Category Archives: Govt

City Sightseeing Sharjah (CSS) has announced changes in the timings of its city sightseeing buses during the Holy month of Ramadan. The CSS Leisure Tours will be available from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. daily during Ramadan. The duration of the tours will be one and a half hours and buses will leave every 45 minutes, till the end of May. There will be 13 stops on Leisure Tours: Central Souq 1; Palm Tree Oasis; Al Noor Mosque; Al Majaz Waterfront; Al Majaz Amphitheatre; Flag Island and Al Montazah; Al Khan Beach 1; Al Khan Beach 2; Sharjah Aquarium; Al Qasba; Sahara Centre; Sharjah City Centre; and King Faisal Road. Likewise, CSS Culture Tours will also be available from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm every day during Ramadan, at a frequency of one hour and 15 minutes. The trips will last one hour and 15 minutes, with 10 stops that include: Central Souq 1; Central Souq 2; Fish Market; Heart of Sharjah; Sharjah Islamic Museum; Rain Room; Radisson Blue Resort; Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort and Spa; Cultural Square; Mega Mall; and Al Mahatta Museum. CSS will also conduct Night Tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Buses will leave every 30 minutes and the tours last an hour. The Night Tours will take in: Central Souq 1; Palm Tree Oasis; Al Noor Mosque; Al Majaz; Al Majaz Amphitheatre; Flag Island and Al Montazah; Al Khan Beach 1; Al Khan Beach 2; Sharjah Aquarium; and Al Qasba. CSS has also announced Ramadan promotions, which include one additional day pass when you buy a one-day pass. Children aged between 6 to 12 years get to travel for …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) signed an agreement to present Ras Al Khaimah as the ‘host destination’ at Vakantiebeurs 2020, the largest travel trade and consumer fair in Utrecht, Netherlands. Vakantiebeurs gathers tourism authorities, travel agencies and cultural associations from around the world for an opportunity to introduce their travel destinations and tourism products to consumers and fellow trade partners. Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “With a unique combination of authentic Arabian hospitality, pristine beaches and outdoor adventure pursuits, Ras Al Khaimah has a great appeal to holidaymakers from all over Europe. We have seen a significant growth in visitor numbers from Europe over the last couple of years, and therefore, the region continues to be a key focus for our tourism promotion strategy in a bid to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021. We look forward to our participation as the host destination at Vakantiebeurs 2020 as it supports our promotional efforts in Europe to ultimately drive further tourism growth in Ras Al Khaimah.” Ras Al Khaimah’s attractiveness amongst international tourists continues to be strong – accounting for 62% of overall visitors in 2018 – attributable to its 7,000 years of fascinating history, authentic Arabian culture and heritage, high-profile adventure attractions, magnificent natural landscapes, and exclusive luxury and wellness experiences. In a steadfast commitment to strengthen Ras Al Khaimah’s popularity in European markets, RAKTDA continues to participate in key European travel trade exhibitions.

Participating for the third time at the Arabian Travel Market 2019, the St. Petersburg, Russia pavilion highlighted all aspects of leisure, MICE, luxury, recreational and health and wellness tourism. As a special focus this year, St. Petersburg showcased their foray into its new ‘Luxury Russia’ offerings that centered around the symbolic, historical and cultural aspects of Russia. ‘Luxury Russia’ had a range of specially curated tours and activities. These included a bespoke museum premium hour tours with a personalised guide, gala receptions at the legendary Cruise Aurora shipyard; now converted into a museum and the Catharine Palace. Also included is the exciting experience to set off a cannon while touring the historic Peter and Paul Fortress and getting a helicopter tour of the presidential palace also known as the Konstastinosky Palace. “The Middle East is soon becoming an important part of our tourism business and we understand the need to be present at Arabian Travel Market. More so, this year we are targeting high profile travellers from the luxury segment as our research indicates that they contribute quite heavily to the frequency as well as the spending habits while visiting St. Petersburg,” said, Olga Redino, Deputy General Director & Vice Head of Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau. “Our Luxury Tourism Association is a unique project in Russia which creates the platform for premium and luxury customers to avail of exclusive experiences and truly customised service of an exceptional quality while travelling in Russia,” said, Marina Morozova – Head of National Tourism of Russian Federation in the Middle East Dubai UAE / CEO Luxury Travel Association. “Arabian Travel Market provides a perfect platform to reach out to the B2B and B2C sector …

