Airline, airport, hotel, destination, visa, and Muslim travel updates from Irhal.
The airline marks Philadelphia as its 14th destination in North America NEW YORK, NY, USA – Qatar Airways has reconnected Doha and Philadelphia with the launch of a daily non-stop flight between Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), its 14th destination in North America, which resumed on 1 August 2026.
Read full storyThis summer, Central Shopping Centers invites international visitors to experience the best of shopping, dining, and leisure with Summer Holiday 2026, running from 20 July – 30 September 2026. Created exclusively for international tourists, the campaign offers shopping privileges across Thailand’s five world-class shopping malls: centralwOrld, Central Park…
Read full storyThe Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board, in cooperation with tourism associations, have launched the integrated digital platform "Ahlan Jordan" as part of measures to support the tourism sector and address the impact of regional circumstances on travel activity.
Read full storyflydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, has increased its daily operations between Dubai and Naples and is set to boost its flights to Milan-Bergamo to a double-daily operation from 31 July, enhancing passenger connectivity to Italy.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – July 28, 2026: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a museum of modern and contemporary art, will open its doors on 11 December 2026 at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
Warner Bros. World™ Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the region's largest indoor theme park, is inviting guests to place themselves in the hands of one of DC's most iconic Super-Villains, as Kryptonite Collider officially opens.
Malaysia Retains No. 1 Position in Global Muslim Travel Index 2025, Offering GCC Travellers a Summer of Festivals, Culture and Discovery.
The Dubai-based carrier announces the start of daily flights to Aleppo from 20 July, reaffirming its connectivity to opening underserved markets Aleppo becomes the carrier’s second destination in Syria alongside Damascus
What if the most valuable thing you brought home from a trip wasn’t an object, but a story? Northern Thailand is home to dozens of ethnic communities who have carried their identities across mountains and borders for centuries – and many of them welcome curious, respectful visitors.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched the search for the 7 Contemporary Wonders of the World, a global initiative designed to identify and celebrate the landmarks and buildings created since 1801 that have had the greatest impact on Travel & Tourism, local communities and economic development, and continue to redefine the future of destin…
Luxury travel today is no longer measured by how much you can see in a few days, but by how deeply you can experience a destination. At Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, guests are invited to embrace this philosophy through Long Stay Beach Escape, an exclusive package designed for travelers who wish to enjoy more of Phuket's culture, wellness, and f…
Read full storyTwo hotels, three ways to stay, and one summer campaign inviting guests to choose their own scene across Paramount Hotel Midtown and Paramount Hotel Dubai
Read full storySharjah Museums Offer an Integrated Summer Experience Blending Culture, Science, and Discovery for All Community Members
Read full storyNew five-day programme empowers young people to build confidence, resilience and lifelong skills while embracing active lifestyles
Read full storyAcross Five Museums with Interactive Museum Programmes Enriching Children’s Knowledge
Read full storyOceans of Lights Festival returns to SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in its third edition to offer a summer program full of activities and new experiences
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: Armenia has extended its temporary visa-free entry arrangement, keeping the country within easy reach for eligible travellers from across the Gulf for a further year. The arrangement now runs until 1 July 2027.
Read full storyJuly 2026, Yerevan, Armenia: The competent Armenian authorities announced the extension of the temporary decision exempting eligible travelers from GCC countries from prior visa entry for an additional year, making the decision effective until July 1, 2027. This decision aims to facilitate travel procedures and tourism movement and exchange between Armenia and the Arab Gulf region, allowing travelers…
Read full storySet within Khalid Lagoon, the island shows how Sharjah brings art, nature and design into everyday public life.
Read full storyBlending cultural discovery with elevated wellness and leisure experiences, World of Hyatt summer destinations offer GCC travelers seasonal getaways across the GCC, Africa and Europe.
Read full storyAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – June 30, 2026: Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi has officially been awarded the Guinness World Records™ title for the most waterslides in a waterpark, featuring a record-breaking collection of 55 slides.
