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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Qatar Airways is considering adding Tokyo to its network of international destinations. Officials said a new runway at Narita International Airport is scheduled to be completed next year. Qatar currently flies daily to Osaka and recently signed an agreement with Japan to expand their air services.
Sharjah based Emirates Investment Group (EIG) is planning to expand in Pakistan. EIG is part owner of Emirates Global Islamic Bank in Pakistan. Vice Chairman Raza Jafa said they want to more than double their current 42 branches in Pakistan. Jafa said they want to have 100 branches by 2010 and their focus is on expanding into rural areas so they can help people there finance their agricultural projects. The…
Occupancy rates are surging in hotels and furnished apartments in the central area of Haram Mosque in Makkah, and the Mosque of the Profit Mohammad in Madinah. The occupancy rates are nearly 95% which is similar to the rates seen during the peak Umrah season in the holy months of Ramadan or Haj days. The sudden increase in occupancy rates is attributed to the short mid year academic school vacation which…
Middle East airlines passenger growth increased a combined 4.7 per cent in March according to a report by the Geneva based International Air Transport Association (IATA). The IATA reported that globally, passenger demand fell 11.1 per cent in March compared to the same period last year. Airlines reduced their seating capacity by 4.4 per cent. Average worldwide load factors for March were 72.1 per cent, 5.4…
The three day Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) that starts in Dubai on Saturday will focus on financing trends for hotel projects and developments in the Middle East. Jonathon Worsley, the conference organizer said the abundance of local funding has been instrumental in the surge of hotel development over the past few years. Worsley said continued liquidity in order to finance investment is essential…
Emirates Airlines tourist branch, Emirates Holidays, officially launches its 2009 destinations brochure on Friday. Previously there were separate brochures for different destinations. Emirates Holidays has created a new brochure with similar destinations and more elements of these destinations. Emirates Holidays senior vice president John Felix said the current economic environment is more favorable to the…
Australian immigration reports the number of visitors from the Middle East has jumped 21% to nearly 63,000 in 2008. The report follows a significant increase in the number of flights from the region. Tourism Australia distribution manager attributed the rise to a “stunning increase in capacity”, which makes Australia easier to get to. Emirates Airlines has 63 weekly direct flights from Dubai to Melbourne…
The Foreign Ministry is considering opening centers to issue visas in parts of the country that send many pilgrims for Haj and Umrah. Director General of the ministry’s office, Muhammad bin Ahmed Tayeb, said the goal of the new centers would be to reduce crowding at Saudi embassies and consulates. Tayeb said the ministry is also considering expanding its visa service abroad, noting that it is their policy…
Executive Vice Chairman of Emirates Groups, Maurice Flanagan said here has been a slight increase in the number of bookings prior to the Australian-Pakistan Series, and he expects more bookings as the cricket matches take place at the new Dubai Sports City venue. International cricket matches have been hosted in the UAE for years including the 200 One Day Matches in Sharjah and 17 international matches in…
International hotel chains are using social networking sites, blogs, and twitter to market themselves as a cheaper alternative to traditional more expensive methods. Managing Director of Premier Inn, Darroch Crawford, said the use of hotel blogs is growing and so are the number of hotel bookings. Mr. Crawford said more than 50 per cent of hotel bookings are automated and in the GCC the number is 15 per cent…
Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority said yesterday Sharjah and Greece are exploring ways for the two countries to co-operate in the tourism and hospitality sectors and new investment opportunities. Shiekh Sultan bin Al Qassimi visited Athens on Tuesday for the launch of Air Arabia’s non-stop service to Athens. He said such visits allow them to explore areas of bi-lateral…
His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, ruler of Fujairah, declared Wadi Wurayah Fujairah (WWF) a protected mountain. It is the UAE’s first protected mountain. The Emirates Wildlife Society and the Fujairah Municipality worked together with the support of the HSBC Bank Middle East ltd to assess the importance of WWF and establish it as a protected area. WWF occupies 129 square kilometers in the…
