Tag Archives: Middle East

Leading global business aviation company Deer Jet, presented the world’s first 787 ‘Dream Jet’, with its Middle East debut, making a stopover at Doha International Airport. The ‘flying’ visit is part of a series of showcases across the globe in Deer Jet’s “Dreams Encounter the World” tour of key international charter destinations. Established 22 years ago as the very first business jet operator in China, Deer Jet has been dedicated to serving the global premium business travel market, including Middle East royal families since 2013. Deer Jet is set to serve the market across the GCC and wider Middle East region, with buyers from Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia expected to be key markets for the company. According to research by industry expert Hardy Sohanpal, in collaboration with Wealth-X and WingXAdvance, the Middle East has over 5,975 UHNW individuals (defined as having at least $30 million in assets) with a combined net worth of US$995 billion, further underscoring the company’s decision to target the region. Frank Fang, Vice President, Deer Jet, said, “We are delighted to bring this unique aircraft to Doha. Its showcases the signature service of Deer Jet which is inspired by the values of performance, elegance and distinction. With the 787 Dream Jet, we are proud to serve discerning business and leisure travellers in the Middle East and we recognise this market as one of the largest in the world for premium travel. Our goal is to provide the best flying experience for our customers and make travel an art.”

Despite sluggish global economic growth, the UAE will lead Middle East passenger growth in 2017 with an annual increase of more than 6.3 per cent, according to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Middle East carriers have reported the strongest annual traffic growth of any region globally for the fifth year running in 2016, according to the IATA. RPKs (revenue passenger kilometres) grew 11.8 per cent consolidating the region’s position as the third-largest market for global passengers. Capacity growth of 13.7 per cent outstripped demand however, driving down the average load factor by 1.3 percentage points to 74.7 per cent. With a number of aviation mega-projects underway across the GCC and wider Middle East, airports are expanding slightly ahead of the curve in demand, with capacity in 2016 increasing by 13.9 per cent and a forecast for 2017 of 10.1 per cent.

STR’s February 2017 Pipeline Report shows 153,460 rooms in 540 hotel projects Under Contract in the Middle East and 58,374 rooms in 309 projects Under Contract in Africa. Two key markets in the Middle East and Africa region reported more than 10,000 rooms In Construction: Makkah, Saudi Arabia (22,370 rooms in 17 projects) and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (19,578 rooms in 64 projects). Under Contract data includes projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages but does not include projects in the Unconfirmed stage. The Under Contract total in the Middle East represents a 1.3 per cent increase in rooms Under Contract compared with February 2016. Specifically in the In Construction phase, the Middle East reported 83,106 rooms in 263 hotels. Based on number of rooms, that is a 3.4% increase in year-over-year comparisons. The Under Contract total in Africa represents a 6.1% decrease in rooms Under Contract compared with February 2016. In the In Construction phase, Africa reported 29,084 rooms in 159 hotels. Based on number of rooms, that is a 1.6 per cent decrease in year-over-year comparisons.

The global wellness industry grew 10.6 per cent to become a $3.72 trillion market in 2015, with the spa market a key driver according to new research from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). The research mirrored the growth in the MENA region of the tourism-related industry with the UAE at the forefront of growth. The burgeoning sector will be showcased once again at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) as the dedicated Wellness & Spa Lounge returns for 2017. Over 35 exhibitors representing some of the world’s most recognised health and wellness hospitality destinations will attend with an increase of 40 per cent on last year’s numbers. According to research from Colliers Experiential Travel Series: Wellness, Spa and Medical Travel 2017, the UAE spa industry is estimated to be valued at AED1.7 billion, accounting for 14 per cent of the MENA spa market, and expected to surpass AED1.85 billion by 2020. Dubai currently has more than 200 spas in operation, with 25 new hotel spas expected to open this year. Furthermore, the Dubai hotel spa market continues to experience increasing demand according to the Colliers report with a 9 per cent increase in the average number of treatments sold per day in H1 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. “The global wellness industry has witnessed incredible growth in recent years as more and more people incorporate healthy habits into holidays and corporate travel, with an increasing trend of travelers willing to commit their time and money to wellness proving to be a major driving force when making vacation decisions. The surge of interest in this specialist tourism industry vertical has resulted in a 40% increase of exhibitors and dedicated wellness and spa …

Rotana, one of the leading hospitality management companies in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, is driving forward its ambitious vision of operating 100 hotels by 2020, with the opening of 16 new properties by 2017. The Group’s ongoing strategic growth momentum will include the opening of five new properties in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia, two each in Turkey and Iraq, and the opening of Rotana’s first ever property in Muscat, Oman. The extension work on one of the company’s iconic UAE properties, The Cove Rotana Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, will also take place next year. The developments will see more than 3,756 keys added to the Group’s existing inventory by the end of 2017, helping Rotana grow its portfolio to 75 operating hotels with more than 19,450 keys in total.

Air Arabia introduces SITA’s next-generation passenger management system to extract even greater efficiency across its operations. Air Arabia carried close to 8-million passengers in 2015, serving 101 destinations spread across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe from five hubs in the UAE, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. SITA’s latest passenger service system will help the airline better manage the boarding of passengers across all destinations while streamlining the turnaround of the airline’s aircraft. Through the Horizon Passenger Management and Distribution portfolio, SITA will provide the airline with its latest departure control and weight and balance systems. Horizon Weight & Balance will increase fuel savings for the airline by providing full load planning capabilities, including a graphical user interface framework, for all the functionalities required to load and dispatch an aircraft. This includes all legally required documentation for both airlines and ground handlers. SITA’s Horizon  Departure Control Services (DCS) is a fully integrated multi-host system for automated check-in, boarding and load planning and has been used to check in more than 167 million passengers worldwide.