In collaboration with premium partner Lufthansa Group, more than 200 regional and international key decision makers from the travel trade industry attended the travel trade networking event, to celebrate the conclusion of the ‘Heart of Europe’ Travel Summit; a joint networking-event hosted by the national tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland and Austria prior to the Arabian Travel Market exhibition (ATM) for the very first time.  Entitled “Reach for the Stars”, the lavish evening event took place on the rooftop of the Five Palm Jumeirah Hotel, offering its high-level guests  an outstanding view of the Dubai skyline. Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales, Gulf, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lufthansa Group, said, “We are delighted to have concluded the Heart of Europe Travel Summit with a tremendously successful networking evening. The GCC is a key focus market for us at Lufthansa Group in view of the strong growth prospects for travel from the GCC to Europe, Switzerland, Austria and Germany in particular, and the event offered us an excellent platform to strengthen our relationships with our customers and partners to reinforce our commitment to this region.” Highlighting the thrills the European neighbouring countries have to offer, guests were welcomed to experience an authentic culinary journey at the dedicated German, Swiss and Austrian food corners, while being entertained by a live band who traditionally performs at the world famous Oktoberfest in Munich, ‘Die Kirchdorfer’ who played famous tunes from the three countries aiming at inspiring guests to make Germany, Switzerland and Austria their summer holiday destination of choice. Emphasising the importance of flights connectivity between Europe and the GCC countries, the premium partner Lufthansa Group is proud to be one of the first aviation companies …

As one of ATM’s longest-standing partners, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) marked the 26th year of its participation in showcasing the emirate’s diverse tourism offerings to the local and international travel trade community at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Dubai Tourism was joined by over 300 representatives from government bodies, hotels, destination management companies and tour operators. The Dubai stand showcased the breadth of the emirate’s ever-evolving destination portfolio, as well as highlighted an upcoming pipeline of new experiences through numerous interactive activations and content-rich displays. The strategic platform also brought together an extensive network of industry stakeholders across the public and private sectors to strengthen new and existing in-market trade partnerships. In support of the show’s 2019 focus on technological innovation, the state-of-the-art stand will embrace disruptive innovation by providing unique and immersive experiences to visitors, all designed to showcase the city’s unique and attractive tourist proposition for diverse market segments. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) said, “ATM plays a key strategic role in helping Dubai Tourism provide insights into the emirate’s dynamic tourism proposition to international, regional and local travel, tourism and hospitality decision makers. We are delighted to extend our reach this year by hosting more than 300 buyers from around the world to explore how to maximise our combined potentials. Our activations and on-stand experiences will build on the technological innovation theme of this year’s show, and we look forward to highlighting the scale of the activities that continue to build on our ‘digital, mobile and social first’ agenda.” This year, visitors to the Dubai stand could explore a dedicated ‘EMAAR Zone’ with a new Virtual …

The 5th UAE-UK Joint Economic Committee (JEC) was held in London with the participation of a high-level official delegation from the UAE, headed by H.E Eng. Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, Undersecretary of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Economy, on behalf of H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy. Her Excellency Baroness Fairhead, UK Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion led attendees from the UK side. The Committee was held in the presence of H.E. Sulaiman Al Mazroui, UAE Ambassador to UK. The latest session of the Committee focused on ensuring the integration between development visions of both countries, through developing broader economic partnerships across priority fields according to objectives of the UAE Vision 2021, and the UK’s Industrial Strategy and Export Strategy. The JEC also discussed opportunities for cooperation in the areas of energy, healthcare, life sciences, information technology, space, infrastructure, education, financial and professional services, as well as fields based on technology, innovation, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and artificial intelligence (AI). The two countries also agreed to hold the next session of the Committee in the UAE in 2021 during the Expo 2020 Dubai. H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori said that the UAE-UK relations are rooted in the history of both countries and are based on strong ties of cooperation and respect for mutual interests. H.E. Al Shehhi said during his speech on behalf of the UAE Minister of Economy that the topics covered by the 5th JEC mark the beginning of a new chapter in the economic cooperation between the two friendly countries. He further added that the UK is one of the most sustainable and reliable …

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) continues to remain on track to drive the emirate’s tourism sector after its major 2018 accomplishments revealed a steady rise in the number of visitors and improved hotel revenues. SCTDA made the announcement ahead of its upcoming participation at the Arabian Travel Market 2019 to be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. During the event, the Authority will promote its tourism projects and initiatives to raise global awareness of the emirate’s distinctive, all-year-round tourist attractions.  The total number of hotel guests in 2018 reached 1,738,543, their combined revenue totaled AED 633 million. Hotels and hotel apartments witnessed 65 per cent and 60 per cent occupancy rate, respectively.   H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “The Sharjah Government’s vision is to attract 10 million visitors by 2021, in time for the UAE’s 50th founding anniversary. Thanks to the unlimited efforts and the cooperation of all partners with us, we have already achieved at least 70 per cent of this vision, which is the equivalent of 7 million visitors who have come to Sharjah. This number is divided into leading exhibitions, events, museums visitors and tourists through the Sharjah International Airport—a quality focused achievement that we are proud of and it has also inspired us to continue moving forward. The continuing efforts to improve and enhance the tourism sector plays a large and important role in helping achieve the objectives of this vision. Moreover, the positive performance of the local tourism sector is an important addition to successful achievements of Sharjah, which has also been named World Book Capital 2019 by the Director-General of UNESCO.”

