Tag Archives: Managing Director

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, inaugurated Premier Inn Al Jaddaf, the seventh property of the brand within the UAE. During the opening ceremony, His Highness unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and toured the guest rooms, restaurants and public areas. The event was also attended by Gary Chapman, President Group Services & dnata, Emirates Group; Adam Nicholls, Managing Director, Premier Inn Middle East and other senior officials. Premier Inn Al Jaddaf offers a mixed inventory of spacious guest rooms from double occupancy to those which can accommodate a family of up to four. The 389 stylish rooms come with a working desk space and Premier Inn’s signature Hypnos bed paired with a pillow menu and black out curtains fulfilling the hotels’ brand promise of a guaranteed good night’s sleep. Remaining true to its heritage, the new hotel utilises contemporary design while embracing British charm and local culture. Adam Nicholls, Managing Director, Premier Inn Hotels Middle East, said, “We’re really pleased to add Premier Inn Dubai Al Jaddaf to our portfolio, our strongest proposition in the UAE and our largest hotel in the region. Dubai is a city that continues to grow, and our investment into the region doesn’t stop here, with further hotel openings on the horizon. We’re continually looking at ways to enhance our guest experience to offer a market leading product and provide a proposition that represents excellent value for money.” A joint venture between Emirates Group and Whitbread, the flagship property signals a new era for Premier Inn Middle East, with greater emphasis on guest experience alongside convenience for mid-market business and leisure travellers. The partnership …

Two Seasons Hotel Apartments was among the top 10,000 companies and organisations from over 180 countries to have participated at ITB Berlin. With several new hotels lined up for opening in 2020, the year ahead looks promising for the new brand Two Seasons Hotel. Two Seasons Hotel Management Company has an ambitious expansion plan for the next five years with a strong commitment to new destinations in the Middle East and North Africa as well as global cities where it plans to open Two Seasons Resorts. Freddy Farid, Managing Director, Two Seasons Hotel Management Company, said, “European and especially German markets are very important for the UAE as those markets are stable in terms of tourist numbers and business. We are showcasing our new brand as Two Seasons out of the idea of Dubai having just two seasons – winter and summer.” “ITB Berlin represents a fantastic opportunity to exhibit and promote our new brand and upcoming portfolio of hotels to a vast global network. In addition, it allows us to raise awareness about our superb products while targeting strategic business opportunities as we continue to reinforce our capacity to open and reach new markets. ITB is also a great forum to see the new trends in technology that are transforming our industry faster than ever. This is a perfect platform to meet the best of the industry minds and to forge partnership with them,” he concluded.

Abu Dhabi Airports welcomed GoAir’s launch of four new flights between Kannur International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport, connecting the two cities with flights operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. GoAir’s inaugural flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was received with much fanfare, as the Indian subcontinent remains one of the most popular destinations for travellers departing from Abu Dhabi. Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports commented, “India is a key travel market for Abu Dhabi International Airport, and we are always eager to strengthen our connectivity to the Indian subcontinent, enhancing further our services extended to our dear customers.” Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “India has always been one of our largest and most important areas of operations, and we look forward to ensuring GoAir’s guests enjoy a comfortable and efficient experience throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport where we continue to deploy world-class smart travel solutions, attractive retail offerings, and relaxing lounge spaces. This additional service to Abu Dhabi reflects the capital’s status as a key destination and transit hub, and forms a part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network.” Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said, “This is a historic moment for GoAir as we enter the Middle East region with our maiden flight taking off from Kannur to Abu Dhabi, thereby strengthening the India-UAE relationship. GoAir is world’s fastest growing airline and Abu Dhabi is our 4th international destination after Phuket, Male and Muscat, and 28th destination sequentially speaking. GoAir is delighted to partner with Abu Dhabi Airports. I welcome aboard passengers from Kannur and Abu Dhabi on four direct flight services per week at an attractive …

