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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Etihad Airways announced several key appointments in Japan as it prepares for launch of new services to Tokyo in 2010. Masatsugu Nishiyori (Nick) has been named the airlines vice president – general manager in Japan and Juan Torres will be the commercial manager. Beginning in March 2010, Etihad will begin five flights a week service from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Tokyo, Japan. They also may start flights…
Dubai hotel staff are increasingly accepting jobs in Yas Island hotels in Abu Dhabi as the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix event approaches. Seven new hotels will be opening and Dubai hoteliers report many staff are leaving for pre openings at the new Yas Island hotels. HR director at the Mina Sehayi Beach Resort and Marina complex said “We’ve certainly lost people to Yas Island; while it’s an element of the…
Etihad Airways started weekly flight service to Chicago from its home base in Abu Dhabi on flight EY151 on 2 September 2009. The flight landed 14 hours later at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Etihad Airways is the national airline for the United Arab Emirates. Chicago is Etihad’s third destination in North America following Toronto and New York, bringing to 55 the total number of international…
Royal Caribbean International’s Brilliance of the Seas will arrive at her new home in Dubai in 138 days. This will be Royal Caribbean’s first ship based in the Middle East. Royal Caribbean is the biggest and most innovative cruise company in the world. Brilliance of the Seas will dock at its home port in Dubai on 18 January 2010 then will sail to Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. Business Tourism…
A new survey by Deloitte and STR Global shows that Middle East hoteliers have been ranked as the top performer for July, despite challenging times in the region. Revenue per available room (RevPar) increased .44 percent from June to July compared to a drop of 12.23 percent last year. The Middle East beat the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific with the highest RevPar of $126.90 for the year ending July 2009.…
Amadeus Syria said they achieved positive growth rate and have successfully increased their business with Syria travel agents over the past seven months. Amadeus is a technology provider to the travel and tourism industry. Amadeus Syria is a joint partnership between Amadeus and Syrian Arab Airlines. They began operations in Syria in January 2009 and achieved a 70% market share in June. General Manager for…
Watani volunteers and Sharjah scouts distributed Harees plates to residents of Bin Tunaij and Bin Ketb communities in Al Dhaid. Harees distribution is aims at reinforcing and highlighting UAE heritage and tradition of caring for the community during Ramadan. Harees is a traditional Khaleeji food. Federal National Council member Khalifa bin Hwaiden said “I thank Watani for its relentless efforts in…
A water leak at Dubai International Airport concourse 2 delayed some aircraft departures. The water leak occurred at 6:50 am and affected six remote gates. Airport officials apologized to affected passengers and a Dubai Airport official said the problem has been fixed. Senior Vice President for Airport Operations said “The situation is under control and we hope to restore operations as soon as possible.…
According to a new report by the hotel research firm Lodging Econometrics Dubai hotels are, on average the biggest in the world, overtaking Los Vegas. The average project size for hotels in Dubai is 417 rooms compared to 402 rooms in Las Vegas. Many of the Dubai projects were planned when the hotel industry was booming and there was a shortage of rooms. A Lodging Econometrics report spokesman said “They…
Gulf Air will begin flights to Najif, Iraq four times a week beginning on 26 September 2009. This will become a daily service from 26 October 2009. Gulf Air is Bahrain’s national carrier. They will begin flight service to Erbil, Iraq three times a week on 26 October and this also will become a daily service. Gulf Air will operate the Najif service on an A320 aircraft Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and…
Haj authorities in Egypt have decided to cut the number of Haj pilgrims by 40 per cent this year to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. About 80,000 Egyptian pilgrims come for Haj each year. Chairman of the National Haj Committee in Saudi Arabia said the Egyptian Higher committee for Haj “decided to cut the number of Haj pilgrims to be sent from that country by 40 per cent in view of the increasing reports of…
Abu Dhabi will tourism staff customer service in the capital after a Government study showed the need for specialist training. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority commissioned the four month study, which involved sending undercover people into hotels and tourist attractions to assess how staff managed customers. They also conducted interviews for their staff. The study showed that many staff need to improve…
