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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The increase in number of hotels in Qatar is making it more difficult for the hotel industry to maintain profitability in the wake of fierce competition. Figures released by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) show the number of hotels has increased from 51 in 2008 to 58 in 2009. The number of five star hotels increased from 12 in 2008 to 15 in 2009, and four star hotels increased from 13 to 17, Hotel profits…
Emirates Airlines appears to have started a drive to increase capacity to Australia, as a four year agreement between the UAE and Australia ends next year. The deal provided for the phased growth of Emirates Airline, and negotiations for a new air service agreement between the two countries are expected to start soon. The Dubai based carrier currently operates 70 flights each week, up from 49 in 2007, and this…
A new report by Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) said that Abu Dhabi has overtaken both New York and Paris to become the second most expensive city in the world for business travelers. A surge of new hotels in Dubai helped bring this emirate down from the number ten spot to the 16th most expensive city in the world. Moscow remained the most expensive city in the world for the fifth year in a row, where a visitor…
The latest data from the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) shows that 41 new hotels will open in Qatar in 2010, adding 4,689 hotel rooms to the hospitality market this year. Last year the number of hotel rooms in Qatar increased 25 percent compared to 2008, and officials expect growth this year to be even stronger because of prior project delays resulting from the global financial crisis. QTA chairman Ahmed…
The Abu Dhabi International Airport passed the security system audit administered by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under the supervision of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), according to an announcement at a media conference in Abu Dhabi. ICAO is a major UN agency based in Montreal, Canada, responsible for specifying techniques and principles of international air navigation, and…
The world’s leading multi-participant loyalty programme, Air Miles, has launched its Interactive Voice Response, or IVR. The system will provide its members with 24 hours service, 365 days a year, and has proven to be a very effective way of handing high volumes of calls and improving customer service in businesses around the world. IVR will provide customers more personalized service by identifying each caller…
Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the investment arm of Bahrain, said it will transfer ownership of the kingdom’s national carrier, Gulf Air to the government A statement released by Mumtalakat on Thursday evening explained that, “Given the strategic importance of Gulf Air to the national economy, the Bahrain government is the suitable owner of the airline.” Gulf Air was originally co-owned by Bahrain,…
Istithmar, the investment arm of Dubai World, sold its entire stake in Indian budget airline SpiceJet for $35.23 million (Dh129.37 million). A spokesman for SpiceJet said “We have been informed that Istithmar World has sold its equity stake in SpiceJet. They remain invested in the company through FCCBs,” Foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) are debt instruments that can be converted into equity…
The Ibn Hammad Valley, a rapidly growing tourist attraction for adventure seekers located in the Karak Governate in the south of the Kingdom, will be preserved under an Integrated Ecosystem Management-Jordan Rift Valley Project (IEM-JRV) The 86 square kilometer Valley, which is known for its mineral hot springs, is being threatened by ‘random tourism and lack of environmental awareness’, according to…
Tourism experts say the increase in budget hotel chains is a good development for the leisure and hospitality industry in the UAE. Adrian Jonklaas, senior consultant at PFK The Consulting House said International budget chains like Aloft and the UK’s Premier Inn are trying to enter the UAE hotel market. Jonklass said “Guests at budget hotels in the UAE still have to buy air tickets, and business or leisure…
Latest figures show that the number of visitors to Singapore increased 4.3 percent during last year Chinese New Year celebrations. In 2008, the number of tourists from Saudi Arabia increased 21.1 percent and from the UAE by 9.8 percent. The Singapore Tourism Board said it expects even more visitors from the region for this year’s New Year celebrations, from now until March 7th. Jason Ong, Area Director,…
Rezidor Hotel Group opened 36 hotels around the world in 2009, breaking its 2008 record when it opened 33 hotels. The new hotels in 2009 added 7,100 rooms to the markets in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Marko Hytonen, and executive with Rezidor, said the Middle East accounted for eight of the new property openings last year, including the launch of Rezidor’s mid-market Park Inn Brand with openings in Abu…
