increases gradually from one to five years. Another important part of the new code is that it also intends to contribute to the cooperation of third countries on readmission through the introduction of a new mechanism for using visa processing as leverage. Through the mechanism, third countries will be assessed continuously regarding cooperation on readmission. Non-cooperating countries can become …

Etihad Airways and Swae, an award-winning startup based in Vancouver, have partnered to launch iFikra, an artificial intelligence-powered platform aimed at unlocking the full potential of Etihad’s workforce by enabling every employee to contribute to innovation. Designed to harness the collective creativity of the organisation, the iFikra platform is a pilot aimed at promoting intrapreneurship by allowing employees to propose innovative solutions to address Etihad’s ongoing business challenges and untapped opportunities. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, launched the new platform, reaffirming the importance of innovation within the organisation. He said, “We recognise that there is an abundance of great ideas right here in our organisation and no one knows our business better than our employees, so we developed this tool to give them the platform they need to innovate.” The new platform leverages artificial intelligence to support and augment written business proposals generated by staff, while enabling an open feedback and collaboration learning loop, based on the principles of transparency and meritocracy, to help escalate the best ideas forward efficiently. For the first time, employees have the power to shape organisational strategy by voting, commenting and providing constructive feedback on their colleague’s ideas, playing a direct role in the decision-making process.  Ideas that ‘graduate‘ from the platform will be provided with seed funding and support through Innovate Lab, Etihad’s innovation lab. The Lab supports rapid trial and iteration of promising ideas and projects, accelerating the delivery of prototypes, pilots, proof of concepts and minimum viable products. Soushiant Zangenehpour, Chief Executive Officer of Swae, said, “We’re excited to partner with Etihad on this integration of Swae. We believe Swae’s platform can help Etihad improve the inclusivity and …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) and SEERA (previously Al Tayyar Travel Group), one of the region’s leading providers of travel services in the Middle East and North Africa, have signed a strategic partnership agreement which will see both entities unite to further strengthen travel demand from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to the emirate. Working together previously on a variety of projects, the reinvigorated partnership between the department and Almosafer; SEERA’S consumer travel brand which recorded more than 100,000 bookings from Saudi Arabian travellers to Dubai in 2018, will see promotional opportunities implemented through the ongoing alliance. Almosafer will embrace a new omni-channel approach, offering its customers the choice and freedom to book their travel itineraries across online and offline touchpoints, reaffirming its commitment to promoting Dubai as a top destination for Saudi Arabian travellers. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), said, “Dubai continues to rank among the most popular destinations for holidaymakers from across the GCC with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remaining in second place as one of our leading source markets in Q1 2019.” Almosafer will offer special hotel and flight deals exclusively for KSA travellers to Dubai, highlighting the top things-to-do in the city, iconic attractions, as well as travel tips across diverse targeted marketing channels. The brand will also create special Dubai-centric holiday packages, tailored to a variety of travel segments, including couples, families, individuals or business travellers. Abdullah Bin Nasser Aldawood, CEO of SEERA commented on the partnership, “Almosafer caters for a real range of Saudi travellers and we know, from our 40 years’ worth of travel knowledge and experience, what the varied …

Emaar Hospitality Group is strengthening its market outreach to China with a sales and marketing partnership agreement with Youli Hospitality Consulting, the country’s leading representation company. As part of the agreement, Youli Consulting will promote the hotels under Emaar Hospitality Group’s premium luxury Address Hotels and Resorts and upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts across all key markets in China including Beijing and Shanghai. Youli Consulting will promote Emaar Hospitality Group among Chinese travel and tour operators in addition to driving Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MiCE) traffic covering leading corporates. The hotels will also be promoted through a dedicated WeChat/Weibo account to engage the digital-savvy young Chinese travellers. Chris Newman, Chief Operating Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said, “China continues to be one of the fastest-growing tourism markets for Dubai, led by its ‘China Ready’ strategy. Our hotels are among the most recognised and sought-after by Chinese visitors for its proximity to attractions such as Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall that are visited by 97 per cent of all tourists to the city. Through our partnership with Youli Consulting, which has rich sales and marketing experience in the industry, we aim to strengthen guest arrivals from China.” Li Lei, Founder of Youli Consulting, added, “Dubai is today among the most in-demand destinations among the Chinese travellers. As a leading representation company in the country, we understand the aspirations and needs of Chinese guests and we will promote Emaar Hospitality Group’s hotels in Dubai to young travellers, middle-class families, MiCE agencies and corporates. We are confident that our integrated approach to enhance the visibility of our partner brands as well as our practical experience to make overseas hotels ‘China …

In line with its commitment to play a key role in further advancing Dubai’s leadership in global trade and e-commerce, Dubai South brought to the spotlight the emirate’s advanced logistics connectivity and innovation among a global network of transport, logistics, mobility, IT and supply chain management companies when it participated at the Transport Logistic Exhibitions in Munich from June 4 to 7, 2019. It showcased major projects under Dubai South’s Logistics District which provide various business solutions. Dubai continues to lead globally in terms of attracting foreign direct investments (FDI) as it increased by 41% in 2018, valued at AED 38.5 billion considering its pioneering efforts in innovation and digital transformation. From 2015 to 2018, the emirate has attracted a total of USD 21.6 billion worth of FDI in advanced technology transfers. It also continues to surpass leading economies such as the US, UK and South Korea in the Smart Service Index, having achieved sixth position in the global rankings. Dubai South’s multi model Logistics District provides seamless access to seaports, airports and major roads, reflecting its advanced connectivity and flexibility. It has created various solutions such as ready-to-occupy and built-to-suit options for various types of business operations such warehouses and distribution centers.  As well offering various office solutions through its facilities at The Business Park, a complex of 11 modern buildings equipped with state-of-the art amenities just right at the entrance of Dubai South. Commenting on the participation, Mohsen Ahmad, CEO, Dubai South’s Logistics District, said, “Participating at the Transport Logistic Exhibitions brings a lot of enthusiasm for Dubai South as we anticipate positive responses to our latest projects in the Logistics District. These initiatives are designed to offer …