Read full storyExperience the Colours of Malaysia at Citrawarna 2026 This Summer
Read full storyGermany is an ideal destination for friends traveling together, thanks to its creative neighborhoods, vibrant markets, street food culture, and stunning natural retreats
Read full storyFollowing the launch of its first collaboration in 2025, the Jacquemus brand returns this summer to the Monte Carlo Beach Club with a new design that reimagines the coastal atmosphere with a contemporary spirit. The design evokes the spirit of 1950s beach clubs, where elegance meets the calm Mediterranean lifestyle.
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May 15 - Dubai may implement a new law that regulates the distribution of the 10 per cent service charge that hotels get from guests. The law is in the pipeline and being drawn up by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). "We are preparing a law explaining how to distribute the ten per cent service charges gross amount among the workers at the hotels and hotel apartments," said Suzan Odeh,…
May 14 - Online travel agency, Expedia Insiders' Select List, has deemed the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, as one of the best in the world. The hotel was selected from a list of 114,000 hotels and resorts based on more than one million traveller opinions on hotel reviews collected by Expedia. These were rated by Expedia employees. Talking about the award, Emirates Palace Director of Sales and Marketing…
May 14 - Emirates Airline announced yesterday the launching of its flights to Prague in six weeks. The service will start from July 1 and will be served by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 27 seats in Business Class and 251 in Economy. "Prague is one of six new routes Emirates has announced so far for 2010. Not only is this a new route, but for us it is a new part of Europe. We have been keen to fly to the…
May 14 - Etihad Airways will no longer provide accommodation allowance to new staff choosing to live outside Abu Dhabi, a media report said on Thursday. The new policy gives the staff a grace period of 12 months to move to the UAE capital, was conveyed to them by the Vice President of facilities, Frank Dwyer. The move is expected to affect the 8,500 people working for the airline who live in Dubai at the…
May 14 - Etihad Airways signed a codeshare agreement with Olympic Air that will allow passengers to Greece easy access to Romania and Bulgaria for the first time. The new deal comes into effect on Tuesday May 18. According to the agreement, Etihad will place its two-letter 'EY' code on services operated by Olympic Air between Athens and Rhodes and Thessaloniki in Greece, the Romanian capital Bucharest, and…
May 14 - Kuwaiti carrier Jazeera Airways launched its flight between Kuwait and Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday. The inaugural flight left from Kuwait International Airport to the first Pakistani destination, Lahore. Speaking on the Occasion, the airline’s CEO Stefan Pichler said: "In keeping with Jazeera Airways’ vision to expand our regional network, we are very pleased to inaugurate our latest non-stop route to…
May 14 - The row between Saudi and Egyptian aviation authorities over airlines from both countries landing at their airports is because of the open-sky policy, said the Saudi Authority for Civil Aviation GACA spokesman Khaled Al-Khaibari. He spoke to reporters on Thursday in response to an article about the dispute between GACA and the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA). The article in question…
May 14 - French tourist authorities are looking to attract more high-end travelers from the GCC by starting a new drive which will feature information about the country’s various tourist spots. As many as 725,000 tourists from the Middle East went to France last year so officials of the French tourism authority hope to maintain this number this year also. "We are not expecting an immediate surge in tourist…
Sunday, May 16 2010 - Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain held a quarterly awarding ceremony to honouring its best team members on delivering excellent service. Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain held an awarding ceremony on 10th May 2010 for its team members at Pool side garden. The programme highlights the honouring of team members completed five years of service with the company and Employee of the Month for January, February…
May 13-The Emirates group reported a record 248 per cent jump in its net profit for the year 2009-10, it was learnt on Thursday. The 2009-10 Annual Report of the Emirates Group - comprising Emirates Airline, Dnata and their subsidiary companies – was released on Wednesday at a news conference. According to details, the group’s net profit increased to Dh4.2 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2010.…
May 13- Emirates Airline may order more aircrafts at the upcoming Farnborough Airshow, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. “In eight weeks’ time, we will make an announcement on this,” Shaikh Ahmad said. “We are talking to both the aircraft manufacturers and you will know then,” he added. The airline, which has 145 aircraft on the fleet, has 146 on firm…
