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Associate Director for Tri Hospitality Consulting said smaller developers will continue to have difficulties funding hotel projects because banks are reluctant to lend for this asset class. John Podaris said “Life is hard for small developers. They will be looking to the private equity market – and the private equity market is particularly risk averse at this time.” He said liquidity will probably not filter…
The Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort welcomed three new members – a pair of Chilean flamingos and a white bellied bustard. The resort is home to 4,300 members of the animal kingdom. The Chilean flamingos were born to a first time mother in the park one month ago and are in good health. The birds grow to between 110 cm and 130 cm in height and their colors range from pale pink to dark pink, depending on their…
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments announced Haj pilgrims must furnish a health certificate showing they are free of the H1N1 virus in order to obtain an entry visa. The authority’s executive director said “We are joining hands with the Ministry of Health and other local health authorities to lay out the standard health form for the medical fitness certificate. Mohammed Obeid Al…
Emmar Middle East is showcasing its diverse development portfolio at premier hotels as part of Ramadan activities. Emmar Middle East is a premier property developer that focuses on lifestyle projects in Saudi Arabia. They are sponsoring Ramadan events at the Sheraton Dammam and Jeddah Hilton, and set up special booths showcasing three important projects – Emmar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah, Al Khobar…
Dubai Airports reported Monday they expect international passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum to grow 13.6 per cent in 2010 to reach 46 million, up from an expected 40.5 million by the end of 2009. CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffith attributes the increased traffic to “Improving economic conditions, state of the art infrastructure, strong expansion by Emirates…
The number of visitors from the Middle East increased 6 per cent to 53,575 during the first half of 2009 compared to the same period last year. There has been double digit growth in tourism arrivals in Singapore from the Middle East for three consecutive years. Singapore Tourism Board area director for the Middle East said the UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are the top visitor markets for Singapore from…
Emirates Airline announced they are constructing a new 7,000 square foot Emirates Lounge at the Birmingham Airport. They made the announcement during the 70th anniversary celebrations of the airport.
Emirates Palace Hotel ranked among the highest hotels in the world in the Business Hotels Survey 2009 by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine in the UK. The luxury hotel ranked 16 with a score of 81.46 and achieved the highest score of 87.5 for shopping facilities. The magazine asked readers to vote for the best of different travel and tourism sector categories including airlines, cruise lines, and…
The first budget airline in the region will benefit from the economic downturn as passengers seek less expensive flights The carrier just opened a third hub in Egypt, indicating a new phase of expansion from its Sharjah and Casablanca bases. Growth in its Sharjah hub is expected to slow and the carrier will try to springboard into the region using funds from its 2007 initial public offering, commercial…
Qatar Airways officials said they are expanding routes and increasing frequencies across all its destinations. Ali Al Rais, vice president of commercial for GCC said “We will be stepping up our frequencies to existing destinations” and that India is an important market. Two new India destinations will be added – Amristar on 11 October and Goa on 25 October. This will bring to ten the number of…
Safi Airways, the biggest privately owned airline in Afghanistan, will pursue expansion plans despite a turbulent political environment and unstable security situation in the country. Safi Airways is the only Afghanistan based airline certified the International Civil Aviation Organization, which means it meets required standards to land at international airports. New president and CEO for the airline said…
Jet Airways will resume flights from Jeddah and Riyadh on Monday following a five day long strike by its pilots. Jet Airways general manager said the airline’s pilots and management came to an agreement late Saturday. Management will rehire the two pilots who had been fired, their new union will be dissolved, and a special committee will be set up to investigate their grievances.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has announced new Haj rules aimed at reducing the threat of the H1N1 virus. The new rules are being established for pilgrims and their home countries according to a senior official at the Saudi embassy. These include submission of a certificate of H1N1 vaccination it is available before Haj, and a valid certificate of vaccination against seasonal influenza two weeks before…
Birmingham Airports 70th anniversary celebrations featured an Emirates’ Airbus A380 as its star attraction, highlighting dramatically the great progress air travel has made over the decades. Seventy years ago, Birmingham Airport’s first passengers took off in an 8 seat de Havilland Dragon Rapide aircraft. Seventy years later the Emirates Airbus A380 landed at the airport and many residents across the city were…
A spokesman for Austrian Airlines said their merger with Lufthansa will have “no immediate effect” on Middle East routes. Pia Stradiot said “The network will not change much, but there will possibly be some cuts. It is too early to tell at the moment.” The announcement of the merger came only five days ago, and Austrian Airlines will now assess its route table in the region. These consist of Dubai, Amman,…
Market research company Pro Leads data shows that hotel owners and operators across the Gulf will spend over $1.25 billion (Dh5 bn) on kitchens and laundries for new properties. UAE will spend about $427 million of this amount but as new projects are completed spending will decline to $390m in 2010. Proleads forecast that kitchen and laundry budgets in new hotels in other GCC countries will continue to…
Patrick Enz was appointed as new Group CEO for Rizon, the business aviation company based in the Middle East and UK. Mr. Enz has worked both in both the airline industry and business and executive aviation. Before starting his own business aviation consultancy, he was Vice President of Business Development at Jet Aviation Management AG in Zurich.
Sea and infrastructure projects worth over US $26 billion are being planned or in progress in the UAE which will help firm the country’s position as a global trade and logistics hub. According to a report from Standard Chartered Bank, expanding sea ports and airports is an important way the nation can achieve economic diversity. Senior MENA economist for Standard Charter said “We believe that the government…
