Tag Archives: President

Emirates has announced a daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX), via the Spanish city of Barcelona (BCN). The flight will commence from December 9, 2019. Emirates’ Mexico City flight will be a linked service with Barcelona. Citizens from Mexico, Spain and the UAE only need their passports to enjoy visa-free travel to respective countries.  The new route will be operated with a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The new 777 flight will also offer up to 14 tonnes of cargo, opening up access to more global markets for Mexican exports such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive parts and medical supplies.  Emirates SkyCargo has been flying freighters to/from Mexico City since 2014 already and in the last year carried over 22,500 tons of cargo on the route. Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airlines, said: “The availability of high-quality, daily international air services is essential for the development of tourism, business and cultural ties. Trade, especially in high-value and time-sensitive products, will be facilitated by the ample cargo capacity on Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft. We also expect tourism to receive a major boost from the daily flights on our newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR. Due to the high altitude of Mexico airport, it is not possible to operate a non-stop flight from Dubai, and Barcelona was a natural choice for a stopover.” “Mexico supports the launch of the long-awaited flight Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City, which responds to Mexico’s Government tourism policy towards opening new markets and strengthening connectivity between the Middle East and Mexico. We are eager to receive tourists from this part of the world,” said …

Kanoo Travel has signed an agreement with Cvent, a market leader in meetings, events and hospitality technology, at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to utilise the latter’s complete suite of event management solutions. Cvent’s event technology solutions will offer ATM attendees enhanced engagement and networking opportunities and will allow Kanoo Travel to manage and deliver a more impactful and memorable overall event experience. The partnership is a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Kanoo Travel as it becomes one of the first corporate travel management companies in the region to benefit from Cvent’s integrated technology solutions which include online registration, onsite badging and check-in, mobile event apps and feedback and reporting solutions. In addition to using Cvent’s onsite event technology, the company will also utilise Cvent’s venue sourcing platform – the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN) which will help to simplify and automate the event venue selection process. Featuring more than 260,000 hotels, resorts and special event venues, the CSN is one of the world’s largest databases of detailed venue information. “Kanoo Travel is embracing the digital transformation in the travel and hospitality industry and it’s serious about adapting the latest technology solutions which add value to its customers,” said Nabeel Kanoo, President, Kanoo Travel. “By partnering with Cvent we will be providing our customers with a comprehensive event management platform which will handle the entire event lifecycle and we will be able to offer them venues and hotels with competitive prices,” he said. Speaking on the partnership, Gokul Bajaj, Head of Sales & Partnerships and General Manager, Cvent Dubai,“We are excited to be working with Kanoo Travel, a market-leading organisation that recognises the importance of digital transformation and automation and we’re proud to partner with …

Shaza Hotels has signed a management agreement with Sheikh Sultan Al Harthi to operate Mysk Jeddah, the Mysk brand’s first property in KSA. Located on Heraa Street, close to the Jeddah Corniche, the four-star hotel is expected to open in 2021. Included in its facilities are a restaurant, a café, meeting rooms, a kids’ club, fitness centre and rooftop pool. Sheikh Sultan Al Harthi stated, “To support the tourism initiatives for Saudi Vision 2030, we have decided to enter the tourism sector by developing an upscale hotel in a prime location in Jeddah Province. We have chosen Shaza Hotels to operate it under the Mysk by Shaza brand as we were keen on bringing a new and fresh brand to the Saudi market. This hotel will be one-of-a-kind in the Kingdom.” Simon Coombs, President and CEO, Shaza Hotels, commented, “The tourism landscape in KSA is changing rapidly due to various government initiatives being put in place to boost the number of arrivals into the country. New destinations are being created and a new generation of hotels is entering Saudi Arabia. Mysk Jeddah is one of them, catering to the evolving needs of the Saudi tourism sector where discerning guests are seeking a more personalised experience aligned with their lifestyle. We are very grateful to Sheikh Sultan Al Harthi for having entrusted us with the management of Mysk Jeddah and we are confident that this Mysk will become the new sought-after address in Jeddah.” Mysk Jeddah is the brand’s seventh property, the first being the award-winning Mysk by Shaza Al Mouj in Muscat, and the next hotels to open are three Mysk retreats that are part of the Sharjah Collection as announced …

