Airline, airport, hotel, destination, visa, and Muslim travel updates from Irhal.
The 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.
Read full storyAbu 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.
Read full storyMalaysia 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…
Two hotels, three ways to stay, and one summer campaign inviting guests to choose their own scene across Paramount Hotel Midtown and Paramount Hotel Dubai
Sharjah Museums Offer an Integrated Summer Experience Blending Culture, Science, and Discovery for All Community Members
New 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.
Read full storyThe Red Sea destination is introducing new summer experiences for families and children, from stargazing and coral reef discovery to marine learning, sports activities and heritage crafts.
Read full storyChief Projects Officer at Shurooq, Khawla Al Hashimi, shares rare insights behind the icon commemorating Sharjah’s global recognition as a beacon of knowledge
Read full storyEscape to Sharjah Collection This Summer and Enjoy 30% Off
Read full storyShowing 4,537–4,560 of 5,397
Wimborne, Britain councilors are supporting a campaign for the town to be twinned with a town in Oman. The Dorset’s town council approved the proposal and hopes it will boost Wimbornes profile and increase tourism and business links between the two towns. Wimborne is currently twinned with two towns – Valognes, France and Ochsenfurt, Germany. A council official said “Culturally, we’re very similar so we’d…
The flagship company of the Oberoi Group, India’s EIH Limited, announced they plan to build three hotels in Abu Dhabi and Oman. Chairman of the company PRS Oberoi said they will consolidate, grow and continue to make steady progress. Oberoi said construction of a 252 room Oberoi hotel in Business Bay, Dubai is on track and the property is scheduled to open in 2011. The Oberoi group will manage the property…
General Manager of the 1539 room Palm Dubai, Atlantis Hotel resigned. Amadeo Zarzosa gave no reasons for leaving but it is believed he left for personal reasons. During an interview on 9 August 2009 he said he planned to keep expanding the Palm Dubai. Kerzner International proposed to add an upgraded all suite product to the site. Zarsoza was very proud of the properties success and passionate about the…
44.5% of travelers who took part in a recent poll said price is the most important consideration when booking a flight. Those taking the poll agreed with flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith that there will be big growth in the regions budget airlines over the next few years. Al Ghaith believes as more people choose savings over luxury when flying, the low cost market will increase 10%. He believes the low cost model…
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry department told Emirates traveling through the Kingdom to other GCC states to carry their passports. The foreign ministry previously suspended the use of ID cards as travel documents for travelling Emirates or Saudis. Director of the Consulate at the UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement - “In the wake of Saudi Arabia’s decision to suspend the use of ID cards to…
Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport has become very crowded with the many pilgrims who arrive from different part of the world to perform Umrah. One source estimates that on the first day of Ramadan more than 4,000 passengers arrived. There were ten Saudi Arabian Airlines flights between 9 pm and 12 midnight. An unprecedented crowd of people created long ques at the immigration counters and squatting…
International Air Charter (IAC) expects a 50% increase in demand for its chartered flight services to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan this year compared to 2008. IAC is an independent private charter jet broker. People have become more aware of the flexibility and practical value of using chartered jet services. IAC bases its positive forecast on the Kingdom’s consistent strong performance in the tourism sector.…
Air Arabia will launch services to Madinah in Saudi Arabia from its main hub in Sharjah from 1 September 2009. The new service is part of the airlines strategy to strengthen its network in the Kingdom. Madinah is its fourth destination in Saudi Arabia and 58th worldwide. Round trip flights to Madinah will depart on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Sharjah at 8:25 am, arriving in Madinah at 9:50 am. The return trip…
Etihad Airways winter 2009-10 schedule offers travelers more flights and better connections including new service to India and Hyderabad and more services to Athens, Beirut, Kathmandu, Cairo, and Istanbul. The new winter service, which starts on 25 October, will be about 15% larger than last year, with 950 flights operating each week. The Hyderabad service begins on November 2009, and along with Chicago and…
H1N1 concerns have caused many booking cancellations with Umrah and Haj travel agents as Muslims postpone or cancel their pilgrimage plans. A Sadaf Haj Umrah official said “Authorized agents are worried about the massive cancellations and business will be down considerably.” The official expects business to fall by 30% because of the swine flu. Muslims around the world visit Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia…
UAE airports are now reporting the best traffic figures since the economic downturn began last year, indicating the global economy may be recovering. Abu Dhabi International Airport passenger traffic increased 10.3% last month, Dubai Aiports increased 12.6%. The strong passenger growth figures follow encouraging news about the US economy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) attributed the…