Dubai-based international incentives provider, the ENTERTAINER, and Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa, announced a partnership that gives Wego users access to exclusive offers across the dining, leisure, entertainment and beauty sectors. Travellers using Wego’s offers on the metasearch engine’s iOS and Android Apps will now gain access to hundreds of 2-for-1 ENTERTAINER offers. These offers, cherry-picked for their relevance to the MENA traveller, can be redeemed across a number of global locations via the Wego App. Members can benefit from these offers at select lifestyle business outlets in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali. Donna Benton, Founder, the ENTERTAINER, said, “Our partnership with Wego only further highlights what we believe in – appealing to all digital travellers. We want to ensure that they experience some of the best restaurants, spas and leisure activities, stress-free and at great value”. Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director—Middle East, North Africa and India, Wego said, “This partnership is in line with our constant endeavour to give users, from around the world, the best travel shopping experience. Adding the ENTERTAINER bouquet of offers to the Wego offers regular selection of curated discounts and deals whilst reaffirming Wego’s commitment towards deepening its bond and engagement with existing users. Today, these users can avail great offers even when on holiday, rather than just securing bargains on flights and accommodation (which are booked pre-trip). Since Wego is the MENA region’s top travel App, we believe that it is best positioned to act as the natural distribution partner for the ENTERTAINER.” Tony Marshall, Head of Travel, the ENTERTAINER added, “We’re proud to be increasing the …

Amadeus has announced that it will be repositioning its offerings in Bahrain by transitioning its local customers to a new distributor entity under the name of Amadeus Bahrain. The new company will be the exclusive distributor of Amadeus solutions throughout the Kingdom, providing local airlines, airports, hotels, travel agencies, and other travel players with access to the full breadth of Amadeus technology. Travel companies in Bahrain had previously worked directly with Amadeus Gulf, a regional joint venture that continues overseeing the company’s operations in the UAE and Oman. The new Amadeus Bahrain entity will be headed by longtime industry veteran and Bahrain resident Daniel Naoumovitch, who joins in the capacity of Managing Director. Additional Amadeus support staff will transfer to the new entity, with all Amadeus contracts in Bahrain remaining unchanged and assigned to the new entity, ensuring a seamless transition of operations. Antoine Medawar, Senior Vice President—Retail, Middle East and Africa said, “We are fully committed to the high standards of service and support that Amadeus is known for, and believe this move will enable us to enhance those offerings in the future.” Bahrain’s tourism industry is booming as the Kingdom expects to welcome 15 million annual visitors by 2020 – equivalent to roughly nine times the Kingdom’s population. The sector also accounts for approximately 9.7 per cent of the country’s GDP, with tourism revenues projected to top $1 billion by 2020, according to recent figures from the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Daniel Naoumovitch, Managing Director, Amadeus Bahrain added, “I am thrilled to be part of the Amadeus family and the new organisation being established in Bahrain. We look forward to energising Bahrain’s rapidly expanding travel industry by capitalising on …

Travelport strengthened its partnership with Qantas on a new agreement that includes a commitment to continued collaboration on the future of distribution. Following the recent announcement of the launch of Qantas Channel on August 1, 2019, which will allow agents to access content sourced from the NDC-enabled Qantas Distribution Platform, Travelport’s Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand, Scott Barber, said, “We are delighted to support Qantas as it develops its new channel and introduces the NDC standard. As the first GDS operator with an NDC booking solution available to a small group of customers, we have proven our capability to deliver this new standard. We are supporting our customers as they prepare for this new distribution era to ensure it provides seamless, integrated travel choice through access to the broadest range of content. I’d like to thank our customers for collaborating with us as we deliver the new Qantas Channel and NDC solutions which make the process of buying and managing travel better for everyone.” Commenting on the airline’s new distribution model, Vanessa Hudson, Chief Customer Officer, Qantas said the airline was pleased to be working with Travelport to make the Qantas Channel available to their agents globally. “The digital environment has changed the way we need to work with our trade partners, and our new technology paired with this new Qantas Channel agreement will support us on the journey to delivering our vision for our mutual customers. We’re excited to continue to innovate with our trade partners and share in the benefits of this new technology.” Travelport recently outlined its 2019 NDC roadmap after the successful onboarding of the first group of travel agencies to receive access to NDC content …