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Star Alliance have renewed their collaboration on traveller document verification to improve the passenger experience. Star Alliance and IATA, in a signing ceremony at IATA’s 75th Annual General Meeting in Seoul, agreed that IATA’s Timatic AutoCheck solution will continue to power Automated Document Check (ADC) for Star Alliance member carriers. IATA Timatic AutoCheck enables Star Alliance customers checking-in at the airport counter or online to verify that their travel documents are valid and complete for the whole journey, including any transit point before travel begins. This delivers several significant benefits; preventing the embarrassing and distressing situation for passengers of being denied entry to a country on arrival owing to missing or invalid documents; and enabling a seamless experience when travel encompasses multiple carriers. Passengers will no longer need to see an agent to have their travel documents checked and rechecked at transit points, and avoiding the passenger fine to airlines for transporting inadmissible passengers. Jeffrey Goh, CEO Star Alliance said, “This marks another milestone in our continuing strategy to improve the passenger travel experience, especially for those customers who fly on multi-carrier journeys. Our partnership with IATA to extend collaboration on passenger document verification through use of IATA’s Timatic AutoCheck to support our proven solution of the ADC will help ensure a seamless travel experience for our members’ 775 million passengers, a priority that lies at the heart of our strategic repositioning.” “Digital transformation is essential to meeting evolving passenger expectations today and into the future. Star’s selection of Timatic will give its customers a better experience,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Emirates’ first scheduled A380 services have just touched down in Boston and Amman for the summer season peak. The first scheduled A380 service landed in Amman on June 1 at 15:55 hrs local time and the second A380 service from Dubai to Boston landed at 13:50 hrs local time. Led by Captain Arif Al Reyami and Jordanian First Officer Laith Saudi, the A380 Amman service was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. Emirates will operate its A380 aircraft to and from Amman until October 26 to cater to the increased demand for travel during the peak summer period. The airline has adjusted its schedule on one of its three daily flights (EK 903/904) with the A380. Emirates A380 operations to Boston also coincide with high customer demand during the peak summer and winter travel season and will see overall capacity increase around 45 per cent between June 1 to September 30, 2019 and December 1, 2019 to  January 31, 2020. The move to deploy the popular A380 on both routes demonstrates the airline’s flexibility to optimise the usage of its fleet to cater to passenger demand within its network. The Emirates A380 flying to Amman is set in a three-class configuration, and will have 427 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck over the months of June and July, 76 flat-bed Business Class seats and 14 luxurious First Class Suites. First and Business Class customers can catch up, network and enjoy an extensive range of beverages and delicacies in the Onboard Lounge. The Emirates A380 flying to Boston is also set in a three class cabin configuration, offering 14 private suites in First Class, 76 seats in Business …

IndiGo commenced two new daily direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Abu Dhabi. The inaugural flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to Abu Dhabi took flight on Wednesday, June 5 at 19:55 local time, while the flight from Abu Dhabi to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai departed at 23:30 local time. The new flights were celebrated with a cake cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 5 and was attended by key representatives from Abu Dhabi International Airport and IndiGo. Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “This enhanced connectivity reflects the strong connection between the UAE and India in a variety of areas including commerce and tourism. IndiGo is one of the busiest Indian airlines operating at Abu Dhabi International Airport to now four destinations; Cochin, Calicut, Delhi and Mumbai. With the two new routes we look forward to continuing to facilitate the travel of Indian expats between their homeland and the UAE and attracting tourist traffic between the multiple destinations.” On the occasion, William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, said, “As we strengthen our operations from Delhi and Mumbai for domestic and international connectivity from India, Abu Dhabi being a major cultural and commercial centre in UAE, is a critical market for strengthening our presence in the Middle-East. With the addition of these new international flights and enhanced domestic frequency, we are committed to expanding our network to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers.” IndiGo passengers traveling from Abu Dhabi International Airport will be able to take advantage of Abu Dhabi Airports’ remote check-in locations at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and at the heart of capital opposite Abu …

This summer Emirates has partnered with Uber to offer UAE travellers discounted airport transfers  for those who fly Emirates Economy Class Flex Plus and Economy Class Flex. Customers can avail free or discounted airport rides to and from DXB on bookings made until July 31 for travel until August 31, 2019. UAE nationals and residents can now plan ahead and enjoy a seamless end-to-end customer travel experience this summer. Customers who book their travel in Economy Flex Plus can avail two free rides to and from DXB from anywhere in Dubai up to the value of AED 120 per trip. Customers booked in Economy Flex will get 50% off two rides, to and from DXB to anywhere in Dubai up to the value of AED 60 per trip. Passengers can avail the special offers by booking via the Emirates website during the promotional period. Khalid Bel Jaflah,  Divisional Vice President Commercial Operations — UAE and Oman, Emirates, said, “We are very pleased to strengthen our partnership with Uber and extend this popular offer to customers in our home market of Dubai. We remain committed to providing a fantastic customer experience for our customers in the UAE so they can enjoy a seamless journey on the ground and in the air.” Abdellatif Waked, General Manager, Middle East and North Africa for Uber, commented, “At Uber, we’re focused on bringing reliable transportation to the millions of customers we serve everyday, and we are delighted to see our partnership with Emirates extend to serve outbound travellers from Dubai.” The Uber promotion code offer is currently also available for Emirates passengers visiting Dubai from more than 50 global destinations within North America, South America, …