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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New Umrah terminals opened at King Abdul Aziz International Airport on Saturday, allowing the airport to take on extra numbers of Haj pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom. About 95 percent of the work has been completed on the new terminals, which cover an area of 90,000 square meters and allow for an influx of 3,800 passengers each hour during peak periods. The terminals have 18 gates and 136 passport…
The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) launched its first promotional campaign in Europe at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid. Fifteen state bodies, governmental institutions, agencies, and tourist offices will participate in the campaign, which will promote the image of Qatar as a tourist destination. During the launching ceremony, Al Nuami presented an overview of Qatar’s different tourist attractions and…
The annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) which ends today, (February 28th), has given a big boost to occupancy levels at leading hotels. Naeem Darkazally, area director of Sales and Marketing for Rotana Dubai, said all eleven of its hotels had big increases in occupancy rates during DSF 2010. Luxury hotel Kempinski Mall of the Emirates said they are receiving very good response to its F&B and shopping room…
A source close to developments at the Abu Dhabi Airports Company said on Thursday that the new 109 meter, 20 story air traffic control center tower will open this year. He said “The air traffic control tower is a part of the $6.8 billion (Dh25 billion) redevelopment plan for Abu Dhabi International Airport.” ADAC awarded the French company Thales a $36.7 million contract for the tower, which will become the…
Qatar Airways began its global expansion plan for 2010 when it began regularly scheduled flights to Bengaluru, India (formerly Bangalore) on Wednesday. Flight QR226 landed in the southern city of Bengaluru early Tuesday morning after a non-stop flight from Doha, Qatar. Bengaluru, the country’s IT capital, sometimes referred to as India’s Silicon Valley, is the first of several new route launches planned for…
Figures compiled by Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry show that the number of nights spent by visitors in hotels and furnished apartments in Lebanon increased 34.7 percent in 2009, compared to 2008. The number of visitors staying in hotels or furnished apartments increased 2.12 percent to 1,955,679 in 2009, compared to 2008. Visitors stayed an average of 2.54 nights per person last year, compared to 2.29 nights in…
Dubai based luxury hospitality group, Jumeirah, has announced it has officially partnered with Air China and its Phoenix Miles loyalty program. Jumeirah is a member of Dubai Holding. The number of Chinese guests staying at Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in Dubai has increased substantially since the Chinese government granted the United Arab Emirates Approved Destination Status. The Frequent Flyer Partner…
New data released by hospitality research firm STR Global shows that hotel occupancy rates rose in Dubai in January 2010. The emirate is one of the top three destinations in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region to record an increase in occupancy rates compared to January 2009. Hotel occupancy in Amman increased 7.1 percent to 44.1 percent, Beirut increased 6.1 percent to 57.6 percent, and Dubai registered a…
Saudi Arabia has cancelled its ban on citizens traveling to Sri Lanka following the defeat of the island’s Tamil Tiger rebels last year. The travel ban was issued in 2008 when fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels reached new and more dangerous levels. Riyad Al-Kheneini, deputy chief of mission at the Saudi embassy in Colombo, said “We withdrew the travel advisory as the security situation…
Etihad Airways on Thursday will install a new “Tempus IC” system on its long and ultra-long haul aircraft to monitor passengers who show signs of sickness. Cabin crew can use the Tempus IC to quickly and efficiently collect information about a passenger’s health, including ‘vital signs’ like blood pressure and electrocardiogram, as well as take photo imagery. This information can then be transmitted to a…
, a travel company based in the UAE, will increase its number of branches in the UAE to 25 by the end of the year. SNTTA is bringing all its outlets under a single management with the tagline ‘Travel the World’. Shaikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Qasimi, Chairman of Liberty Investment, said “The re-engineered SNTTA business model will be tuned to fully tap the anticipated buoyancy in the UAE market and deliver a…
Eight hotels in Qatar may be closed because they have not yet complied with the star classification requirements of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA). A senior official of the QTA said the hotels have been asked to upgrade their standard security and safety systems in order to maintain their star ratings. If the hotels do not demonstrate compliance, their classification could be lowered to three stars, two…
