Abu Dhabi Airports takes part at the Bahrain International Air Show being held from November 14 to 16 at the Sakhir Airbase so as to exhibit alongside partners at the UAE national pavilion. Commenting on Abu Dhabi Airports’ participation at the Middle East’s fastest growing airshow, Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Abu Dhabi now serves as a remarkable global example in providing air transport services that meet the highest international standards. Participation in the Bahrain International Air Show comes as part of our commitment to enhancing and bolstering our leading status in the air transport sector. “Our participation alongside key partners allows us to raise awareness about the astonishing developments being realised throughout Abu Dhabi in the aviation sector and related areas. Our participation here over the course of three days serves to highlight the pivotal role that the air transport and aerospace sector play in contributing to the national economy, which has been achievable. Thanks to joint cooperation and support across local authorities.” In 2017, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) was named ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ by the Airport Service Quality Awards for the second consecutive year. AUH has also prioritised sustainability, and last year became the first airport in the region to sign the Airports Sustainability Declaration.

Mövenpick opens 244 units of a plush apartment complex in Downtown Dubai. Catering to both leisure and business segments, this new Movenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown will very soon be the talk of the town with guests being able to club their holidays with leisure. The complex has one- two-and three-bedroom apartments in threee different colour pallettes that would suit the guests’ mood. The property is located within five minutes’ reach from Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. It also offers accessibility to major business districts such as the Dubai International Financial Centre, Business Bay and Dubai World Trade Centre. Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai offers a vibrant contemporary fully serviced studios and apartments with fully fitted kitchen, along with an outdoor temperature-controlled pool, 24-hour gym facilities and sauna to keep guests energised. Further, Dubai Airport is the nearest from this apartment complex.  

Meraas aims to pull out all stops to deliver Bluewaters’ unique promise of an island luxe vibe, with unparalleled experiences brought to the region for the first time at the Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, The Residences at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars Resort Bluewaters Dubai. These five-star accommodations comprising 495 luxury rooms and 80 serviced apartments will be flanked by The Rotunda at one end and Caesars Forum on the other.  The exclusive 194-key Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai will feature an outdoor swimming pool, the wellness concept Qua Spa and a fitness centre with stunning views of Ain Dubai as well as six cutting-edge restaurants. The Residences at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai will offer additional 80 premium-serviced apartments ideal for contemporary living. The second hotel, Caesars Resort Bluewaters Dubai, will comprise 301 rooms, two outdoor swimming pools, six unique restaurants, three meeting rooms equipped to provide business services and a 750-square metre event hall. Since Ain Dubai first made its appearance off the coast of Dubai Marina, it has captured the imagination of the city. Making its presence felt, this new landmark-in-the-making has drawn attention to Bluewaters, the island destination by Meraas that has opened its doors to visitors. Connecting it to the mainland is a sophisticated network of roads, including a direct link to Sheikh Zayed Road, pedestrian access from The Beach opposite JBR and water transport by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). His Excellency Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman, Meraas, said, “Dubai has always had its eye on the future. As the city develops in line with the vision of the UAE’s leadership, we are constantly striving to achieve greater heights. Meraas has been mindful of this, …

Gulf Air and Etihad are set to explore deeper cooperation following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Bahrain International Airshow. The wide-ranging MOU covers scope to introduce joint codeshare operations between Abu Dhabi and Manama, as well as on the global flight networks beyond the two carriers’ GCC hubs. The MOU also contains plans for greater commercial cooperation in the fields of cargo, engineering, guest experience and the optimisation of pilot training facilities. It was signed by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group and Krešimir Kučko, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air on the first day of the ongoing show at the Sakhir Airbase. Krešimir Kučko said, “The relationship between Bahrain and the UAE is strong in many fields, including aviation and with the signing of this MOU, we enrich the relationship by cooperating with Etihad Airways. This is an example of how two airlines can work hand-in-hand for greater mutual benefits. We are happy to work with our friends and colleagues in Etihad and support each other to achieve bigger goals.” According to Tony Douglas, “The deep ties between Abu Dhabi and Manama are well-known in the aviation world and date back nearly 70 years. Therefore, the natural way to build upon those ties is to examine ways in which the two flag carriers can work more closely together to improve business operations and enhance the experience for our guests. We look forward to the Etihad and Gulf Air teams coming together during the next few months to look at how we can put that in place, whether it is in codeshare, engineering, cargo, or through our frequent flyer programmes.”

Royal Jordanian (RJ) has decided to stop Royal Wings operations on November 30, 2018. The move was taken as a result of the high operating costs and the subsequent losses incurred by Royal Wings over the past years. The task of promoting and selling the charter flights that used to be carried out by Royal Wings will now fall on Royal Jordanian’s commercial department. Negotiations are going on at this stage between RJ and two parties interested in buying Royal Wings; the process may take some time. As for the employees working at Royal Wings, 12 of them, who had been seconded from Royal Jordanian to Royal Wings, will return to work for RJ. The other 95 Royal Wings employees were offered several flexible options for their future benefit. After interviewing a number of them, 18 have been accepted to work for RJ so far, as they met the job requirements, while the process of interviewing is still ongoing to give the opportunity to the remaining staff members to undergo RJ exams and interviews. Those who don’t pass the exams and interviews are offered the option of voluntary release from service. The voluntary release option is also available to all Royal Wings employees.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai (GDRFA) to further facilitate the delivery of smart services to investors, entrepreneurs and startups, particularly homegrown entities, and help them develop their businesses in areas such as technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart city applications. Aligned with Dubai’s Smart Government strategy and the UAE Vision 2021, the agreement will ensure the protection of intellectual property and enhance creative thinking skills and applications, while boosting cooperation in the scientific, training and professional fields as well as the exchange of expertise in legal, technical and administrative matters. As part of the MoU, the GDRFA will set up an office in DSOA’s headquarters to provide government services directly to Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)-based entrepreneurs and investors. Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DSOA, signed the MoU with Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, GDRFA, in the presence of senior officials from the two sides. Dr Mohammed Alzarooni said, “DSOA is committed to growing and developing its services according to the Smart Dubai initiative, which aims to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. We are pleased to sign this partnership agreement with a pioneering entity such as GDRFA that is known for its extremely effective and efficient smart government services and for achieving high levels of customer happiness. Notably, the agreement supports the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 in shaping an attractive environment that empowers creative entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful projects that serve the national economy.” Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said: “Our agreement is …