Cebu Pacific has expanded its domestic footprint with the commencement of regular flights between Manila and Marinduque from April 1, 2019. With operations every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, the new route will be operated by subsidiary Cebgo using its fleet of brand-new ATR aircraft. “We are excited to begin operations in one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines–Marinduque. It takes only about an hour to fly between Manila and Marinduque—in contrast to the eight hour trip by ferry and land today. Regular flights will allow business to prosper and the island’s tourism sector to boom,” said Alexander Lao, President and CEO, Cebgo. “It was a long and tedious process to bring about this route. We are thankful for the collaboration and cooperation of various government agencies for the completion of the runway and terminal facilities at the Marinduque Airport. We are optimistic that with larger aircraft and regular flights, tourists will have greater access to Marinduque and harness its potential as a world-class ecotourism destination. We look forward to partnering with Cebu Pacific and other stakeholders as we strive for progress in Marinduque through sustainable tourism,” said Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Representative, Marinduque. Marinduque is the 37th domestic destination of Cebu Pacific and often mentioned as an idyllic destination for a tropical getaway by travel writers.

Etihad Airways and Royal Jordanian have announced a new codeshare partnership to provide customers with greater access to key leisure and business destinations in North Africa, Europe, Canada, Asia and Australia. This is the first such partnership between the two airlines which offer multiple daily services between their respective hubs in Abu Dhabi and Amman. The partnership will see Etihad Airways place its ‘EY’ code on Royal Jordanian’s flights from Abu Dhabi via Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport to Larnaca and Berlin, while Algiers, Tunis, Vienna and Montreal will be added to the agreement soon. In turn, Royal Jordanian will initially place its ‘RJ’ code on Etihad Airways services from Amman to Abu Dhabi and vice versa, and then from the UAE capital to Brisbane and Seoul. Subject to government approval, RJ will also market Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Manila, Beijing and Shanghai. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This partnership reinforces the deep cultural, tourism and trade connections between the UAE and Jordan, and opens up a new world of opportunities for our customers. Both the airlines share the common values of genuine Arabian hospitality and service, combined with the next-generation fleets, enviable reputations for efficiency and reliability, and a combined network spanning the globe.” Stefan Pichler, President and CEO, Royal Jordanian, said, “We are delighted to have Etihad Airways beside our codeshare partners who help us grow in different markets. This move is bound to expand our presence in Asia and Australia, which are key destinations for many RJ customers. This commercial partnership offers convenient transiting in Amman and Abu Dhabi to their final …

