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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A senior executive with Emirates Hotels said they are moving cautiously forward with their expansion plans. Senior Vice President of resorts and projects at Emirates Hotels and Resorts explained a lot of brands make the mistake of setting a target of a certain number of properties, then, “What invariably happens is if you start saying you’re going to have 50 properties..then slowly you erode against the brand…
Emirates Airlines announced it will start thrice weekly flight service between Dubai and Luanda, Angola, from October 25, 2009. Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations, said “Africa is such an exciting continent for us and such an important part of the world in terms of world trade.” This is the airlines second new destination in Africa this year, and its 18th destination in Africa in total.…
A new report by Business Monitor International (BMI) predicts the number of tourists visiting the UAE in 2009 will decline by 3 per cent due to the ongoing economic problems in the US and Europe, which are key markets. The number of visitors to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Northern Emirates increased 10 per cent in 2008 compared to 2007. BMI’s UAE Tourism Report Q3, published this month, said “Our forecast of…
Director General of Business Development and Properties at Domestic Airports, Ala Samman, said the first phase of the huge expansion project at Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah will be finished in 2014. Samman said that after reviewing best offers, the contract for implementing the project will be awarded to the winning company in October 2010. After the project is finished, the…
‘Airport City’ projects were launched in major airports in the Kingdom by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) which is increasingly moving towards private sector partnerships. GACA President Abdullah Rehaimi spoke about the projects at the Kingdom Aviation Financiers Symposium organized by GACA at the Jeddah Hilton on Monday. The symposium was organized in conjunction with Boeing. Rehaimi said…
The ‘Woman Investors and Tourism Opportunities’ forum opened at the Abha Palace Hotel on Tuesday. The forum is held by the Abha Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is the Chambers second women’s forum. More than 60 participants from across the Kingdom participated. Issues discussed included Saudi tourism, investment in the tourism sector, vocational training, and cultural protection. Reem Al-Farian,…
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said the growing cruise industry will boost tourism relations between Singapore and the UAE. Both countries are building terminals to meet an expected increase in demand. Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said their new cruise terminal will be ready for business in January 2010. The terminal can hold four ships at once and is expected to increase the number…
Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport increased 19.5 per cent in September compared to the same period last year. This is the highest monthly growth rate since October 2007, when passenger traffic increased 25.9 per cent, and the fourth consecutive month of double digit passenger growth. Dubai International handled 3,190,408 passengers in September 2009, bringing the year to date passenger…
ProChile, the Chilean Trade Commission launched a ‘Chilean Week’ in Dubai from October 18-24, to mark the opening of its first diplomatic mission in the UAE and GCC. The Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariano Fernandez Amunategui, opened the country’s embassy in Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening. Investment opportunities, export capabilities, and culinary and cultural diversity will be showcased at different…
Sri Lankan government officials say the number of visitors from the Middle East has surged 41 per cent, with August alone seeing a 104 per cent surge. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism is aiming to increase the tourism sectors contribution to GDP to 10 per cent. The tourism sector generated $400 million in revenue in 2008, only 2 to 3 per cent of the country’s GDP. A target of 2.5 million tourists to Sri…
The Mirbat Beach project in Dhofar is scheduled for a soft opening on December 15 of this year. The RO1 billion project was developed by the Dhofar Tourism Company SAOG in Mirbat in Dhofar. Chief executive officer of the company, Sultanate of Oman, Osama Miriam, spoke about the project at a signing ceremony with Marriot International. He said the five star, 234 room Marriot Resort in Mirbat “is an important…
A senior official for Aldar Hotels and Hospitality said Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi will be full on F1 race weekend. The hotel straddles the F1 racing circuit in Abu Dhabi. Other hotels there are also full with very long waiting lists. Paul Bell, managing director for the hotel, said “We are full in the hotel over the race weekend; there are no rooms available in the hotel.” Mr. Bell said Aldar Developments had…