May 13- Flydubai and Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) have signed an agreement that will allow travelers to collect their visas by email or phone. The service is an effort to make the visa acquisition process a tad easier, it was learnt. The service will be launched on a trial basis for three months starting from May 19. The airline will offer M-visa at no additional charge to passengers.…
May 13 - Iraq’s first private carrier, Alnaser Airlines began its daily flights from Dubai to Iraq last week and is running to its full capacity of 140 passengers. The airline is owned by an Iraqi national, Shaikh Hussain Al Khawam, who has collaborated with US-owned FK Gryphon Airlines. The flight’s first stop was Kuwait, which was attacked by Iraq in 1991. "We wanted Kuwait to be the first [stop], to break…
May 13 - Makkah’s Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal laid the foundation stone for the development of landmarks and various sites in Taif on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by Prince Sultan bin Salman, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). Prince Sultan’s intiative to change and improve the colour of the buildings in Shafa was also launched at the ceremony. "This is the first…
May 13- Domestic tourism has an important role to play as far as the creation of jobs are concerned in Saudi Arabia, said Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) on Tuesday. Prince Salman was addressing the participants of the First Forum of Human Development held under the auspices of Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Management at Abha Palace Hotel in…
May 13 - Brazil President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva's visit to Qatar is likely to improve tourism and trade relations between both countries that will be reinforced by the launch of Qatar Airways’ Sao Paulo route. A main feature of the visit will be a presentation that will introduce Brazil and its tourist spots to Qatari officials. The presentation will be given on May 15 by Jeanine Pires, President of the…
May 13- The upcoming Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel will be situated in ‘New Dubai’, it was learnt on Thursday. The area is along the emirate’s west coast comprising the Dubai Media City, Internet City, Knowledge Village (TECOM) and Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), among others. A residential complex will also be built in the next 24 months with a capacity of 100,000 people. The hotel will also be close to Dubai World…
May 12- The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris owned by the Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), Saudi Arabia, has been named the best city hotel in the world, according to the Ultratravel magazine. Talking about the award, KHC Chairman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, it is a “historical achievement.” George V's Le Cinq restaurant, owned by the acclaimed chef Philippe Legendre, was recently awarded its third Michelin…
May 12- The Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) will announce a comprehensive plan in collaboration with the coordinating with the Abu Dhabi government, to bring in more tourists during the summer, said Saif Mohammad Al Hajri, Chairman of ADNH. "The company continues its commitment to implement the projects within the plan of the Government of Abu Dhabi for the development of the tourism sector in the emirate," he…
May 12 - A workshop designed for Abu Dhabi’s travel agents to help them understand and meet the challenges of their sector’s changing environment and capitalise on Asian and Chinese business opportunities will begin from tomorrow. The day-long workshop is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) with the patronage of Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Agencies Council (ATTAC) and the collaboration of…
May 12 - Fairmont Raffles Hotels International announced that the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah project may open in the fourth quarter of 2011. Speaking to journalists at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai last week, the group's Executive Vice-President for Operations, Middle East, North Africa and Asia Pacific, David Roberts, said: "Fairmont is still very much involved in ongoing discussions with the ownership…
May 11 - According to the figures released by the Dubai-based research company, Market Vision, tourists from the UAE spend around Dh24.2 billion ($6.6 billion) per year on overseas holiday trips. This includes $4 billion on leisure tripes while $2.6 billion on trips to visit family and friends. In fact, the top 10 holiday destinations of choice for UAE travelers include India, Thailand, Oman, UK and France. In…
May 11 - The number of tourists from the UAE to Kenya increased to 13,000 in the overall 6.4 per cent increase to the region last year. "This may seem like a small number, but is very positive. We still performed, despite political crises we had, very well with the Middle Eastern market," said Cecily Mbarire, Kenya's Assistant Minister of Tourism, at the Arabian Travel Market last week. Kenya has remained a…
May 11 - According to a new rule implemented by the municipality in Sharjah, parks there will remain closed in the morning and open from 4 to 10pm, according to a new rule by the municipality. The ruling applies to weekends, Friday and Saturday, as well. The decision was made after a number of complaints came from women who said they were not comfortable with the park employees staring at them. "The…
