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General Manager for Sahara Tours praised the Qatar Tourism Authority effusively speaking to the Peninsula. Emad A. Nasr said they serve a very important in the country’s tourism industry, are supportive to all tourist companies and are “very helpful to us in every service and activities we provide to clients” Nasr said they are a professional organization doing a fantastic job promoting the country so it can be…
A senior Samsung Electronics executive recently increased its 2009 sales target for the Middle East to $20 million. Peter (Ju Sun) Lee said their original sales target for the Middle East Hospitality TV business was $10 million and they have recently raised that to $20 million. Mr. Lee said for the first half of this year they expect to sell Hospitality TV’s worth $5 million to the hotels in the…
Royal Jets executive chef and catering manager last year won three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the International Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany. Mr. Ulherr won one of his gold medals for two green iguanas made of salt dough, each weighing more than 15 kilograms. He has made many memorable creations during his career as an executive chef, but is probably most famous for the two iguanas. Mr.…
Bahrain health authorities are searching for up to ten passengers who may have been infected with the swine flu virus. The passengers sat near a 21 year old Bahraini student who was infected after flying home from New York on Friday. He is Bahrain’s first swine flu victim. Around 80 students who attended the same university as patient are also being tested because they all attended the same graduation ceremony…
The Middle East’s travel industry is supporting Thailand’s travel package from the region this month. This will boost the already strong tourist traffic to Thailand. Last year Middle East tourists to Thailand increased 11.34% to 464,486 in 2008, compared to 426,721 in 2007. The largest Thai delegation to date visited the UAE this month and received a commitment form the Middle East travel industry to back…
Last month Australia’s tourism ministry launched a Middle East road show that began in Kuwait, and targets travelers in Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Queensland, Australia is making every effort to attract tourists from the Gulf. More than 30,000 tourists from the region visited Queensland in 2008, and while they were not the biggest demographic group of foreign visitors, they spent the most at A$125 million…
The Ras Al Akhdar Beach in Abu, also known as Malibu Beach because of the many beautiful giant palm trees dotting the sands are being removed. Ras Al Akhdar means “Green Head” in Arabic, but the beach looks more like a “bare head” without the hundreds of palm trees. A palm jungle across the road has been removed to make way for new development. People still congregate at the beach but in a few more months…
An extensive road-show was launched to promote Dubai’s Summer Surprises, one of the biggest shopping and entertainment events. The road show will cover Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The 12th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises will run for sixty five days from 11 June to 15 August 2009. A press release said that the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing have cooperated to…
A new Master of Science degree in International Hospitality Management will be offered at Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. This degree is the first of its kind in the UAE. The new program begins in October 2009 and is focused on hospitality leaders of the future. It will emphasize managerial competence, building on the foundations of undergraduate studies. Students of the academy wishing to…
Inter regional and domestic travel continues to grow in the Middle East while international tourism is expected to fall between 2% and 3% this year. The World Tourism Organization projects that the slow in international tourism will continue for another six to twelve months. Experts forecast there will be significant demand for tourists for the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, and Oman this summer…
Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said they have lowered the forecast for tourism growth due to the current economic climate. Sheikh Sultan Bin Taboon said the new target by 2012 is 2.3 million visitors compared to the previous target of 2.7 million visitors by that date. Sheikh Sultan said the ADTA expects 1.5 million visitors this year, the same number as last year. He talked about the…
TravelPort GDS announced they have strengthened their Africa team by recruiting both internally and externally. The new and highly experienced team will focus on increasing market presence throughout Africa. Mark Meehan will head up the newly formed team from Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dubai. Meehan will be responsiblie for strengthening TravelPort GDS’s leading position in many African markets…
Reel Cinemas, the UAE’s largest Cineplex with more than 22 screens, will soon open at the Dubai Mall. The Cineplex will have a seating capacity of 2,800 and a notable feature is the incorporation of The Hollywood Chic design concept, ensuring a modern movie going experience. Contemporary interiors and modern construction are combined with ergonomically designed seats designed for optimum comfort. The overall…
United Arab Emirates quarantined an airline passenger arriving from Canada suspected of having the swine flu virus. The official WAM news agency said health officials suspected the passenger displayed symptoms of infection from the A (H1N1) virus, and he was then isolated. The report did not disclose the man’s nationality, where he was quarantined, or through which of the regions two international airports…
The Hotel Show, the region’s premier tradeshow for the hotel industry opens in the Dubai World Trade Center at the Shaikh Rashid Hall on Sunday. The hotel industry is looking for strategies to deal with the global economic slowdown, so the trade show is receiving more attention this year. The exhibition director for The Hotel Show said hospitality professionals will be looking for the opportunities that come…
A senior executive said the City of Arabia project expected completion date is now between 2014 and 2015. Group Executive Director at City of Arabia explained they have not delayed the project because there have been so many changes to the master plan. SM Syed Khalil said the traffic impact study is a big issue because there are two interchanges on both sides of the city, and “a project such as this will have…
Despite the unprecedented challenges for the airline and travel industry, Emirates Group recorded its 21st year of consecutive profit for the 2008/2009 financial year. For the financial year ending 31 March 2009, the group’s net profit was Dh 1.49 billion ($406 million). This is a 72% drop from the prior year’s record profits of Dh 5.3 billion ($1.45 million). The large fall in profit is due to the record…
Union Bank of India (UBI) plans to double its non-resident Indian remittances from GCC within two years. UBI has representative offices in the UAE capital and handles five percent of the total remittances from GCC states to India. The banks chairman and managing director is now visiting the UAE and talked about the remittances at a press briefing. MV Nair said they are launching three initiatives designed to…