With the aim of promoting Sharjah’s unique tourism and hospitality offerings before discerning travellers and travel companies from the region and around the world, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced its participation for the 22nd consecutive year, at the upcoming edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to be held from April 28 to May 1, 2019, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. A total of 34 government and private sector entities from the emirate of Sharjah will participate at ATM 2019, including Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah Airport Authority, Sharjah Museums Authority, Directorate of Awqaf in Sharjah, Air Arabia, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency: SATA, Hilton Sharjah Hotel, Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort and Spa, the Act Hotel Sharjah, Citymax Hotel Sharjah, Aryana Hotel Sharjah, Copthorne Hotel Sharjah, Hotel Holiday International Sharjah, Swiss-Belhotel Sharjah, Novotel Hotels and Resorts, Orient Tours and Travels LLC, Baithans Hotels Management LLC, Beach Hotel Sharjah, Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah, Al Majaz Première Deluxe Hotel Apartments, Sharjah Palace Hotel, Golden Tulip Hotel Sharjah, Ibis Styles Sharjah Hotel, Ramada Hotel and Suites Sharjah, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Tulip Inn Al Khan Hotel, Breeze Hotel, Al Khalidiah Tourism LLC, Cozmo Travel LLC Trav trolley, Sayara Limousine and Car Rental, Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency and TravTalk. The SCTDA will take advantage of the opportunity to highlight Sharjah’s key tourism elements and potentials including the latest developments in tourism, such as adventures and sports sectors in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to attract international and regional tourists to the Emirate. Commenting on the participation, H.E Khalid Jasim …

Sabre Corporation is sponsoring the Travel Technology Theatre at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2019), from April 28 to May 1, 2019. Executive speakers from Sabre and guest customers will participate in the seminar programme and showcase latest technology in the travel and hospitality sector including NDC, emerging technology, retailing and digitalisation and discuss industry challenges and opportunities. Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network Middle East will be present at the event seminar and speak about the evolution of the travel industry in the Middle East and how can companies leverage new trends and technology to respond to customers’ expectations. “This is such an exciting time for the travel sector. The industry is evolving, constantly adapting to the increasing expectations of tech-travelers, which are higher and more diverse than ever before,” said Iyer. “The rise of new technologies and trends are creating more opportunities for all players in the travel industry and we are here to support our customers and the market to learn about everything new in travel and how to leverage these opportunities.” Sabre is also highlighting through its seminar programme the evolution of travel distribution and how NDC is changing the landscape of the industry. “Due to growing pressure from the industry, travel suppliers are increasingly differentiating their offerings – looking to retail and merchandise to travellers in new ways – to maximize their revenues. Sabre isn’t waiting for NDC adoption – we believe it is just one component of a wider shift in retailing and distribution in the travel industry, and we are this year developing exciting new technology that will help suppliers to tell their stories effectively through the indirect channel.” Iyer added.

The inaugural Big C Forum witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dubai-based holding company Meraas and Singapore-based Chinese company Samanea Group that will see the launch of an AED1 billion mall by Q2 2021 near Dubai International City. Six key Chinese manufacturers and businesses also signed the letter of intent. Samanea Group is to develop the 570,000 sq. ft. retail outlet, which will focus on home appliances and furniture from small, medium and big Chinese businesses seeking a foothold in the GCC market. The mall will also hold space for 1,800 parking spaces. The event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Director General of Dubai Information Department – the special Guest of Honour, who witnessed the hive of bilateral business activity initiated by Hala China. At the event, Her Excellency Tan Li, Acting Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, said, “In recent years, both China-UAE and China-Dubai relations have developed very fast. Among the Middle East countries, the UAE has conducted the most in-depth and fruitful cooperation with China.  In 2018, China was Dubai’s largest trade partner for the fifth consecutive year, with bilateral trade reaching US$37.9 billion. The ‘Hala China’ programme launched last year, built a platform for the cooperation between China and Dubai in economy, trade, investment, tourism and culture.” The forum provided Chinese companies with a deeper understanding of Dubai’s forward-looking trade policies and infrastructure. Headquartered in Singapore, Samanea Group supports small businesses through hosting them in professional trade centres in key markets that offer marketing, logistics, financial and networking opportunities. The forum gathered more than 600 Chinese investors and entrepreneurs in Dubai, …