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May 31- Hakkasan, an upscale Chinese restaurant company owned by Abu Dhabi Government’s Tasameem, is all set to open its first restaurant at the Emirates Palace today, even though the company suffered huge losses last year. Hakkasan is also considering other Middle Eastern countries as part of its expansion plans. “Next year we want to open in Shanghai, Paris, New York and other sites in the Middle East,” said…
M ay 27 - The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) announced on Wednesday that it would set up a historical hotel company. The decision came at a conference for the First International Urban Heritage for Islamic Countries that started yesterday in Riyadh and will continue through Friday. Salah Al-Bakheet, deputy director for investment at the SCTA, said that the project had been presented to the…
Hill International’s claims division has announced that business has tripled in the last three year, said an official on Wednesday. "Over the last three years, the size of our claims business has tripled. In Dubai, we have gone down to 100 from 500 staff on projects," said Bill Kennedy, Senior Vice-President, Hill International (Middle East). "So the volumes on projects are decreasing but the volume of claims…
Tourists to the UK from UAE stand second in spending after visitors from Australia, it was learnt on Wednesday. UAE tourists spent Dh1.61 billion (£305 million) in 2009 compared to Australians who spent £846 million, according to figures released by the International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics. The survey also revealed that while Middle Eastern tourists comprise three per cent of visitors to…
Ma 26 - The Grand Hyatt Muscat received two prestigious international awards – the Rubin Business Hotel Award 2010 and the Best Foreign Cuisine in Oman presented to the hotel’s Italian restaurant Tuscany. The awards were given by German publishing house, Berliner Tageszeitung. "Grand Hyatt Muscat’s portfolio of prominent awards is a true testament to the property's ongoing effort to offer guests authentic…
May 26 - A 176-room Holiday Inn Hotel is to open in Muscat's airport and business district, Seeb, next year, said Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Chairman of Action Hotels. The project is the result of an agreement signed with Muscat-based company Al Rawahi International and Action Hotels. "Oman is committed to developing the hospitality sector and Action Hotels is equally committed to playing a…
May 26 - The British American Tobacco Company, Egypt (BAT), along with the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA) in Cairo, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will provide hotel guests in Cairo with designated non-smoking and smoking areas. The idea comes from BAT's global ‘Respecting Choices’ initiative. This is the third agreement of its kind that has been taken up by BAT in Egypt, the first being…
May 26 - Kuwaiti based Al-Kandari Group launched the first stage of its Kenoz Resort project in Ibb governorate, Central Yemen, on Monday. According to details, the project comprises a five-star hotel, 320 villas, 120 chalets, shops, children’s playground and a zoo. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the group Jassim Ali Al-Kandari, said the resort will be built over an area of 500,000 square meters and…
May 26 - Jordan’s Dead Sea Touristic and Real Estate Investment Company (DSC) in collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments have launched a joint venture to set up Jordan’s first Hilton hotel alongside the Dead Sea. The hotel will cost an estimated JD67 million to build and has been named the Dead Sea Resorts (DSR). A waterfront will be developed on the Dead Sea under the patronage of Hilton…
May 25 - easyHotel, a European budget hotel brand, will open its first property in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Freezone Authority Zone (JAFZA) on August 1, it was learnt on Monday. One can make reservations for the hotel from now. According to details, rates for a double room start from AED99 per night. “As most people are aware, Dubai is well known for being a luxury destination, but clearly not everyone can afford the…
May 25 - The hospitality and tourism sectors will lead to more economic growth and investment in Dubai in the next 10 years, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Fiscal Committee and Emirates Group. "Dubai is leading a strong tourism rebound in the Middle East. Tourism growth will continue to generate a powerful multiplier effect on the economy due to its strong indirect effect on…
May 25 - In partnership with The Royal Thai Embassy, Mövenpick Hotel Phuket and Qatar Airways, the Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain has officially opened the week long festival on Saturday 22nd May 2010. Attended by over 200 distinguished guests which includes government officials, diplomats and media partners, the event was opened by His Excellency Suphat Chitranukroh, Thailand Ambassador to Bahrain. The event…
May 24 - UAE’s hotel sector continues to excel with 56,187 rooms in the active pipeline, said a new report by research firm, STR Global. According to the report, there are a total of 467 hotels in the Middle East and Africa region for which 128,903 rooms are under development. UAE has the most number of rooms (29,125 rooms), Saudi Arabia second (15,770) followed by Egypt (7,178) and Qatar (6,041). Dubai…
May 22- The Chelsea Group has announced the opening of a new hotel in Dubai bringing its total investment in the hospitality industry to more than Dh600 million. "We have launched our new four-star hotel in Al Barsha behind Mall of the Emirates as the hospitality industry in Dubai is picking up," said Shiraz Kassam, Managing Director and CEO of Chelsea Group, which runs hotels and hotel apartments in Dubai.…
Damascus, Syria May 21- Bena Properties has launched the Yasmeen Rotana Hotel, the first of its kind in Syria. The foundation stone laying ceremony took place under the patronage of Mohammed Naji Otri, Prime Minister of Syria. The hotel will be situated in Mazzeh on the Damascus-Beirut highway. "We are proud to have been chosen to manage this spectacular 5 star property and our team is very excited about the…
Dubai, UAE May 21 -The Palace - The Old Town, a five-star hotel in Dubai, has received the coveted Green Globe Certification, marking it as a sustainable and environment-friendly hotel. The certificate was given to The Palace for keeping its carbon emissions to a minimum and promoting sustainable development initiatives by tracking energy and water consumption. Speaking on the occasion, Jason Harding,…
May 20 - The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Resort on Saadiyat Island has been completed and the official inaugural ceremony took place on Wednesday. Saif Mohammad Al Hajri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), attended the ceremony. The first resort on the island was completed at a cost of Dh730 million. Al Hajri said: "Tourism has advanced in the city of Abu Dhabi, thanks to the vision of President His…
May 20 - There may be a drop in hotel rates this year as almost 200,000 will be ready soon, said Khalid bin Sulayem, Director-General of the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) at The Hotel Show that began on Tuesday in Dubai. "There are between 16,000 and 20,000 hotel rooms ready to enter the Dubai market by the end of the year, which will contribute to producing lower room rates and attracting more…
