Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service on September 23 to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in celebratory participation of the country’s 88th National Day. Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Centre, said, “The UAE enjoys a strong relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through fraternal ties and constructive cooperation, as well as a shared vision for the future. Bringing the Emirates A380 is a fitting way to support the National Day celebrations, and for customers in Riyadh to try the superior A380 product. King Khalid International Airport is also well-equipped to handle the A380 and we are working closely with the civil aviation authorities to ensure the one-off operation is successful.” The Emirates A380 service will touchdown at King Khalid International Airport on September 23 as EK 813 and EK 814, departing from Dubai at 1500hrs and arriving in Riyadh at 1550hrs. The flight will then depart from Riyadh at 1850hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2140hrs.

Jamal Abdulnazar, Chief Executive Officer, Cozmo Travel, has been conferred the Gallery of Legends trophy at the Arabian Travel Awards held in Dubai. Having moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to start his career in tourism at the age of 21, Abdulnazar’s dedication and passion for the industry made sure that he never looked back. With a mission to cater to everyone with travel aspirations, he set up a travel agency in 2010 with a team size of five. Today, this pioneering agency has a staff strength of 900, turnover of 1.2 billion dollars and 100 branches across seven countries. His phenomenal achievements are attributed to his progressive vision and leadership.

Nasir Jamal Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Al Naboodah Travel and Tourism, has been honoured with the DDP Game Changer award. With a career spanning over 30 years, Khan is an influential personality among travel and tourism industry players in the region due to his vast knowledge and experience in the two key markets of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. With a rich network of strong relationships, he has successfully placed his organisation as a leading travel company on the tourism map of the UAE. He gets the right travel apparatus to suit the clientele according to time and relevance.

The second edition of Arabian Travel Awards concluded on September 20, 2018 at JW Marriott Hotel Dubai, Deira. H E Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) graced the occasion as Chief Guest while dignitaries from consulates, travel, tourism and hospitality professionals attended to be recognised for their untiring efforts to place United Arab Emirates as the fourth most visited destination in the world. Welcoming guests at the event, SanJeet, Mentor, Arabian Travel Awards said, “Our aim through the Arabian Travel Awards is to recognise and encourage the talent in some of the most important sectors such as travel, tourism and hospitality which contributes to the sustainable growth in the economy of the country. This year, we had over 25 countries who did submit their votes; hence we have nearly 60 awards to recognise the giants who have contributed to the country’s economy. We thank each one of you for taking the time to vote for your favourite category and hope to see you at the awards next year!”

The German National Tourist Office in Dubai, together with its partners Emirates, Münich Tourism and Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, brings some of German cuisine’s delicious flavours at Steigenberger Brothaus Bakery – Bistro in Dubai to inspire guests to visit Germany. Sigrid de Mazieres, Director — Marketing and Sales Office Gulf Countries, German National Tourist Office Gulf Countries stressed the importance of the GCC as being the third-largest non-European feeder market for Germany. She reiterated that the number of travellers to GCC from 2009 has been increasing year on year and in 2017, it witnessed 4.5 per cent increase. Annually, the theme to attract international tourists changes in the sector. This year is about the culinary journey which is quite interesting for the visitors from the region as food and shopping are two main areas that they focus while travelling to Germany. Shaz Peshimam, Emirates Senior Manager for Dubai and the Northern Emirates addressed the audience and stated that the new visa-free facility to all the UAE nationals has made a great impact for their flights as earlier it was seasonal. Emirates has been serving Germany for the past 31 years and they fly to four main areas — Frankfurt, Düsseldorf , Munich and Hamburg with 70 weekly flights.

Tripfez and Media Prima Digital have launched a new Umrah package booking feature on Raudhah app. Raudhah’s 250,000-plus existing users and Muslim travellers can now search for flights and hotels for Umrah travel according to multiple criteria, including date of travel and the number of travellers in their group. Online Travel Agents can also access the API connection, enabling them to access and digitally package Umrah travel more easily. “Raudhah app feature marks an exciting development in the Islamic travel and marketing space, with two dynamic Malaysian-headquartered companies working together to pioneer the digital distribution of Umrah packages, which until now, has been a traditional, non-digital business,” said Faeez Fadhlillah, Founder & CEO, Tripfez.” He further added, “Our collaboration with Media Prima Digital will not only make things easier for Muslim travellers, but also facilitate the future growth of the Umrah travel sector, catering to pent-up demand for digital Umrah solutions, which today is driven by tech-savvy Muslim Millennials. At the same time, we are giving third-parties access to the API connection, enabling them to access the direct feeds to create and sell Umrah packages more efficiently and effectively.” Raudhah- the brainchild of Media Prima Digital- has 14 features and is designed to cater to the religious needs of Muslims in Malaysia and around the world. Talking about the achievement, Rafiq Razali, CEO, Media Prima Digital, said, “We are thrilled to introduce the Umrah feature into the Raudhah app in this latest update. Performing Umrah is now much easier with the advancement in technology and we look forward to embracing it as we take a digital-first approach as an organisation,” said.

