Tag Archives: Abu Dhabi

Global luxury hospitality company Jumeirah has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi United Hospitality LLC to develop Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort in Abu Dhabi. Expected to welcome guests from September 2018, Al Wathba Desert Resort will be developed by Abu Dhabi United Hospitality and operated by Jumeirah. A luxurious, quintessential Arabian-style hotel set in the desert, 50 km to the south east of Abu Dhabi in the Al Wathba District, Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort will be a key addition to Abu Dhabi’s and UAE’s luxury hospitality offering. Spread over an area of more than 20,000 metres square, it will comprise 90 hotel rooms and 13 villas, with complementary premium facilities including all-day-dining, pool and rooftop bars, Talise spa and an offsite desert camp along with other leisure options as well as conference and meeting facilities. Marc Dardenne, Chief Operating Officer, Jumeirah, said: “Growing the Jumeirah portfolio is one of our strategic priorities. Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort will be the 12th luxury Jumeirah hotel in the UAE and this project offers Jumeirah an opportunity to showcase our Arabian hospitality. We are confident the resort will be an outstanding destination and will further boost tourism in the emirate.”

Etihad Airways has launched its first flight to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan from Abu Dhabi. The inaugural flight, EY297, departed Abu Dhabi with a special delegation including diplomats, dignitaries, media representatives and senior members of Etihad Airways’ management team. On arrival in Baku, the aircraft was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by the customary display of the Emirati and Azerbaijani national flags from the cockpit windows. Flying three times a week using a 136-seat Airbus A320, configured with 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy Class, the new flights will operate every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, providing optimal daylight timings for guests departing and arriving in Abu Dhabi and Baku. The schedule provides convenient connections to and from the airline’s global network and has been timed evenly throughout the week to provide a mix of weekend, short stay and business travel options. Etihad Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines recently announced a codeshare partnership which now sees Azerbaijan Airlines place its ‘J2’ code on Etihad Airways services between Baku and Abu Dhabi. Under this partnership, Azerbaijan Airlines guests will be able to book codeshare flights to and from Abu Dhabi and connect onto Etihad Airways’ extensive global network.

Hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2018 kicked off in Al Ain Region, as part of the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2018 (PATA ATRTCM). Participants engaged through pre-matched appointments, and face-to-face meetings with adventure product buyers and sellers from across the world. HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We would like to thank all the delegates for taking part in all the meeting at the PATA Travel Mart this year. We strongly believe in the need to create strong partnerships between the private and public sectors to drive the industry forward.  Our aim to host and attract conferences is to make Abu Dhabi the place to engage with all of our international stakeholders, and exchange knowledge which would benefit our economies and communities.” To conclude the successful conference, delegates took part in a day tour of Al Ain to experience Abu Dhabi’s top tourism offerings, including the Al Ain National Museum and Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum, amongst other renowned cultural and heritage sites.

Etihad Airways has added a second daily direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Rome, effective March 25, 2018. The new service will take the total number of Etihad Airways’ flights on the route to 14 a week. The additional frequencies will be introduced in phases, beginning March 25, with five extra weekly flights, rising to a twice-a-day service from May 1. The new early morning departure from Abu Dhabi and midday return service from Rome will offer links to popular cities across Australia, China, Japan and Korea. With the additional service, Etihad Airways’ frequency between Abu Dhabi and its two Italian gateways of Rome and Milan will increase to three flights a day. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways said, “Ensuring our guests have greater flexibility and more travel options is a focus for Etihad Airways. Since we launched the Abu Dhabi-Rome route in 2014, it has become one of our most popular services for business and leisure travellers. We are therefore delighted to further develop the route with additional services.” Etihad Airways’ codeshare partner Alitalia has announced that it will discontinue the operation of its daily flight between Rome and Abu Dhabi from March 25.

As part of the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi’s mandate to promote Abu Dhabi as a world-class destination of distinction, the capital welcomed travel agents from Thomas Cook India as part of a familiarisation trip to highlight key tourism offerings in the emirate. The five-day trip included a wide range of cultural, hospitality, leisure and entertainment activities showcasing Abu Dhabi’s diverse offerings, with a special focus on attracting Indian travellers. In 2017, more than 360,000 Indian hotel guests stayed in the emirate’s 163 hotels and hotel apartments – a year-on-year rise of 11 per cent – making India the second largest international source market for tourists in 2017. This collaborative trip’s main aim was to help boost Indian visitor numbers for this year. Delegates were taken to a variety of key heritage sites including Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Arabian Knight Village, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre and Al Ain Oasis. Hotel site visits were also an integral part of the itinerary. Additionally, the travel agents and tourism delegates were invited to experience leisure and entertainment attractions including day trips to Yas Island, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Mall.