Millennium Hotels & Resorts has launched the ‘TooMooH’ Internship Development tier as part of the ‘TooMooH’ programme, – a concerted programme to accelerate Emiratisation and promote regional talent and leadership development in the hospitality sector. This programme aims to integrate UAE nationals into the booming hospitality sector and boost their presence in the job market. According to Alpen Capital’s latest report on GCC Hospitality Industry 2018, the UAE hospitality market is expected to reach $7.6 billion by 2022 at a five-year CAGR of 8.5 per cent (2017-2022) and international tourist visits are expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 4.3 per cent to 25.5 million while the hotel supply is expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 6 per cent to 183,718 hotel rooms. These additional hotels will require a large hospitality professional talent pool. However, without the engagement and employment of local talent, hoteliers would find it difficult to manage such a large industry with just foreign professionals. The TooMooH Internship Development Programme (TIDP), part of the recently launched TooMooH initiative by Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA, is aimed at increasing local employment in the hospitality industry and the overall private sector and designed for UAE national undergraduate students to gain work exposure. The duration of TIDP could range from three to six months. As part of the initiative, Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA will partner with local colleges and universities to provide UAE national students with a comprehensive programme to support their enhancement of knowledge and skills, thus contributing positively to the hospitality industry and the country. “The Arabs are globally known for their warm hospitality tradition. However, the hospitality industry in the Arab world is …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) and HIS Co, one of Japan’s leading travel agencies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Tokyo to confirm a strategic collaboration between the two entities. This month’s agreement marks the first-of-its-kind for Japan’s travel and tourism sector, and emphasises the commitment from Dubai Tourism and HIS Co, to increasing awareness amongst Japanese travellers, while positioning the emirate as the destination of choice across multiple target audiences including female travellers, honeymooners, families and seniors segments. The MoU was signed by Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) and Tatsuya Nakamori, President, HIS Japan at the HIS headquarters in Tokyo. The MoU outlines plans to deliver an enhanced visitor experience for Japanese tourists in Dubai by providing increased ease of access to marketing collateral for the emirate’s variety of travel products, tailored information through localised campaigns and retail store promotions in major cities across Japan. Kazim said, “HIS is a significant partner for Dubai with its considerable reach across the Japanese market and longstanding history in the travel sector. Our future focused collaboration allows us to promote Dubai as the destination of choice for Japanese travellers, as we work together to drive our efforts in the market. We have seen continued positive growth in the number of Japanese guests visiting the city.” Tatsuya Nakamori, President, HIS Japan said, “Dubai is the number one destination in the Middle East for HIS due to its level of safety, variety of tourist attractions and high quality accommodation options. We have seen consistent growth in the demand for travel to the emirate from Japanese tourists, and are expecting this to …

Sabre Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire Farelogix, a recognised innovator in the travel industry with advanced offer management and NDC order delivery technology used by many of the world’s leading airlines. Sabre expects that upon close, the acquisition will allow the company to accelerate delivery of its end-to-end NDC-enabled retailing, distribution and fulfillment solutions. Based in Miami, Farelogix provides a suite of SaaS solutions that enables carriers to dynamically create, control, optimise and deliver personalised and differentiated offers across sales channels. These airline-controlled retailing, merchandising and distribution capabilities complement Sabre’s existing retailing and merchandising solutions and future product roadmap. “Farelogix’s investments in offer management and NDC order delivery will help us accelerate our plans to deliver future-ready retailing, distribution and fulfillment solutions that unlock increased value for the industry,” said Sean Menke, President & CEO, Sabre. “By integrating Farelogix’s capabilities into Sabre’s leading airline technology platform, we’ll be able to offer the innovative and comprehensive solutions that airlines require, backed by best-in-class technology and the deep expertise that our teams bring to market.” Building upon Farelogix’s GDS- and PSS-agnostic capabilities, Sabre expects to drive faster innovation in the dynamic and highly competitive airline IT space to enable airlines to accelerate their own growth and profitability while benefiting customers across the travel ecosystem. “For the past few years, Farelogix and Sabre have worked together with shared customers to implement our complementary technologies to solve some of the industry’s toughest challenges. Today’s announcement is a natural evolution of the successful, ongoing collaboration between our two companies,” said Jim Davidson, CEO, Farelogix. “Sabre shares our vision for innovation and has the leading technology, resources, and global presence to help us …

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.

The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) hosted the Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum on April 2, 2018 in São Paulo, Brazil in an effort to expand trade relations between the South American nation and the Arab world. The forum was held on the theme ‘Building the Future’ at Hotel Unique in partnership with the Union of Arab Chambers and the League of Arab States. High-level authorities, representatives from development agencies and specialists joined six thematic panels to talk about incentives, investment policies and opportunities that can be taken advantage of by both Brazilian and Arab companies, and organisations. Rubens Hannun, President, ABCC, said, “There are synergies still to be explored and plenty of room to grow in the flourishing relations between Brazilian and Arab organizations. The forum provided an ideal platform to discuss key avenues that would enable us to bring our ties to the next level of development. Bringing major stakeholders under one roof is definitely a step closer to our goal of strengthening further our cooperation to achieve mutually beneficial results.” Many leading sectors provide numerous collaborative opportunities for both Brazil and the Arab region, including construction, finance, renewable energy, food security, logistics, innovation, tourism, technology and investments. The panel discussions highlighted the growth potentials of some of these key areas.