The UN Migration Agency (IOM) and Turkish Airlines have signed a long-term partnership agreement for the promotion of safe, orderly and regular migration. The deal has been signed between General William Swing, Director IOM and M İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. The cooperation will focus on the organisation’s migration application (MigApp), which leverages the widespread use of telecommunications technology to provide practical information about services available to the migrants globally. “The agreement opens a whole range of possibilities for cooperation both in terms of Turkish Airlines’ commitment to social responsibility and our own commitments to migrants and refugees. It will allow us to do a lot in terms of informing migrants, promoting their rights and training to sensitise airline officials to smuggling and trafficking — one of the heinous crimes of our times.” Swing said. Commenting on the partnership, Aycı said, “As the national flag carrier of Turkey, we are glad to strengthen our collaboration with IOM. Through this agreement, we see a way to promote the idea of living together in peace and travelling freely and legally as envisioned under the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.”

Jumeirah Group has announced the launch of Jumeirah Nanjing on September 10. Under the direction of Jumeirah CEO, José Silva, the group is in a phase of accelerated expansion and this new Jumeirah-branded property in China represents an important deliverable in achieving the brand’s global growth ambitions. Located on the banks of the city’s Yangzte river, the hotel is situated on the 39-67th floors North Tower within the prestigious International Youth Cultural Centre (IYCC) of the Hexi New District. The striking and iconic architecture was created by the legendary architect Zaha Hadid, whose design took inspiration from a graceful sailing ship, capturing Nanjing’s blend of traditional and cosmopolitan style. Jumeirah Nanjing, which offers 212 rooms and 49 suites as well as range of exceptional dining experiences, is set to inspire and delight both local and international guests. José Silva, Chief Executive Officer, Jumeirah Group, said, “Jumeirah Nanjing is a stunning addition to our portfolio and we are exceedingly proud to be selected as guardians of such a significant property. The International Youth Cultural Centre is an architectural masterpiece and its iconic stature is truly impressive. Jumeirah Nanjing is a remarkable destination which will boost tourism to the city.” With this strategic addition, Jumeirah will expand its luxury portfolio, which currently extends to 22 luxurious hotels and resorts around the world. The Jumeirah Group will be opening additional properties in the Asia-Pacific region, including in China and Bali.

Dubai Airports has finalised an agreement with Hard Rock International and their regional franchise partners that will see the former launch its first Hard Rock Cafe, opening early November in DXB’s Concourse B. The new location will feature a licensed restaurant, grab and go food, live entertainment, rock memorabilia and a Rock Shop loaded with its world-famous merchandise. Hard Rock Cafe will be located in Terminal 3 B Gates, adding to DXB’s remarkable array of leisure and entertainment offerings, which include over 100 eating options for passengers, catering to all tastes and budgets. Hard Rock International is one of the world’s most globally recognised brands, famous for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, memorable dining experiences and live music performances which will complement Dubai Airports’ musicDXB programme. Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President Commercial, Dubai Airports, said, “We’re thrilled to add Hard Rock Cafe to our DXB playlist. It is the perfect fit at an airport that is already world-renowned for its F&B, retail and music. Hard Rock Cafe sets the standard when it comes to combining great food and music and is a vital component of our strategy to create an airport experience that is second to none.” Anibal Fernandez Lorden, Vice President, Franchise Operations and Development of Hard Rock International, said, “Hard Rock has been looking forward to opening its second location in Dubai after many successful years of operating in this iconic city.”  “We could not have asked for a better location to provide travellers with great memories of one of the world’s top dining and entertainment brands.”

The second edition of India-UAE Partnership Summit will take place at the Atlantis the Palm from October 30-31, 2018. The objective of the summit is to facilitate the private sector partnership in diverse areas. Speaking at a press conference, HE Navdeep Suri, High Commissioner of India in UAE, stated, “Attracting investments into tourism-related infrastructure is a real priority for the government of India and it is also a designated priority to many of the state governments who are keen about foreign investments in these sectors. We see that the business leaders forum has taken the first step forward by attracting tourism infrastructure on an island in Andhra Pradesh. We have also seen Yusuff Ali of the Lulu Group establish India’s biggest convention center and hotels and are now planning to establish additional convention centers in Visakhapatnam and Lucknow. We see that there is a strong interest in different sectors of Indian tourism, particularly the mountains and the resorts and spas.”