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince, opened the new Dubai Cruise Terminal yesterday. The new terminal was developed and will be operated by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, (DTCM). The naming ceremony for the new cruise ship Costa Deliziosa was a highlight of the opening of the new terminal in Port Rashid. Four ships can be accommodated at once at the new…
China Eastern Airlines became the fourth Chinese airline to begin service when it made its first landing at the Dubai International Airport on Monday. The airline, which is the 131st to begin service to Dubai International Airport, flew from Kunming International Airport in Yunnan province of China. The carrier will initially fly three times a week on a Boeing 767-300, on the Yunnan-Dubai route, then raise…
A senior aviation official said on Wednesday that when all three phases of the new Doha International Airport is complete, about 50,000 jobs will be created. The $14 billion airport’s annual passenger handling capacity will reach 50 million. Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCA) said “Studies conducted by us reveal that when all three phases of the NDIA are ready, 50,000…
STR Global published data on Wednesday showing Abu Dhabi suffered substantial drops in hotel revenue and occupancy rates in January 2010, compared to January 2009. Figures show that RevPar in the capital dropped 40 percent, occupancy rates fell 27 percent, and average daily rates (ADR) declined 18 percent. While the Middle East still has the second highest revenue per available room (RevPar) of all the…
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced the number of passengers passing through Abu Dhabi airport in January 2010 compared to January 2009 increased 11 percent to 903,000. Officials attribute the increase to world class conferences and exhibitions being held in Abu Dhabi, like the recent World Future Energy Summit. There was also a 25.6 percent increase in cargo during January, driven by a large volume of…
Saudi Arabia’s Al Tayyar Travel Group cancelled an initial public offering on February 22 to February 28 after a book building process failed to attract enough demand. Al Tayyar, which organizes holiday packages and owns a corporate car rental service, hoped to raise $320 million from the sale of 24 million shares, about 30 percent of its capital. The company said the IPO has been delayed and will be…
Global Village received another record 155,000 visitors on Friday, February 19th , 2010. Global Village, located in Dubailand, is the region’s entertainment, shopping, and cultural attraction. The Global Village car park has a capacity of 16,500 cars but this limit was reached as early as 5:30 pm. A steady stream of crowds entered the Global Village throughout the night with visitors queuing to get inside…
The and Dive Middle East Exhibition show starts on March 10th at Westin Dubai, and will run alongside the Gulf Boating Conference. Donald Starkey, one of the world’s leading yacht designers, expects the boat show to inject life into the boating industry. Starkey, who is the founder of internationally renowned Donald Starkey Design, said “Whilst we are experiencing the most difficult times ever in the leisure…
Boeing Company’s latest market outlook report forecast that Middle Eastern airlines will buy 1,710 commercial jets worth $300 billion over the next 20 years. The health of the air travel industry in the Middle East is better than in other regions, and is driving good investment opportunities in aircraft financing. John Matthews with Boeing Capital Corporation said “The Middle East was the only part of the…
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, issued a decree reshuffling the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) board. The decree is effective immediately. One analyst commented “The new board will continue to implement the Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan. I don’t see it doing anything different.” The ADTA is a statutory body established in 2004 with wide ranging responsibilities for…
King Abdullah has given his approval for implementation of an SR50 billion, full fledged tourist city in the eastern coastal city of Al-Oqair, in Saudi Arabia. Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said the first phase of the project will cost about SR100 million and aims to transform the Al-Oqair into a world class tourist city. Many tourists from…
Board of Directors for Air Arabia, the first and biggest low cost carrier for the Middle East and North Africa, have proposed a cash dividend of 10 percent for 2009. Air Arabia recently released its financial results for the 12 months ending December 31st, 2009. A press statement said the results demonstrated continued profitability and excellent levels of efficiency during an extremely challenging period for…