The January/February issue of ‘African Business’ reported in a survey that 250,000 people from Libya, Africa, Algeria and sub-Saharan Africa travelled to Tunisia in 2009 for medical tourism. The survey said 70 percent of the patients came from Libya, 12 percent came from sub-Saharan Africa including Cote d’lvoire, Senegal, Mali, and Burundi. Westerners represented 18 percent of the patients, and they came to…
Passenger traffic at Muscat International Airport increased 6 percent to 3.37 million in 2009, compared to 3.16 million in 2008. The increase is due mainly to increased capacity and frequency of international airline flights. According to statistics released by the Directorate General of Safety and Aviation Services at the Transport and Communication Ministry, passenger arrivals increased by 4 percent to…
Rory McIlroy, the 20-year-old Northern Irish professional golfer, signed a three year deal with Dubai based luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group. McIlroy, who currently ranks ninth in the world, signed the agreement on Tuesday before the start of the Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Course in Dubai. He said in a statement “Jumeirah has given me a home away from home – they have made me and my…
R estaurants in Abu Dhabi have stopped charging customers a service charge from Monday, February 1st, in order to comply with the decision from the Ministry of Economy (MoE) (No. 466/2007). Dr. Hashim Al Nuwaimi, Director of Consumer Protection Department at the MoE said the ministry ordered all restaurants in the country to stop taking service charges from customers beginning on February 1st. Previously, it…
The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Investment Company announced Tuesday that two striped hyena cubs were born on Sir Bani Yas Island, part of Abu Dhabi’s Desert Islands destinations. The cubs were born as a result of a successful breeding program and their birth is particularly important to the UAE because the striped hyena is completely extinct in the country. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)…
Sharjah International Airport announced it will deploy the Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks, the first in the world to use an Arabic interface. Aviation IT specialist SITA is providing the kiosks under a five year agreement. SITA will also provide web check-in service for Air Arabia and the six million passengers the airline serves. The CUSS kiosks are already in use by passengers of regional airlines.…
The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways, began operations to Nagoya, Japan on Tuesday with the launch of its Nagoya-Abu Dhabi flight service. The new service will initially operate four times a week on two Airbus A330 aircraft via Beijing. The number of flights to Nagoya will increase to five times a week beginning on March 29th. Etihad Airways chief executive officer James Hogan said “We believe…
Dr. Naseer Aqeel Al Tayyar, a leading figure in the tourism industry, said the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is growing at a robust rate of 30 percent. The volume of the Kingdom’s tourism sector is estimated to be 80 billion riyals, not including the fast-growing religious tourism sector. Dr. Al Tayyar, who is president and managing director of Al Tayyar Travel and Tourism Group, said the current 30 percent…
Armani Hotel Dubai launched its new online booking system yesterday, and bookings can now be made in real time at www.armanihotels.com Guests can use the booking system to search real time room availability, and book any room type, including the Armani Dubai Suite. This highly exclusive suite is located on level 39 of the Burj Khalifa, facing the Arabian Gulf, providing a beautiful view of the city and…
Vladimir Dabbah has been named vice president of global sales for Marriot International for the Middle East and Africa. Mr. Dabbah, who is based in Dubai, will provide strategic sales leadership for Marriot’s sales efforts in the region. David Townshend, Senior-Vice President, Global Sales, Marriot, said Dabbah will lead a team of 75 sales professionals to develop and implement business segment sales strategies…
Qatar Airways has increased the number of flights and upgraded aircraft to several important destinations in Asia. The Qatari flagship carrier has increased the number of flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from seven to eleven flights a week. The Indonesian tourist island of Bali will now be served every day from Singapore, up from four times a week. The airline has also started non-stop service to Jakarta,…
Emirates Airlines added an extra flight between its home base in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur to meet demand to and from Malaysia, and because of Emirates’ deep commitment to serving the Malaysian market. The extra flight brings to 21 the number of weekly non-stop flights to Kuala Lumpur. Richard Jewsbury, an executive with Emirates, said “Emirates has always been committed to Malaysia. This increase in flight…
