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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Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) said it is proceeding with plans to add 1,200 more hotel rooms to the hospitality sector. TDIC Senior Communication Manger for Abu Dhabi projects said the TDIC has cooperated with groups specializing in hotel management to add the rooms. Mahra Khalid Al Qassimi said the Qasar Al Sarab resort in the western region has been opened and all other…
Dubai tour operators have reduced their prices by as much as 40 percent in order to attract more tourists as there will be many new hotels opening in 2010. Lower costs and brand new hotels are expected to attract many more tourists from India and China next year. A spokesman for the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said “Last year the average room rate had reached $700 in Dubai.…
A new Mastercard survey showed that intra-regional travel has become more popular in the Middle East than destination further away due to the global economic downturn. Survey respondents were asked about their likely travel destinations in the next six months, and chose six intra-regional destinations out of a total of ten top destinations. Egypt and the UAE were the most popular choices for UAE respondents at…
Flydubai announced it is cutting fares 50 percent on all flights until December 15th, beginning on Tuesday. During this period passengers can book one way fares to and from Dubai at half price including all taxes and one piece of hand baggage. The company also reduced the price of flights transferring through Dubai by 20 percent during the sale. Bookings must be made by 11:59 pm on December 15th for travel…
Dusit International opened their first Dusit Princess hotel outside of Thailand in Dubai near Deira City Center, just five minutes away from Dubai International Airport. The opening coincides with more positive news about prospects for the tourism and hospitality industry in the Middle East. The UAE achieved top ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009 and the country’s long-term growth is…
The first aqua park in Qatar is getting ready to open in Doha, in April 2010. The park, which will be located on Salwa Road, will have a giant wave pool, lazy river, and a number of slides. The wave pool will create waves up to 1.5 meters high. The water park will have a phased in opening with the first 100,000 square feet set to open next year, and another 300,000 square feet currently under construction…
Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways will increase its flights to Kathmandu, Nepal from four times a week to every day, beginning in January 2010. Etihad began the Kathmandu flight service in December 2008, and it has proven to be quite popular, with high volumes of traffic going into the Middle East and Abu Dhabi, as well as transit traffic to onward destinations like Frankfurt, London, and Western Europe. A…
An online poll showed that most people believe Dubai should move away from expensive, luxury hotels and offer alternatives in order to continue increasing the number of tourists to the emirate. Over 60 percent of those who took the survey believe Dubai is receiving less visitors due to its image as an expensive city, and this is because travelers are cutting back on luxuries during the global economic…
An aircraft that will soon be able to carry tourists into space was unveiled today by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson. The price for this trip is a hefty one at $200,000 (Dh734,000). Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) can carry six passengers and two pilots and will begin commercial flights between 2011 and 2012. Virgin Galactic is owned by Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments and Sir Richard Branson’s…
The UAE and other global markets are eying the Chinese to boost tourism revenues, following a difficult recessionary year that saw cuts in travel expenditures. The US Commerce Department recently completed a study that estimated the average Chinese tourist spends about $7,200 (Dh26,445) per person, per trip, making them the biggest spenders around the world. Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing…
Saudi Arabia hoteliers reported better than expected occupancy rates rates during Haj season, despite worries that the swine flu would affect visitor numbers. Director of sales and marketing at Movenpick Hotel and Residence Hajar Tower Mecca said that, despite gloomy predictions, Haj was again a successful season for many hotel operators, “including ourselves, running at 100 percent occupancy.” Hassan…
While most employers believe that a good in person interview combined with an impressive CV are the most important factors effecting their decision to hire a candidate, Fairmont Hotels has developed its own testing process that is critical in determining whether they offer the candidate the job. The testing process assesses how well the candidate will fit into the hotel. The Fairmont Selection Interview was…
Aviation Lease & Finance Co., (Alafco) will probably not make any purchases next year because airlines are struggling to emerge from recession. The Kuwaiti company currently has 70 planes on order with Boeing Company and Airbus SAS. Chairman Ahmed Al Zabin said they will meet their target of delivering 18 aircraft to six customers this year but are planning to lease two less new planes in 2010. Al Zabin…
Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, the hotel giant based in Dubai, is planning to open a resort property on the Spanish island of Majorca in about a year. Jumeirah regional manager, Derek Picot, said “We have identified Europe as one of the key geographical growth areas for Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, and we are always looking at locations that are in key resort and gateway city locations.” Jumeirah will operate…
86 percent of airlines surveyed by Sabre Middle East believe customer loyalty and retention are the most important challenges in 2009. Sabre Middle East surveyed 90 airlines around the globe and found that while fuel cost, instability and revenue management will continue to be challenges over the next 18 months, customer loyalty and retention has emerged as new trends in the aviation industry. The survey…
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA) signed an accord to share and benefit from each country’s expertise regarding tourism. The accord was signed during a visit by BTA Director General Zhang Huiguang to the DTCM head office recently. Director Zhang headed a five member delegation on his first ever visit to Dubai where he and DTCM Director…
The Vdara Hotel & Spa at City Center had its grand opening on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 57 story hotel and condominium tower begins the phase in of the opening of the US8.5 billion (Dh31.22bn) 67 acre City Center hotel and casino resort, a joint venture between Dubai World and MGM. The City Center project is reportedly the biggest privately financed construction project in United States history. It…
Deputy CEO at Rwanda Development Board said he does not expect Dubai’s Istithmar World project to be affected by the parent company’s announcement (Dubai World) regarding its debt problems. Chantal Rugamba said “Regarding investments in Rwanda, we have not received any indication of change of strategy from the previous report,” Dubai World discontinued six of its eight planned tourism developments for Rwanda…
Investors in hotels and furnished apartments in Makkah say the ban on old, sick and infirm pilgrims has caused a SR1bn ($267mm) loss during Haj. Chairman of the Hotels and Tourism Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce said income was down 70 percent. Khaleel Bahadar said investors lost money both during Haj season and Ramadan because of swine flu fears. However, according to a Q4 study by Business…
Dubai based Emirates Airline said they will announce new routes to Amsterdam, Netherlands in the next few months, which is supported by ongoing aircraft deliveries. This is the airline’s 23rd destination and its fourth new route this year. The carrier launched Durban and Luanda in October, and recently announced Tokyo with a start date of March 28. The new daily, non-stop service from Dubai to Amsterdam will…
The UAE’s first ‘Kenya Week’ will kick off on Tuesday with a trade, investment, and tourism seminar day at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kenya’s ambassador to the UAE, Mohammed A. Gello, said the Kenyan government will host a “week-long schedule of activities to celebrate the finest that Kenya has to offer in terms of its trade, investment, and tourism opportunities here in the United Arab…
The UAE is trying to attract more tourists by engaging in strategic measures like offering value for money packages. The hospitality sector had a very successful five years but 2009 is proving to be difficult. There has been a slowdown in both the UAE and in its key source markets such as European countries, and especially in the United Kingdom. Another problem is that the UAE dirham is pegged to a strong…
A recent report released by Alpen Capital on the health care industry in the GCC said the health care sector has been growing quickly and there will be important changes in the quality of its infrastructure. Gulf News reader Faruk Bhagani, who grew up in Houston, said that while he was living in the US he met a lot of people, especially in the wealthier set, who traveled from the GCC and other parts of Asia for…
Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy opened a three day Haj symposium in Makkah on Saturday. He said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Saudi leadership want to provide first class services to pilgrims so they can safely perform the fifth pillar of Islam with ease. Al-Farsy said “The Kingdom, which Almighty Allah has honored by making the host of Islam’s two holiest shrines, is keen to provide pilgrims with the…
