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Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy opened a three day Haj symposium in Makkah on Saturday. He said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Saudi leadership want to provide first class services to pilgrims so they can safely perform the fifth pillar of Islam with ease. Al-Farsy said “The Kingdom, which Almighty Allah has honored by making the host of Islam’s two holiest shrines, is keen to provide pilgrims with the…
Accor Hospitality Middle East again increased its growing Middle East portfolio with the opening of Ibis Amman in Jordan, and Ibis Muscat in Oman. Ibis Amman is the first internationally branded hotel in Jordan, and Ibis Muscat is the first Accor hotel in Amman. The new hotels are part of Accors regional plans to operate 45 hotels by 2011, and its longstanding strategic partnership with Kuwait based Action…
The Big Bus Company will begin operating nine traditional double-decker buses for tourists in Abu Dhabi for the first time tomorrow. The family owned company has been operating open-top sightseeing bus tours in London since 1991 and in Dubai since 2002. Marketing manager for Double Decker Bus Tours, Dubai said “Initially, we are bringing in eight-nine buses. Let’s see the response of people in the first phase,…
Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, said Sharjah will keep working on establishing tourism projects and developments in order to attract more tourists and investors, despite the ongoing financial crisis. He said the first of the new tourism oriented projects will be announced in the first quarter of 2010. Sharjah’s participation in this…
Travel agents in Saudi Arabia say there is more demand for hotels and resorts abroad because many families prefer to spend the Eid-Al-Adha holidays outside the country, in part because it is less expensive. Dakhil Al-Ali Tayyar at Al-Tayyar Travel Agency said demand is increasing every day, especially as the Eid Al-Adha holidays approaches. Prices are a major reason Saudis are choosing to go abroad, since…
A recent poll shows opinions are divided about growth in the region’s aviation industry next year, and whether the global crisis will continue to keep travelers at home. An online survey carried out on the last day of the Dubai Airshow on Thursday showed that only 15.9 percent of people believe that Middle Eastern Airlines will see significant passenger growth in 2010. 33.6 percent of respondents think carriers…
Dubai’s Jumeirah Group will open its first hotels in Brazil because demand is increasing due to rising incomes in Latin America’s biggest economy, the 2014 World Cup, and 2016 Olympic Games. Senior Vice President of development for the Americas at Dubai Group, James Erlacher, said “The time is right for us to be entering the Brazilian market.” Jumeirah plans to operate hotels first in Brazil’s biggest cities -…
Saad Al-Qurashi, head of the Haj and Umrah Commission at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said this there will be a sharp drop in the number of Saudi and non-Saudi domestic pilgrims. He said “There will be 70 percent fewer domestic pilgrims this year compared to last year.” He said about 68,000 Haj permits have so far been issued to domestic pilgrims, and this includes expatriates from neighboring…
Travel agents expect that bookings will increase for Eid al Adha, following a slow travel season this summer. The travel industry was greatly affected by the global financial crisis and swine flu fears, but many are optimistic that things are turning around for the Eid and National Day holidays, which begin on November 26 and end on December 3rd. Travel manager at Sharif Travel in Dubai said “It’s looking a…
Dubai Global Village announced an exciting calandar of events for its 14th edition at a press conference in yesterday. Dubai Global Village is a member of Tatweer Dubai. The 14th edition will run from November 22 to February 27, 2010 with more than 45 countries from around the world participating in the event. Project Director for Global Village, Saeed Ali Bin Redha, said “Global Village is a pioneering venue…
{mosimafe}Abu Dhabi has become a major player in the global conference industry, which is worth US$56 billion (Dh205.66bn) a year, thanks to the investment of a few thousand dirhams. Rupert Murdoch and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are two high profile men that have become part of the exhibition scene in the UAE capital, along with thousands of other delegates from industries ranging from fashion to…
Abu Dhabi’s representatives at the World Travel Market in London are reporting a resurgence of interest from UK’s outbound market. The five star Shangri La Hotel in Qaryat, Al Beri, is one company that will benefit from negations currently under way between two leading UK operators. Director of Sales and Marketing for Shangri La Hotel, Levent Tekun, said “We found the level of enquiries is of a much higher…
The Port of La Goulette in Tunis was ranked 17th in the world as a cruise ship destination in 2008 according to a survey carried out by the “World Cruise Destinations” magazine. Renovations have modernized the port, which can now handle 433 berthing operations and transit 695,000 tourists, up from only 53,000 tourists in 1987. The port can now handle the worlds biggest ships (334 meters long and 60 meters…
A Korean musical and dance performance was held for the second time in the UAE, on Monday night in Abu Dhabi. ‘Vitality: A Grand Performance of Korean Traditional Music and Dance’ is part of ongoing efforts to promote cultural exchange between the UAE and South Korea. The event last took place in the UAE in 2000. The performance was well attended on Monday by many in the Korean community but also Emirates,…
The UAE is set to announce the much anticipated federal tourism and regulatory body which will represent the UAE’s tourism industry to the rest of the world. The National Council of Tourism will initially be developed within the Ministry of Culture, there will be coordination between the different tourism authorities in each emirate, and each emirate will have a member on its board. Government officials said…
Abu Dhabi tourism chiefs have set a new goal of attracting 2.3 million hotel guests to Abu Dhabi by 2012. Officials say their adjusted targets forecast a ten percent increase in tourist’s numbers next year and another 15 percent increase for 2011, and 2012. The ADTA expects tourist numbers will stay at about 1.5 million visitors despite the effect of the global economic crisis. Earlier this week the ADTA…
A top executive for New Jersey based Windham Hotels and Resorts said they will introduce their global brand portfolio to the Middle East soon. President and chief executive of the hotel group, Eric Danziger, said they have an aggressive strategy for the Middle East and Asia. Earlier in the week the company announced it will open a 12th Ramada in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and signed an agreement for a new hotel in…
Saudi Health Minister said on Wednesday that nine people out of more than 500,000 thousand people arriving for the annual haj pilgrimage have been diagnosed with H1N1 swine flu. There has been increasing concern about the possibility of a major outbreak occurring during haj, when more than three million Muslims arrive in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia, in mid November. Minister Rabeeah said…
