Tag Archives: United Arab Emirates

Turkish Airlines has resumed flights from the United Arab Emirates. As the airline that flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, flag carrier recommenced its operations from Dubai, scheduling seven flights per week with wide body aircrafts. Operations from Abu Dhabi will be resumed starting from January 2 with four weekly flights as well. Turkish Airlines will connect passengers via Istanbul Airport to more than 200 international flights, while providing its passengers peace of mind and safe travel experience with new precautions in place. Having worked with government officials and relevant national and international authorities, the flag carrier airline has implemented a number of stringent health and safety measures, adopting policies and strict mandates to deliver the world-class service the airline is renowned for. All passengers, including Turkish Airline staff, are required to wear a mask at all times, while a ‘Hygiene Kit’ (consisting of a mask, a hand sanitizer and an antiseptic tissue) will be provided to passengers on board. “Hygiene Expert” cabin crews appointed in flights will be in charge of lavatory disinfection and enforcement of all on-board hygiene and social distancing measures. During the flights, cabin air is constantly cleaned by hospital-standard HEPA filter, and the air is completely renewed about every 3 minutes. To help ease the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on passengers, Turkish Airlines offers flexible options for customers booking new flights. Travelers can now change tickets bought until March 31, 2021 for another flight taking place by December 31, 2021. Alternatively, customers can change their ticket to an open ticket for use on another date. Passengers can also make unlimited changes for tickets booked between these dates with no …

Turkish Airlines is giving United Arab Emirates jet-setters an unmissable opportunity to travel to major European cities within its unrivalled global network and pocket a satisfying saving when they book. Passengers from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah can benefit from generous discounts on Economy Class tickets to Athens, Brussels, Dublin, Marseille, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Strasbourg, Thessaloniki, and Zurich, and on Business Class tickets to Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Malaga, Munich, and Valencia. The offer is valid for travellers booking a flight any time from now until 25th November 2019, valid for a travel period until 15th May 2020. Turkish Airlines, one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world, provides exceptional service for passengers through its Business Class offering, its new flagship lounges in the Istanbul Airport, and its strong reputation for amazing Turkish hospitality and convenience. There are currently three Turkish Airlines lounges available in the new Istanbul Airport – the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge, Miles & Smiles Lounge, and Domestic Lounge, with two more scheduled to be open before the end of the year.

Adding to its mid-scale range, Accor is bolstering its portfolio in the United Arab Emirates to 58 hotels with the opening of the Novotel Bur Dubai in Healthcare City. With an ideal location just a short distance from Dubai Creek and within walking distance of Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station, Novotel Bur Dubai will also offer guests a shuttle service to the city’s world-renowned shopping malls, beaches and tourist destinations. Novotel Bur Dubai features 219 rooms and suites, along with a wide range of wellness facilities and leisure activities, including a fully equipped fitness centre, an outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pool and massage treatments as well as carefully curated F&B options focusing on health and wellness. It will also be the only Novotel in the United Arab Emirates with an outdoor jacuzzi, which can be found on the private balcony of the Executive Suite. Novotel Bur Dubai offers specially designed rooms for guests with physical disabilities (People of Determination) as well as interconnecting family-friendly rooms. Special opening rates, starting from AED 250 per room, per night – including complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi – are available for stays from August 1 to 31, 2019.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is all set to celebrate its 47th UAE National Day, as Dubai lights up with festivity and cheer. From special concerts, mall shows, city attractions and fireworks to promotions and traditional entertainment across the emirate, residents and visitors will be spoilt for choice as Dubai puts on a stunning display of activity to honour the UAE milestone. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, said, “This National Day, we want everyone – from Emiratis to Dubai’s residents and visitors – to embrace this momentous occasion. We are delighted to announce a vast array of activities taking place all over the city to mark the festivities, and are grateful to our city-wide strategic partners who have really pulled out all the stops to ensure that everyone gets to celebrate this great nation. With a host of events and celebrations taking place across Dubai, we anticipate a lot of footfall over the National Day weekend and encourage visitors to get to the venues as early as possible to really maximise their experience.” A number of events will be held in the emirate to mark the ocassion. On December 1, emirati artist Ahlam and Iraqi singer and composer Walid Al Shami will delight audiences with their repertoire at Burj Park, while famous Emirati singers Bulqees and Hussain Al Jasmi will perform at the same venue the next day. At Global Village, Emirati superstar Hamad AlAmeri will draw fans in with a special concert. Residents and visitors to Dubai will be able to witness a special treat with fireworks taking place across the city. Mall of the Emirates will be commemorating the UAE National Day …

VFS Global has signed a contract with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic for providing visa services in 10 countries worldwide. As per this new contract, VFS Global will now provide visa services for Slovakia in China, India, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Belarus, Russia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt through 38 visa application centres. The rollout of all these new operations is expected to be completed by December 2018. Under the new contract, VFS Global will accept both short and long-term visa applications on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Chris Dix, Head – Business Development, VFS Global, said, “We are excited about our new partnership with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The countries where we will be operating are markets where VFS Global has worked for several years and whose travellers are familiar with our services and expertise. We are also pleased to have the opportunity to serve our new clients in new locations, and bring applicants in these locations the same benefits and high-quality service that we have been offering our customers worldwide for the last 17 years.”