Air Arabia has signed an agreement with SAP – a Germany-based company that makes enterprise application software, for a new cloud-based Human Resources system. The new system “SAP SuccessFactors” will provide Air Arabia with advanced capabilities across all HR functions using some of the latest technologies and cutting-edge human capital management software solutions. Through this agreement, Air Arabia will acquire advanced capabilities across all its Human Capital functions via the use of the latest technologies provided by SAP SuccessFactors scope, which include core employee management functions, the payroll system, employee self-service, recruitment and onboarding, performance and goal management, learning management, manpower planning and many additional features. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said,  “Since its launch, Air Arabia has always adopted smart and cutting-edge technologies that supports that carrier’s ever growing operations with reliability and efficiency. The new agreement with SAP is in line with this strategy and we look forward to working together to make this project a success.” Julien Bertin, Managing Director, SAP said, “We have developed the SAP Model Company for Human Resources service to support digital HR transformation. We are confident that Air Arabia’S human capital function will considerably benefit from a ready-to-run, preconfigured SAP SuccessFactors solution based on leading practices for end-to-end HR business processes. We are proud to have partnered with Air Arabia and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Four Points by Sheraton has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem in Saudi Arabia – the brand’s largest property globally. Adding over 1,100 rooms to the Holy City, the hotel is situated in the Al Naseem district and is in close proximity to the centre of Makkah and the holy Masjid al-Haram. “The trajectory for religious tourism into Saudi Arabia continues to grow, resulting in a strong demand for hotels in the Holy Cities,” said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “We are delighted to open our fifth property in the Holy City of Makkah. Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem offers pilgrims the brand’s excellent service and a comfortable hospitality experience in the Holy City. With this opening, we now operate 24 hotels in the country and are on track to double our presence in the Kingdom in the next five years.” Four Points by Sheraton Makkah Al Naseem features 1,136 spacious and modern guest rooms including 121 suites, offering unmatched views of the holy city of Makkah. Reflecting the brand’s promise to provide what matters most to today’s independent travellers, the hotel offers the brand’s defining touches including complimentary bottled water in all rooms, fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and an energising breakfast with fresh coffee. The hotel includes four dining concepts, Al Sharq, Asia House and two Lobby Cafés.

Ahead of the seasonal surge in demand for luxury vehicle shipments to popular holiday destinations, Etihad Cargo celebrates the launch of ‘FlightValet’, its newly designed product aimed to ease the process of moving motor vehicles across the globe. Etihad Cargo transports hundreds of high-value vehicles annually on its passenger and freighter aircraft, and this new product will further simplify customers’ booking experience. Commenting on the launch, Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, Managing Director – Cargo and Logistics, Etihad Airways said, “We are delighted to introduce this new tailored product to the marketplace. Demand from our customers has grown significantly in recent years, and in an effort to improve our service offering, we have introduced vehicle handling capability at key new stations in 2018.” FlightValet is available to those who wish to transport their luxury vehicles immediately. Customers choosing the service will benefit from Etihad Cargo’s proven track record in handling some of the world’s most valuable cars. FlightValet is offered through a dedicated team that will oversee the swift, safe and secure delivery of the vehicle to its final destination. Throughout the year, it will also cater to racing enthusiasts worldwide wishing to take their cars around iconic racetracks such as Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009.

Travelport has announced a trio of new agreements with travel agencies in the UK, the Middle East, and Singapore to deploy Trip Assist, Travelport’s mobile app for agencies. The new agreements come after the successful launch of Trip Assist in the Middle East in April 2018 and will give the customers of UK-based Omega Travel Limited, the United Arab Emirates-based Cozmo Travel, and Singapore-based Pegasus Travel a personalized service at their fingertips wherever they are on their journey. Trip Assist provides agencies with a fully branded mobile engagement solution that enables them to support, engage and connect with their travellers at every stage of their journey. Incorporating smart itinerary management capabilities and the ability to create agency defined messages; Trip Assist empowers agencies to build stronger relationships with travellers. For travellers, Trip Assist is a personal digital travel concierge service that provides day of travel assistance, real-time trip alerts and click to call agent support. Niklas Andreen, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Global Hospitality and Digital at Travelport said, “Mobile done right, allows agents to move from passive itinerary management to being a true proactive partner of the travellers throughout their journey. Travelport is proud to be working with such pioneering travel agencies as Omega Travel, Cozmo Travel and Pegasus Travel Management on redefining the role of the travel agency through mobile engagement.”