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June 20 - The Saudi tourism sector appears to be doing well and the kingdom’s authorities are going the extra mile to improve the travel and hospitality sector even further. Earlier this month Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), addressed the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in UK that provides a meeting point between the Islamic…
Saturday, June 19 - The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) launched the Sharjah Summer Promotions 2010 today with various promotional and cultural events. The campaign is being held in collaboration with several government departments and will run till July 20. The aim of the campaign is to kick start business activities at malls and traditional marketplaces and is being held simultaneously…
June 17 - The Mayor of Amman, Omar Maani, inaugurated the "Your Park" project in Al-Naser region at an estimated cost of JD110,000. The project is the brainchild of a student named Yasmeen Abu Taleb at the Amman Baccalaureate School. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Maani praised the public and private sectors for being so committed to serving the community. He also said that the Greater Amman…
June 17 - Dubai hopes to attract over 500,000 Saudi tourists by the end of this year, said Talal Al-Suwaidi, a Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DDTCM) at a the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh. "Saudis are still ranked the first among the residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries visiting Dubai. Last year we…
June 16 - The number of tourists that arrived at Dubai’s Port Rashid Cruise Terminal has gone up by 55,000 in the cruise season that ended yesterday, as compared to the seasons last year, said an official at the Ministry of Interior. The cruise tourism season in Dubai runs from September to June. "The number of tourists who came through Port Rashid in the latest season is 220,000 compared to 165,000 in…
June 16 - A travel fee imposed by the UAE government for GCC citizens, including Oman, has irked Omanis who frequent the country. The fee imposed is Dh105 (RO10) for arrival and Dh25 (RO2.5) for departure. The worst hit residents in this regard are those living in Buraimi, Suwaiq, Sohar Saham and Ibri since they usually get items of daily necessity from mostly Dubai instead of Muscat. The UAE is also a…
June 15 - Aldar Properties said on Sunday that it would establish a water park on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, at an estimated cost of Dh40 billion. The park will span over 16.4 hectares and will have over 40 rides and attractions including four rides that have never been featured in a water park before. Aldar has already received the planning approval from the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and has…
June 15 - Sharjah’s tourism department launched road shows in Kazakhstan and Ukraine yesterday in a bid to tap into the tourism markets and promote Sharjah as an ideal place for vacation. The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) arranged for these road shows in collaboration with Air Arabia. The road show will go on till June 17, said Mohamed A. Al Noman, Director General, SCTDA,…
June 14 - The Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, is on track, said some of its bidders on Sunday, adding that the stadium that has been put on hold is the one on Sir Baniyas Island. "I have been receiving numerous calls on this rumour but the project is going ahead as scheduled," said one bidder. "The project in question is the football stadium on the Sir Baniyas Island, which is under Musanada as the…
June 14 - The only radar at Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madina that guides pilots to the runway is out of order. The radar was purchased at a cost of SR60 million six months ago. According to airport officials, the radar had stopped functioning several times in the past, once for six hours straight. "The Civil Aviation Authority found it necessary to go back to the traditional tower…
June 14 - The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) said that the estimated tourism revenue for this year for the kingdom is about SR66 billion, which means a growth rate of 4.76 per cent in comparison with its revenues in 2009. In the conference held at the Cityscape Exhibition in Jeddah last Monday, the Commission's Vice President for Investment, Dr. Salah Al-Bakhit said that SCTA hopes…
June 13 - The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment has announced highlights of this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), which include international shows, musicals, and shopping and promotions throughout Dubai. The 13th edition of DSS has a budget of Dh 60 million, starts on June 17th and runs for 52 days until August 7th. Modhesh World, the biggest indoor edutainment venue in the region will be a major…
June 13 - More than 40 old houses near the core of the emirate in Ajman’s Al Nakheel 5 and 6 areas will be restored as part of an ambitious project to transform the area into a tourist attraction by the first quarter of 2011. Mohammed bin Omair Al Muhairi said work on a project to re-organize the two areas and turn them into tourist attractions is under way. Al Muhairi, who is Head of Planning and Survey…
June 13 - The spa industry in Dubai has played a small role in generating hotel revenue in the past but it is now gradually helping luxury hotels lessen the impact of the global economic slowdown. The Ernst & Young Spa Benchmark for the first quarter of 2010 shows that aggregate revenues for Dubai hotel spas increased 45.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Aggregate spa revenues are comprised…
June 13 - Tour operators in Qatar hope to do more business this year – around 10 to 15 per cent more than in 2009. Industry experts are hopeful that the large number of expatriate families that are eager to travel this summer will bring in more business. Most families prefer to visit their home countries in the summer but this trend seems to be changing since those belonging to the high-income bracket want to…
June 12 - The Egyptian Arab Land Bank (EALB) arranged for a free Umrah trip for its employees in a bid to strengthen its relationship with staff members. Hazem Yousef, Regional Manager, said: "The social committee at EALB organised a trip to perform the Umra in May for a number of employees who won a raffle and have been working at the bank for at least 10 years. It is important for us to show our appreciation to…
June 12 - Orange Jordan, one of the largest telecom private sector companies in the country, arranged its tenth annual Umrah trip this week in which more than 90 employees participated. The drive kicked off last Saturday from the company’s training centre in Na’our. According to media reports, the trip will be eight days long and pilgrims will pay homage to religious sites in Madina and Makkah. Orange Jordan…
June 11 - Yafamic Touristic Company, majority owners of Emirates Heights, held a press conference today and said it will work to increase residential tourism in Egypt through its project in the North Coast. Emirates Heights has seen a steady increase in the number of units held by foreigners, reaching 5,000 by the end of 2009, and aims to tap into this sector's potential. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism has been…
