Tag Archives: CEO

In a keynote address at the opening session of Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) confirmed that Dubai remains on track to receive one million cruise passengers by 2020. Addressing delegates, he also referred to DCTCM’s plan to ensure that cruise passengers felt the ‘soul’ of Dubai and there would be an extra concentration on excursions showing the heritage of the city and its older parts. Around 17 cruise line executives from 14 of the world’s leading cruise lines attended the annual two-day event held at Lapita, located within Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai. The programme focused on a number of key discussion points, including extending seasonality, opportunities for niche cruising, port and destination development, link with India, the Suez Canal and Red Sea, shore excursion offerings, supporting the needs of the crew and exploiting the potential for inbound Chinese tourism. The event’s return to Dubai reflects the regional significance for the future of cruising in the Arabian Gulf.

In a ceremonial event, Dubai Airports welcomed Nigerian airline Med-View from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) via Abuja (ABV) to Dubai International (DXB) with a traditional water salute. The airline, which operates into DXB’s Concourse D, offers travellers three weekly flights on Boeing B777 and B767 aircraft from Lagos via Abuja to Dubai. A cake cutting ceremony was attended by Muneer A. Bankole, CEO, Med-View; Khalil Lamrabet, Director Aviation Business Development, Dubai Airports and Saood Kankazar, Executive Director, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

Ahead of the new year, flydubai launched two new routes to Europe. Flights to Krakow will start on April 8, 2018 and flights to Catania will begin on June 13, 2018. flydubai becomes the first UAE carrier to operate direct flights to these destinations, offering weekly flights. With the launch of these new European routes, the airline’s network grows to over 100 destinations in 47 countries. Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai, said, “With the launch of flights to Krakow and Catania, flydubai is committed to open up new direct air links to Dubai. Our latest route launches are testament to that commitment which demonstrate our efforts in offering our passengers more options to explore our network.” Emirates will codeshare on both routes and as part of the Emirates-flydubai partnership, each airline’s passengers will have the opportunity to connect in Dubai to hundreds of destinations across the world. To offer passengers more comfort and an enhanced travel experience, the carrier will operate the new routes on its brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 unveiled at the Dubai Airshow in November.

flydubai launched two new seasonal destinations for next year- Dubrovnik, Croatia and Kutaisi, Georgia; the latest additions to the airline’s European network for the 2018 summer period. Flights to the Croatian coastal city will operate up to four times a week from April 10 until October 25, 2018. Along with Tbilisi and Batumi, Kutaisi will become flydubai’s third point in Georgia and will be served with three weekly flights between June 14 and September 22, 2018. “For the first time this year, we offered our passengers direct flights to popular summer destinations and based on the success of these routes, we decided to increase the options for next year,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai. Flights to Batumi, Georgia will resume from June 16 until September 30 next year with a daily flight, an increase from the three-weekly service operated last summer. Tivat on the other hand, will resume with up to three weekly flights from March 26 until October 26, replacing the existing service to Podgorica currently operating during the winter schedule.

Emaar Hospitality Group has achieved an impressive milestone of 10,000 hotel rooms across its 11 operational hotels and 30 upcoming projects. The hotel rooms are spread over three hotel brands – Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts and Rove Hotels. Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group, said, “With over 10,000 rooms and counting, Emaar Hospitality Group has underlined its credentials as the region’s fastest growing hospitality provider, delivering three distinctive lifestyle experiences that meet the diverse and shifting preferences of today’s travellers. While we have a strong footprint in the UAE, we are also expanding our presence in international markets, delivering our homegrown competencies to high-growth markets.” The brand’s vision is to be one of the world’s leading hospitality providers whilst continuing to innovate on the choices they offer.

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed 6.9 million passengers in October, as per a monthly traffic report issued by Dubai Airports. Passenger traffic at DXB reached 6,865,296 in October compared to 6,420,208 recorded in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 6.9 per cent. Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports said, “The third quarter has begun on a very positive note for DXB and with the hub on track to achieve our forecast of 89 million passengers for the year, our focus will be on continuing to maintain customer service quality and overall airport experience.” During the month under review, London was the top destination city out of Dubai with 327,400 passengers followed by Mumbai (219,512 passengers) and New Delhi (184,754 passengers). Flight movements in October totalled 33,257 compared to 35,314 flights operated at DXB during the same month last year, a contraction of 5.8 per cent.

The award-winning Rooftop Lounge and Dining located at Royal Ascot Hotel in Bur Dubai opens for the fifth season as the ultimate venue to relax with spectacular views of Dubai’s skyline. A favourite spot of the city’s socialite, the Rooftop Lounge is a chic roof terrace with an ultra-cool ambiance with the latest English, Arabic and Bollywood songs. The Lounge offers something new everyday along with Man’s Night on every Mondays and Ladies’ Night on Tuesdays. The extensive menu features a selection of Indian, Arabic, Italian and Chinese dishes prepared by the culinary team of Executive Chef Muhamad. Suneel Bhambhani, CEO, said, “We’d like to invite our loyal patrons and visitors to enjoy the winter season with great food, drinks and music. We guarantee a great time while you are here.”

Dubai has been chosen by Crystal Cruises as the location for the company’s flagship liner to make its maiden voyage in the region. The decision to make Dubai the location for the regional debut of the liner’s sophisticated new look further cements the emirate’s position as the region’s leading cruise destination. Despite Dubai’s cruise industry only really gaining momentum in 2001 with the opening of the first cruise terminal in the Gulf, the city has been instrumental in pioneering cruise tourism in region. The emirate is now serving over 20 world-class cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, the world’s most awarded cruise line. DP World was also present to welcome Crystal Symphony on her maiden voyage to the region. “The choice of Dubai by Crystal Cruises reinforces the emirate’s reputation as one of the world’s leading cruise destinations. DP World is committed to providing all forms of support to cruise liners that call at Dubai’s cruise terminals, as part of our group’s comprehensive strategy to boost the growth of the emirate’s cruise industry.” said Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO, P&O Marinas and Executive Director, Mina Rashid – DP World.

Saudi Arabia’s new low-fare airline flyadeal has received a welcome market response since the start of services, with load factors reaching more than 82 per cent. flyadeal currently operates on three routes from Jeddah to Riyadh, Dammam and Qassim. Having commenced operations on September 23, Jeddah-Riyadh was the first city pair, beginning as a double-daily service, quickly growing to five-times-daily. Dammam and Qassim began this month, with Jeddah-Dammam increasing to double daily later this month. flyadeal currently has a fleet of three aircraft, with an additional five to be delivered. All are brand new A320 aircraft in a single-class configuration of 186 seats. Con Korfiatis, CEO, flyadeal, said, “flyadeal has received a very warm welcome from our passengers so far and we are grateful for their support. We look forward to continue serving our loyal guests as we move into the next phase of expansion in the coming months.”

The adventure tourism product portfolio of Ras Al Khaimah, now established as one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Middle East, is shaping up as a millennials’ magnet. Addressing a panel debate in London on the travel patterns of affluent millennials, Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), said the emirate was hitting the mark with the much sought-after segment. “Ras Al Khaimah has what it takes when it comes to ticking millennial boxes,” said Mattar. “They want authenticity and the emirate has it in spades; they want meaningful, off-the-radar experiences and the ability to connect with culture, which again we excel in; and they have a desire to soak up natural sights, which is a key pillar of our offering.” Mattar revealed millennials are now a prime target for the emirate, which boasts of an ancient heritage and myriad landscapes from desert to stunning coastline, and the rocky crags of the Hajar mountains with its natural springs and the UAE’s highest peak Jebel Jais, now ranked as the emirate’s number one attraction.