The Embassy of Latvia has announced the opening of external visa application centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in partnership with VFS Global, providing convenience to travellers from the UAE in processing Schengen entry permits to the Baltic nation. Visa applicants from the UAE need not henceforth approach the Embassy of Latvia for their visa requirements as VFS Global is mandated to handle the applications as well as biometric enrolment. Speaking at the inauguration, H.E. Astra Kurme, Ambassador of Latvia to the UAE said, “It is an important step towards facilitating contacts between people and nations. The possibility to apply and receive visa to visit Latvia will significantly improve tourism and business exchange not only between Latvia and the United Arab Emirates, but also the whole Gulf region as the Embassy’s consular mandate covers all GCC region.” Vinay Malhotra, COO–Middle East & South Asia, VFS Global, said, “We are honoured to be part of this growing relationship between the two countries and are confident to bring enhanced level of efficiency in services and a seamless, delightful customer experience to visa applicants from the UAE.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is set to launch ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ app on February 27. The digital initiative will act as a one-stop reference point for all information relating to culture in Abu Dhabi  and will be available in three languages – Arabic, English and French. It will feature on iOS and Android and can be accessed online at abudhabiculture.ae. The initiative, planned to launch as part of UAE Innovation Month, will allow users to gain instant access to information on all aspects of cultural life and heritage in the emirate. ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ will educate culture-seeking locals, expats and tourists on one level, at the same time as becoming a reference point for researchers and academics in search of more detailed information. “This product has been designed to maximise accessibility to Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural landscape,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, DCT. “The Abu Dhabi Culture digital experience will be a truly connected hub, immersing users and inspiring them to experience our culture for themselves. The mobile app will provide a ‘360 degree experience’, a comprehensive interactive map, a personalised interface, user-generated stories as well as features which will allow travellers to plan their trip,” Ghobash said.

Reaffirming its commitment to Nigeria, Etihad Airways has announced two additional weekly flights on the popular Abu Dhabi–Lagos route, taking it to a daily service. The new Tuesday and Thursday services will start on May 1, 2018. The route will continue to be operated by a two-class Airbus A330, with 22 Business Class seats and 240 in Economy. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, said: “Nigeria is an important market for Etihad and our home of Abu Dhabi. Since launching the Lagos route in July 2012, Etihad has carried almost 600,000 passengers between our hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport and the commercial heart of Nigeria. It is pleased to be able to support the high demand for our service by soon operating the route on a daily basis.” Guests travelling to Lagos on Etihad Airways will experience the airline’s award-winning service by multinational cabin crew and onboard nannies, extensive inflight entertainment selections and a choice of complimentary international meals and beverages. Depending on the class of travel, passengers can enjoy a generous baggage allowance of two bags of up to 23 kg each in Economy Class and up to 32 kg each in Business Class.

According to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT), the emirate recorded an impressive 9.8 per cent year-on-year rise. The number of guests staying in Abu Dhabi during the year rose by 10.3 per cent to reach 4,295,030 across its 131 hotels and hotel apartments. The Al Ain Region recorded a 5.5 per cent increase to 450,328 guests across its 20 hotels and the Al Dhafra Region rose 8.2 per cent to number 130,180 guests at its 11 hotels and hotel apartments. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, DCT, said, “Record numbers of people are visiting Abu Dhabi year after year and we continue to go from strength to strength in positioning ourselves as a distinctive global tourist destination steeped in culture and heritage. A near double digit year-on-year growth in the number of guests staying in all three regions of the emirate is testament to our drive and determination in helping the emirate evolve as a ‘must-visit’ place. Abu Dhabi’s unique cultural archetypes, combined with diverse natural landscapes, cultural and historic sites will continue to help us grow by 11 per cent per annum to achieve 8.5 million visitors by 2021.”

The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island and the hosting of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix contributed to a dramatic surge in hotel guests staying in the emirate during November. The month saw a 16 per cent rise in guests in Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments compared to the same period in 2016, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. With 4.3 million hotel guests staying in accommodation across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region in the first 11 months of the year, the emirate has witnessed 9 per cent year-on-year growth and is on target to reach a record 4.9 million guests by the end of December. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “While November and Q4 is traditionally a strong period for us, particularly with visitors from Europe, we are encouraged by the sector’s performance during the month and the increase in hotel guests across all three regions. The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi was a monumental event, not only for Abu Dhabi but also for the whole of the country and indeed the region, contributing enormously to our appeal as a ‘must visit’ destination.”