The cruise line industry has been sailing through the recession while other sectors of the international travel industry have been greatly impacted. Bookings have increased and operators will introduce 36 new ships around the world by 2012, costing about $22 billion. Cruise Lines International Association will launch 14 new ships worth $4.8 billion this year, increasing their total capacity by 5%. The Dubai…
Dubai hotels are trying to attract more visitors from neighboring emirates to boost occupancy by extending summer and weekend packages through Ramadan. Naseem Darkazally with Rotana Dubai explained “Rotana normally has two different campaigns for summer and Ramadan. The advantage for us this year is that Ramadan falls during the summer, so the aggressive campaign will cover most of Ramadan.” Darkazally is the…
New data released by STR Global shows Middle East hotels are the least affected by the economic downturn, although RevPar (revenue per available room) dropped 17.5% for the year ending 30 June 2009. Deloitte said RevPar in June was $132 across the Middle East and average room and occupancy rates also fell due to the global economic crisis. Beirut hotels had the strongest RevPar growth in the world in H1,…
Passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport increased 10.3% to 923,124 in July 2009 – strong growth despite the economic downturn. 837,129 passengers passed through the airport during the same month last year. Five destinations accounted for 21.7% of all passenger traffic. London was the busiest with 50,900 passengers, followed by Bangkok with 40,465, Doha with 37,361, Cairo at 36,108, and Bahrain…
Virgin Galactic, the space travel company founded by Sir Richard Branson, is struggling to find an investor. Credit Suisse says Branson’s “greenfield” project faces big challenges in finding an investor given the current economic climate and uncertainty about the project. Credit Suisse is the investment advisor that to Virgin Galactic for its $280 million dollar with Aabar Investments in Abu Dhabi last…
Etihad Airways announced they will start a codeshare agreement with American Airlines this week, just prior to launch of their new services to Chicago on 2 September. The Chicago service will operate three times a week and increase to six times per week on 1 November, then daily in from 1 January 2010. The codeshare agreement provides easy connections between Abu Dhabi and American cities including Houston,…
More than 110,000 Egyptians will not be allowed to make the Umrah pilgrimage because of new age restrictions put in place by Egyptian authorities. Egyptian Tourism Chamber Deputy Chairman Naser Turk said the decision to ban people younger than age 25 from travelling to Umrah denied more than 110,000 Egyptians from making the pilgrimage. He said these applicants had already filled out their forms and received…
Figures released on Wednesday by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing show the number of visitors to Dubai rose 4% in the second quarter of the year – compared to the same period last year. Promotional activity, government funded advertizing campaign, and reduced hotel rates helped push the number of visitors to 1,857,724 during April, May, and June. Director of UK and Ireland for DTCM said…
Dubai International Airport recorded a 12.6% increase in passenger numbers in July, the highest monthly growth rate since May 2008 (13.8%). Passenger traffic increased 10.3% in June so this is the second consecutive month of double digit increases. In July 2009 3,768,965 passengers transited through Dubai International Airport compared to 3,347,655 during the same period last year. Year to date passenger…
Algeria announced on Monday it is cutting taxes on tourism projects to entice business investors it can be a popular new holiday destination after emerging from years of violence. The country currently attracts only a trickle of foreign tourists even though it has thousands of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline and is only a short flight from Europe. Algeria has a shortage of high quality hotels, resorts…
Rak Dream Tours, a new tourism project spread over 40,000 acres on the Al Qawasim Corniche in Ras Al Khamaih, opened to the public on Friday night. Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi – Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khamah, inaugurated the new project. Rak Dream Tours has a beautiful view of the Rak Creek and mountains and mangroves beyond. It has two restaurants in historic buildings shaped like fort…
The Europe to Gulf rail line progresses as pieces of track come together to form a network linking the Gulf to the North Atlantic. However, organizational problems in Saudi Arabia may delay the project for a long while. Saudi Arabia is central to the revival of the railways and the government is moving forward with three huge rail plans costing US$25 billion. The Saudi Landbridge project, which will link…
Gulf Tourists to the Swiss city of Geneva have been targeted amid a growing surge in crime. Geneva has an international reputation for tranquility. A 38 year old man was assaulted on 16 July outside Geneva nightclub, and criticisms over lack of security have provoked controversy and underscored surging street crime. Geneva is known as a playground for wealthy Middle East tourists and the city is…
