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Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, opened its observatory to the public today at 3 pm (Tuesday, January 5). Yesterday thousands of people gathered at the Burj area promenade to watch the opening, which coincided with the celebration of the fourth anniversary of the Accession of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE. Beginning on Wednesday,…
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has displayed boundless vision and ambition in establishing the Burj Al Arab and bringing designer brands like Armani Hotels and Resorts and Palazzo Versace to Dubai. The world’s tallest building will be home to the world’s first Armani Hotel, designed by Giorgio Armani. Another brand designed by the designer will be added to Dubai’s luxury portfolio when…
A tourism expert is promoting the potential for winter tourism in the province of Makkah and in the Kingdom in general. Luay Qunaitah, chairman of the Tourism Promotion Committee at the Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry said “Winter tourism is as important as summer tourism and will help the tourism industry thrive throughout the year.” Qunaitah said the pleasant weather in Makkah attracts tourists, but…
The many new restaurants and hotels that have opened in Dubai and the UAE are optimistic that 2010 will bring in more business. Four new restaurants have opened at the Al Kabayel Mall in the Al Quoz industrial area, and the Karama Hotel opened a new restaurant called Indigoa. The restaurant chain Calicut Paragon opened a new outlet at Sharjah’s Ansar Mall. There are also a number of small and medium sized…
Official have ordered forty furnished apartment blocks closed after inspectors discovered more than 40 safety code violations. The Commission for Tourism and Antiquities will issue fines for the violations, which consist of failure to obtain construction safety licenses from the Jeddah Mayor’s office, building safety licenses from Civil Defence, and insufficient standard safety facilities. Mohammed Al-Amri…
Director General of the Ministry of Economy, Mohammad Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Shehi, said restaurants and cafes must immediately stop adding a service charge to their customer’s bill, to comply with the decision of the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection. During a meeting with representatives of economic development departments, Al Shehi said that it illegal for non-tourist restaurants to add a service…
More than 100,000 flights affected so far EUROCONTROL: European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation - Statement issued on Wednesday April 21 1pm UAE Time EUROCONTROL expects approximately 21,000 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal Wednesday, we would expect 28,000. Thus approximately 75% of the total number of flights are expected to take place in Europe…
Emaar properties launched a new website, www.burjdubai.com , to provide detailed information about the world’s first ‘Virtual City’ and tallest building, the Burj Dubai. The website provides an in depth introduction to all aspects of life, work and leisure in the Burj Dubai. A virtual tour of the tower and its many retail and hospitality attractions is available on the website. There are dedicated sections…
STA Travel, a UK travel group included Dubai in its top destinations for 2010 in its ‘Future of Independent Travel’ report. STA Travel provides travel advice to young travelers on more than 90 countries and has 400 branches around the world. The report said “Despite the recent controversy and discussions surrounding Dubai it seems that young people still place it high up on the list as a must-see…
Thirty two year old David ‘The Bullet’ Smith Jr., the world’s highest performing human cannonball, is performing again today at Dubai’s Global Village. Mr. Smith has been performing twice a day since the 22nd of November, and Global Village has extended his shows until January 4th 2010 because of their immense popularity. During his performance he shoots hundreds of feet into the air from a cannon. He has…
Tunisia plans to double the number of its golf courses by 2020 in order to fill a promising niche for affluent visitors who are likely to spend more. The strategy will change the landscape and environment coastline of rangeland coasts similar to the Sousse and Hammamet, the golf courses of Djerba, and the “Golf Club Tozeur”, which was created in 2007. Golf courses are planned for some areas of the northern…
Israel on Thursday granted permission to several hundred Palestinians to leave the isolated Hamas-run Gaza strip to celebrate Christmas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The Israeli military gave 300 people over the age of 35 24 hour, allowing them to travel to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity for the midnight mass, celebrating Jesus’ birth. Many Gaza Christians decided to stay in Gaza this year because…
The latest report by research firm STR Global shows that Dubai has weathered this year’s summer dip better than many had forecast. Revenue per available room (RevPar) fell 33.6 percent in August, compared to the same month in 2008. The RevPar drop for hotels across MENA was 21 percent, although occupancy rates at Dubai hotels were higher than the region’s average. Hotel occupancy for Dubai was 64.1 percent…
Analysts say international flights between Cairo and Yanbu will decrease the number of people traveling by ship between the ports of Safaga and Dhuba. Airfares between the two cities are the lowest for any international flight at SR900. Almasria Universal Airlines, based in Cairo, began flight service to Yanbu’s Prince Abdul Mohsen Airport on Thursday with a capacity of 158 passengers. The new flight…
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) predicts Dubai will be a tourist favorite next year, in its new ‘Travel Trends Report 2010’. ABTA represents more than 5,000 travel agencies and about 900 tour operations in the UK. The report said “If you are after a bargain, Dubai will be a place to go in 2010. The state-backed Dubai World debt announcement at the end of November has triggered a price war in…
Oscar winning actor and private pilot Morgan Freeman, who just arrived in the UAE on his new SJ30 jet from Emivest, said he is confident the aviation industry will make a successful comeback by 2011. “I agree that private jet owners have got a kind of beating. But I am pretty sure that general aviation is going to come back.” He said there has been so much talk about the economic downturn but believes that by…
Saudi based travel firm, Al-Tayyar Travel Group, will raise SR1.2 billion ($320mm) from an initial public offering (IPO). The company is considering a 30 percent stake in a UK counterpart as part of its expansion plans. Next April Al-Tayyar will offer shares in the first IPO by a travel services firm on the Saudi bourse. Nasser Al-Tayyar, the company’s president, said “We are offering 24 million shares and…
American actor Morgan Freeman will fly his new SJ30 private jet from Los Angeles to the UAE, touching down in Dubai. The award winning actor, who has a private pilot’s license, purchased the jet from the Emirates Investment and Development Company (Emivest), a private investment company in the UAE. Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation (SSAC), a US based manufacturer and subsidiary of Emivest, produces the jet.…