Chief Operating Officer for Al Jabber Engineering and Contracting said yesterday they won a Dh3.4 billion contract to build Concourse 3 at Dubai International Airport. Fatima Obaid Al Jaber said they signed the contract on Monday and the execution period is 2 ½ years. Concourse 3 is scheduled to open in 2011, boosting the airports passenger capacity from the initially planned 70 million per year to 80 million…
The Abu Dhabi Department of Transportation (DoT) will send out a tender for the 340km tram system with the next few months. Then, in August, a consultant will be chosen for the 130 km metro in the capital city. The emirate is preparing for a projected five fold increase in daily trips by 2030 with this multi billion dollar transport upgrade. A transport planning consultant for the DoT said at the moment they…
Hospitality and property consultancy firm Viability reports the Middle East has record number of upcoming hotel projects planned, despite the global economic downturn. Viability released its annual GCC future hotel survey showing 325 projects equating to 92,036 rooms are in the pipeline. However the survey showed that 42 projects, equating to 10,000 more rooms, are on hold with no timetable for…
Jeddah is bustling with vacationers during the weeklong school vacation. Visitors and tourists in large numbers are coming to enjoy Jeddah’s urban attractions, beaches and malls. One hotelier said hotels, rest houses, and apartments are full of guests. The owner of beach cabins in Obhur said housing unit prices have increased more than 20% compared to the usual price. Malls are working especially hard to…
Gerry Robinson of the Amusement Industry Council of Europe said the leisure industry has a shortage of qualified local staff. Speaking at the Dubai Entertainment, Amusement, and Leisure (DEAL) exhibition on Sunday, Robinson said most of the personnel currently working in the leisure industry came from outside the region, and stay an average of four or five years. Robinson said “We want to find an educational…
More than 100 travel and tourism brands from across the Middle East will be recognized at the World Travel Awards being held in Dubai on 5 May 2009. The event was established more than 16 years ago and recognizes best practices of the hospitality industry. Winners are determined by a vote by agents and travel professional from around the globe. Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing acting…
Air Traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport increased 7.9% in March compared to the same month last year according to a report by Abu Dhabi International Airports Company Saturday. The number of passengers using the airport last month averaged 24, 833 per day and aircraft movements also increased by 4.5%. London was for the first time the airports busiest destination, followed by Doha, Bangkok, and…
Concourse 3 at Dubai International Airport will be finished by 2011. A top official said the new airport will help boost the airlines passenger capacity from the originally planned 70 million to 80 million. The world’s largest airport is in Atlanta and has a passenger capacity of 80 million. CEO of Dubai Airports company said that phase one of the Dubai International and Dubai World Central Al-Maktoum…
The national carrier of the Republic of Chad in Africa began operations at Dubai International Airport on 23 April. Toumai Chad will fly every Thursday from N’djamena to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and then to Dubai at Terminal 2. Another new airline, China’s Hainan Airlines, is scheduled to begin services at Dubai International Airport on 25 May. Also, Jet Airway began new routes to Chennai and added another daily…
Travel Group launched its new Aqua Park in Aqua Coraya in Madinat Coraya, Marsa Alam in March 2009. Madinat Coraya is located about 5 kilometers from the Marsa Alam International Airport, nearly 65 kilometers from Marsa Alam City, and about 250 kilometers from Hurghada. It is famous among divers and fishing enthusiasts. Aqua Park slides include the Free Fall and Kamikaze Turbo which provide electrifying…
Thirteen foreign tourists were injured in Luxor, Egypt when their hot air balloon crashed, according to medical and security officials. Security officials said none of the injuries are life threatening, although one French woman sustained a broken back. Five of the injured were transported to Cairo for further treatment. Eight of the injured tourists are French, two are English, one is Danish, one is Canadian,…
A top official reported that Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) is ready to increase its equity four times to Dh22.5 billion within 5 years. CEO Richard Riley said the company recently made management changes and is now in the process of restructuring in order to grow its hotel portfolio and other business. During their recent annual general meeting, ADNH approved the restructuring, appointed a third party to…