Majid Al Futtaim celebrated the opening of Aloft City Centre Deira, Dubai, at an event attended by VIPs, media and influencers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The opening of the event took place in the presence of Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim – Holding, and Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. Operated by Marriott International, Aloft City Centre Deira is the first hotel in the region to offer movie-themed suites, alongside a VOX Cinemas’ outdoor screen and the Aloft brand’s signature programming. The urban hotel is a lifestyle destination catering to both leisure and business travellers. Aloft City Centre Deira delivers a fresh approach from the traditional hotel landscape with its emphasis on a lively, in-hotel social scene, modern design, innovative music programming and thoughtful technology incorporated to enhance the guest experience. Jalil Mekouar, Chief Executive Officer – Hotels, Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, said, “I’m delighted to announce the official opening of Aloft City Centre Deira, our 13th hotel in the region, to the public. Majid Al Futtaim strives to create and deliver compelling experiences through our unique destinations, and together with Marriott International, we have launched a concept that is an integrated lifestyle development aimed at establishing a new benchmark for experiential travel in Dubai’s hospitality sector, offering more authentic and personalised experiences within one destination.”

With just a few days left, the Arabian Travel Awards is all set to recognise the efforts of the travel, tourism and hospitality professionals. The black-tie award show will be conducted in Dubai on September 20, 2018. An exclusive invitation-only event, it will involve some of the most prominent personalities from the region. The Chief Guest for the event will be HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority. Owing to the dedication and commitment of professionals working not only in the emirates, but also in the Middle East that has revolutionised the travel industry, United Arab Emirates has become a hub for travel, tourism and hospitality. The Arabian Travel Awards is a platform for the Middle East market to appreciate the efforts of the travel specialists who have contributed to the booming travel and hospitality industry. The Awards aim to encourage them to continue promoting tourism in the region, especially since all roads are set and ready for the Expo 2020 and beyond. Following a systematic method of internet-based voting, these Awards are fair and unbiased and are supported by TravelTV.news, TravTalk Middle East and TravTalk India – premier media partners for extensive coverage. The awards will be divided into four categories: Personal Awards, Business Awards, Trending Awards and Partner Awards. To name a few, these include awards for Best Business Hotel, Best Family-Friendly Hotel, Best City Hotel, Best Green Hotel, Best Leisure Hotel, Best Destination Management Company, Best Hotel Apartments, Best B2B Travel Portal and Best Luxury Hotel, among many others.

Egypt, UAE and Turkey have seen the greatest growth in flight bookings from travellers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in the last 12 months, according to analysis conducted by Travelport. Fastest-growing international destinations for KSA travellers booked through global distribution systems. This data is derived from Travelport’s interpretation of relevant MIDT data. It reflects bookings made in the KSA through GDS only. Additional booking will have been made directly with airlines, which may or may not also have a GDS presence. From April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, bookings made in the KSA through all global distribution systems (GDS) to Egypt increased by nearly 190,000, up 17% on the previous 12 months. Bookings to the UAE rose by over 70,000, up 13%, and to Turkey by just over 65,000, up 31%.  Global distribution systems (GDS) are vast hi-tech reservation networks that allow travel agents, travel management companies, and large corporations, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel-related items. Matthew Powell, Travelport’s Managing Director  for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, said, “Growth in flight bookings tends to be driven by increased airline capacity, rises in demand from leisure trave”llers, economic and political advances, which attract more interest in trade and investment, and major construction projects that require large international labour forces. The results we’re seeing here cut across all of these.”

Jumeirah Group has launched Zabeel House by Jumeirah in response to the growing travel trend for exploration through travel experiences. Zabeel House will have a strong appeal for this increasing segment of travellers from across a broad demographic, who want to connect meaningfully with their travel destinations. With five management agreements already signed in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom, Jumeirah Group is creating an eclectic collection of hotels under the Zabeel House by Jumeirah brand, with a focus on locations at the heart of exciting neighbourhoods. Hotels under the new brand will offer brilliant basics and unexpected extras set in an upscale environment. The core target market for the brand will be both business and leisure travellers who want a lively base from which to explore. The core design ethos of the Zabeel House brand is centred on the uniqueness of each individual neighbourhood. Each hotel will offer an element of bespoke design, unique features and architectural details. Although positioned as an upscale hotel brand, there is no reference to a particular hospitality category.

H.E. Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), received a delegation from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The delegation included Second Deputy Chairman Walid Abdulrahman Bukhatir, Honorary Treasurer Ziad Mahmoud Al Hajji and Board Member Mohamed Ali Al Hazami. During the meeting, H.E Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa stressed on the importance of strengthening cooperation and reinforcing bilateral relations between both countries across all fields, especially the tourism sector. He also mentioned the BTEA’s readiness to strengthen relations with the United Arab Emirates and work towards achieving their joint goals. The delegation expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome and affirmed their readiness to enhance the joint cooperation between the two countries in the tourism field and to further explore bilateral initiatives.