Low cost carrier flydubai announced Tuesday they will begin daily flights to Khartoum, Sudan, on November 8th. CEO of flydubai. Ghaith Al Ghaith, said he believes this new service will meet the demand of another under serviced route. Khartoum is 1,600 miles from Dubai and will be the longest route on flydubai’s network. Ghaith said Sudan is a country with great potential for economic development and…
Marriot International signed a contract yesterday with Dhafar Tourism Company to manage the 234 room Salalah Beach Marriot Resort in Oman. The resort will open in December and be located about 75 kilometers from Salalah. It will be part of a mixed use beachfront development. The resorts dining options will include an all day restaurant, seafood outlet, English pub, and Arabic café. There will be a lounge and a…
The Geneva based Swiss company, Swiss Hospitality Holding, SA, has launched their first hotel in the Middle East. Dr. Christian Rey, President of the company, said they plan to have 20 Alps Hotels in the GCC in the next five years. Their first Alps Hotel is located in Ras Al Khamai, and is franchised to UniEstate, a master franchise in the Middle East and North Africa which covers 23 countries. The next two UAE…
The Abu Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) launched a $300 million Hospitality Development Fund (HDF), which will invest mainly in projects in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. ADIH said in a statement the minimum projected IRR for the fund is 20 per cent. Middle East Gulf Finance Bank and Ithmar bank are among the fund advisors for HDF. Managing Director of ADIH said “HDF will cater mainly to investors…
The Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) company is moving forward with aggressive expansion plans, mainly throughout the Muslim world, and plans to have 100 properties under development within the next three years. Michel Noblet, chief executive of the alcohol free chain, said they want to export the development beyond the UAE, and are targeting Asia and Africa as well. The hotelier’s brands include Coral…
Etihad Airways announced Sunday they will resume flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka in January 2010. The move follows the recent end to the civil conflict in Sri Lanka and is expected to give the tourism sector and wider economy a boost. The carrier will use an Airbus A320 aircraft to fly four times a week from Abu Dhabi, to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s biggest city and commercial capital. Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive…
The famous Hollywood Biltmore brand will be launched in the Middle East by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. The company plans to open a Biltmore property in every city. The landmark Biltmore hotel was built in 1923 and many celebrities and presidents have been guests there on a regular basis. It has appeared in numerous movies including Bugsy, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Chinatown, and Ghostbusters. Ali…
A report by the Saudi Center for Information and Tourism Data said that attended 10.3 million people attended 13 festivals this summer in the Kingdom. The report said that 3.9 million of the visitors were tourists and most of the visitors were families. Visitors spent more than SR1.2 billion at festivals held in Jeddah, Riyadh, the Eastern Province, Taif, Hail, Baha, Najran, Madinah, Onaiza, Buraidah, Al-Jouf,…
The Arab Air Carriers Organization Conference concluded in Jeddah on Sunday, and the main buzzwords for the event were formation of alliances and mergers. The impact of the global economic crisis, and how to deal with it, were discussed at the conference. Abdul Wahab Tofaha, Secretary General of the conference explained that after a difficult six year period the air transport industry began a prosperous period…
Malaysian Airlines is marking 30 years of operations with low fares to five destinations and special travel packages and value deals from the UAE and the Middle East. Malaysian Airlines 5 star deals offer low fare packages from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur for Dh1,945, Manila/Cebu for Dh1,805, Indonesia for Dh2,083, and Australia and New Zealand for Dh4,025. The travel packages are for trips between October and…
Abu Dhabi’s new 203 room Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi will be able to charge Dh1,750 (US$476) per room during the Formula 1 Grand Prix event. The hotel’s General Manager, Sid Sattanathan, said this will make the room one of the chain’s most expensive in the world. The Dh1,750 rate is much higher than the rate charged by other luxury hotels in Dubai, and the maximum allowed for a four star hotel under Abu Dhabi…
STR Global’s September Construction Pipeline Reports says that more than 120,000 rooms are in the construction pipeline for the Middle East and Africa region. The report said that 442 hotels comprising 120,589 rooms are in the development stage. UAE reported 57,126 rooms in the total active pipeline stage, more than any other country in the MENA region. Saudi Arabia accounts for 10,986 rooms in the active…