Jet Airways began daily flights between Sharjah and Kochi on Tuesday. Flight 9W-562 landed at Sharjah International Airport from Kochi carrying 134 passengers. Director general of the Sharjah Airport Authority said “A carrier of such prestige and repute as Jet provides a new dimension and alternative to the subcontinent bound traveler.” Dr. Ganem Al Hajiri said Sharjah is an important industrial and tourism…
Travel companies expect the Eid Al Fitr break to increase travel business 5 per cent compared to last year. Al Rais Travel senior manager said “We are getting a lot of enquiries for the weekend before Eid as people are looking to take short breaks.” Waseem Rahmeny said they expect outbound business to pick up between 2 per cent and 5 per cent compared to last year although conservative forecasts say business…
Qatar Airways announced it will add to its Switzerland operations with an extra flight on the Doha-Zurich route beginning on 25 October 2009. CEO of Qatar Airways said the new service is part of their expansion plan for their global network. Akbar Al Baker said Swiss holiday makers will like the addition of a new Saturday departure from Zurich, as their leisure destinations include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi…
Budget carrier Nasair will begin flight service from Jeddah to Sanaa’s Yemen from 2 September 2009, out of King AbdulAziz International Airport. National Air Services (NAS) CEO said “Sana’s is one of the main potential destinations that was included within Nasair’s strategic network plan for 2009.” NAS is the parent company of Nasair. Three flights per week will operate on the Jeddah-Sana’s-Jeddah route and a…
Wataniya Airways has postponed launch of daily Jeddah flights in Saudi Arabia at the end of October end. The new service is intended to meet the expected high demand for seats to Jeddah as the Haj season begins at the end of November. The airline will add more flights to Bahrain, Dubai, and Damascus, and improve timing for Sharm El Sheikh flights. Wataniya’s fourth aircraft is arriving at the end of…
Intercontinental Dubai Festival City sale and marketing director Christian Pertl said after many months of uncertainty, conference tourism and executive travel is increasing again. The hotel complex consists of the five star Intercontinental Hotel, Crown Plaza and Intercontinental Residence Suites, and has 1,026 rooms occupying 4,000 square meters of space. They had only modest sales the last few months that…
Emirates Airline will resume its A380 Dubai-New York service in the first half of 2010 if demand continues to increase. Due to declining demand the carrier discontinued this daily route in early June and moved the A380 service to Dubai-Toronto, Dubai –Bangkok instead.
Dubai Metro will be closed at midnight for maintenance, but a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said timings may change based on passenger feedback, which has been mixed. Some complain that the malls close late and mall officials say there will be sufficient free parking available. During Ramadan the metro will be closed from 12 am midnight to 6 am and 11 pm to 6 am between Saturday and Thursday,…
Dubai’s low cost carrier flydubai has expanded its Africa operations, adding a second Africa destination on Tuesday - flight FZ601 touched down at Dijbouti Ambouli International Airport. CEO of flydubai Ghaith Al Ghaith said second tier cities are underserved by carriers flying out of Dubai. He said there is not enough traffic for bigger airlines but “there is a significant amount of traffic from these markets…
Emirates Airline CEO said the rise in global stock markets and returning consumer confidence indicates global air travel demand may increase by mid 2010. Tim Clark, who has been president of Emirates Airline since 2003, said if there is no evidence of a deepening recession or another stock market crash, consumer spending will probably pick up next year. He said “On the basis of what we see looking ahead, I…
Thousands of new hotel rooms will open in Dubai over the next few months, giving travelers more options but putting more pressure on the hotel industry. These new rooms were planned when the Dubai hospitality industry was booming and a room shortage caused room rates to go up. The economic downturn has since caused revenues and rates to drop sharply as demand declined and hotels compete for guests. The…
Prince Naif urged countries that send Umrah and Haj pilgrims to adopt precautionary measures against the disease and to provde required vaccinations to meet recommended health conditions. The Prince presided over a meeting held by the Supreme Haj Committee on Sunday to review precautionary measures needed to prevent an outbreak of swine flu. Prince Naif, who is Second Deputy Prime Minister of Interior, said…