The number of Indian visitors travelling to the GCC over the coming five years will create an extra 10.8 million room nights, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2019 (ATM), which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28, 2019 to May 1, 2019. The latest research published by Colliers International predicts around nine million Indians will travel to the GCC by 2022 – 37 per cent of India’s total outbound market – with business, place of work and leisure underpinning this demand. Indian outbound will account for 22.5 million worldwide tourists in 2018, with reports from UNWTO estimating this figure will increase by 122 per cent to reach over 50 million by 2022. Adding to this, Indian tourists are among the world’s highest spenders per visit made abroad, with visitor spend expected to increase from US$23 billion in 2018 to US$45 billion by 2022. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Despite recent weak rupee exchange rates, which have seen the rupee lose around 14 per cent of its value against the US dollar over the last 12 months, the Indian outbound market has continued to grow at an average annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent over the last seven years. The GCC has benefited from this trend with Indian travellers’ willingness and ability to spend on outbound travel supported by the country’s pace-setting 7 per cent GDP growth and a new generation of leisure attractions in the GCC as well as increased business opportunities and relaxed visa regulations for Indian nationals. We are witnessing this growth first hand with Indian visitors to ATM increasing 27 per cent YoY between 2017 and …

Marriott International is offering event planners and meeting organisers new benefits for bookings at participating hotels across Middle East and Africa (MEA) as part of its ‘Rewarding Events Made Here’ promotion. Meeting planners can now choose from a plethora of unique experiences and earning opportunities across the group’s portfolio of distinct brands. It is now possible to book a meeting, event or group stay at a participating Marriott International property in the region and take advantage of a range of fantastic benefits including 5 per cent saving on the master bill, Double Marriott Rewards points, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards points or SPG Starpoints and earning a signing bonus of 3,000 Marriott Rewards, SPG Starpoints or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Points for every 10 room nights booked. Providing event organisers and travel planners the opportunity to make stays even more special, the ‘Rewarding Events Made Here’ promotion is available for meetings, events or group stays with 10 rooms per night or more. Bookings must be made before June 30, 2019 for stays at participating hotels from now until January 31, 2020. Offer is available at all participating brands in the region with the exception of Marriott Executive Apartments, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Element, Residence Inn and Design Hotels. Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, MEA, Marriott International, commented, “We are witnessing a rapid change in the way businesses and individuals plan events and to meet the increasing demands within this growing segment, it is vital that we create packages that not only offer great value, but also rewards on bookings. Whether it is a meeting, a conference, group or an event, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences through personalised services, innovative …

VFS Global has signed a contract with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic for providing visa services in 10 countries worldwide. As per this new contract, VFS Global will now provide visa services for Slovakia in China, India, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Belarus, Russia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt through 38 visa application centres. The rollout of all these new operations is expected to be completed by December 2018. Under the new contract, VFS Global will accept both short and long-term visa applications on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Chris Dix, Head – Business Development, VFS Global, said, “We are excited about our new partnership with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The countries where we will be operating are markets where VFS Global has worked for several years and whose travellers are familiar with our services and expertise. We are also pleased to have the opportunity to serve our new clients in new locations, and bring applicants in these locations the same benefits and high-quality service that we have been offering our customers worldwide for the last 17 years.”

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is hosting its 57th chapter in Dubai. Running till November 14, the four-day conference is being attended by over 1,150 senior industry professionals and association meeting planners from across 75 countries. Congress delegates have descended on the city from across the world to experience a dynamic programme of education, networking and business opportunities. ICCA and Dubai Business Events have collaborated to create an exciting offering of forward-thinking education sessions, site visits to Dubai’s most innovative enterprises and a social programme showcasing the best of Emirati cultural delights and local hospitality. Welcoming delegates to the congress, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Business events are a crucial part of not only our tourism strategy, but our wider economic development. Whether through the year-round calendar of home-grown trade shows or major congresses like the ICCA congress that we successfully bid for – we understand and use the power of meetings and conferences to facilitate the rapid transition to a knowledge economy, and to grow scientific advancement and key industry sectors in Dubai and the UAE.” Nina Freysen-Pretorius, President, ICCA, said, “I would like to once again thank ICCA for selecting Dubai to host this congress, and to the Local Host Committee and all stakeholders involved for their role in planning. Our thanks also go to all the sponsors and supporting organisations of this event. The number of international association meetings has doubled every ten years since the establishment of ICCA 55 years ago, and we have identified the Middle East as an important growth area. In fact, we now have a dedicated seat for the region on our board, a permanent regional …