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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For just Dh 500 you will soon be able to fly from Dubai to the eastern European city of Budapest. Hungary's low cost carrier Wizz Air is slated to start service next month to Dubai's brand new Al Maktoum Airport at Dubai World Central from. The airport has just received certification from the UAE avaition authority and passenger service will start from October 27 2013. While several low cost carriers such as…
Starting on Thursday, October 31 2013, Abu Dhabi will become the venue of a 4-day weekend international fiesta. While the roar of Formula 1 cars will be attracting motor sports aficionados from all over the world, the night sky over Yas Island will be echoing with the rhythm of the likes of Amr Diab and JayZ while families will be savouring the wide array of gastronomic delicacies in the slew of new gourmet…
British Airways have upgraded 18 of their 46 Boeing 777-200 aircraft fleet with more comfortable seating and latest entertainment systems. These aircraft frequently serve the GCC. Paolo De Renzis, Area Commercial Manager Middle East & Central Asia, said: “Our GCC customers are very important to us and we are pleased that they will be able to enjoy the very best travel experience British Airways has to offer.”…
A boutique hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia, has been designed with Instagram addicts in mind—according to Daily Mail. Called ‘1888 Hotel’, the five-story accommodation has a view at every level, and all elements have been thought through to be considered ‘Instagram-worthy’ before being used in the décor. Named after the year Kodak released its first box and roll camera, the hotel has free WiFi…
Mandarin Oriental has chosen mainland China’s Shenzhen, a popular shopping destination located just across the border from Hong Kong, as the site of its new hotel. Scheduled to open in about three years’ time in a 400-meter tower near downtown Shenzhen, the hotel will offer 190 rooms and suites. Among the facilities planned are a rooftop restaurant and bar and a 1,600 square meter spa offering traditional…
Fancy a plate of carbonara—but frozen? This novelty dessert looks just like a plate of spaghetti, but tastes nothing like it. Surprisingly, this sweet treat was invented in Germany all the way back in the 1960s. The Germans coined it “spaghettieis”, and it is still available in various ice cream shops in the central Europe country. The ‘noodles’ are made from vanilla ice cream, and strawberry…
At 22,600 square feet, the Royal Suite at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi is being billed as the largest hotel suite in the United Arab Emirates and comes with a private movie theater, game room, spa and sauna, and outdoor swimming pool. Unveiled last week, the suite spans 22,600 square feet or 2,099 square meters and takes up the top two floors of the resort’s west wing at a price tag of…
The increasing use of smart technology like phones and tablets in travel planning has spawned a new class who are much more likely to identify themselves as happy, fun, sociable and healthy than their non-digital counterparts. That’s according to a new report which surveyed more than 1,250 US households and their travel habits and coined a new name for the emerging class: the digital elite. Produced…
Iceland and Slovakia are among the fastest-growing tourist destinations in Europe for foreign tourists this year, according to the latest report out of the European Travel Commission. Iceland experienced an impressive 30% spike in foreign arrivals in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year. Slovakia saw a 20% increase in international visitors this spring. Overall, growth was…
Want to fly with a green conscience? Fly United Airlines, airberlin, Qantas or Air Canada. Because according to the 2013 Eco-Aviation Awards hosted by Air Transport World, these are the greenest airlines in the world, whether it be for building a fuel-efficient fleet, making concerted efforts to reduce fuel burn or exploring sustainable fuels. At the top of the heap is US carrier United Airlines,…
A new £1.35 million mosque has been built in Dundee, Scotland, under the patronage and generous contribution of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. The mosque is located adjacent to the Al Maktoum College of Higher Education which offers post graduate programs as well as diplomas in Islamic Finance and Economics, Arabic Language and a Study of Islam and…
John Travolta, who besides being a Hollywood celebrity is also a certified 747 and 707 pilot, will be flying in to Dubai aboard a Qantas A380 from London this week in his role as the brand ambasador of the Australian airline Qantas. This will be his first trip to the UAE. He said: “I’m really excited, I’ve been wanting to experience Dubai for many years now." Qantas entered into a codeshare agreement with…
Crystal Cruises has announced plans to convert 70 staterooms into hypoallergenic suites this fall and make them available to guests at no additional cost. It’s a seven-step transformation that will include everything from a floor-to-ceiling deep-clean that removes bio films, dirt and bacteria to a high ozone shock treatment to eliminate germs and odors. For prevention and maintenance, a…
Industry experts named the county of Yorkshire – the largest in England — the best destination on the continent at the World Travel Awards in Antalya, Turkey last week. While it’s been forever immortalized in English literature as a tertiary character in Emily Bronte’s 19th century classic “Wuthering Heights,” today the region has carved out a reputation as being a gastronomic destination with six…
Passengers traveling Etihad Airways will have a fleet of Mary Poppins at their disposal to calm irritable children — and irritated passengers. The UAE-based carrier announced the launch of their new Flying Nanny service this week, an in-flight nursery that will be staffed by flight attendant nannies trained out of Norland in England, a childcare nursing college that churns out real-life Mary Poppins —…
An eccentric Beijing resident has built a huge house among what looks like a pile of rocks dotted with trees on top of a 26-storey apartment block in the capital, reports said Monday. Neighbours have complained about China’s latest architectural oddity, which covers more than 1,000 square metres (10,000 sq ft), saying they fear it could cause the structure to collapse on top of them. The rocks, said…
Dubai-based airline Emirates has partnered with global search engine Google to launch the world’s first ‘Street View’ of the double decker A380, the world’s largest commercial jet aircraft. ‘Street View’ is a technology featured in Google apps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from positions along many streets in the world. “Users can explore online the Emirates A380′s luxurious first…
With more than 2 million Facebook check-ins, the Los Angeles Airport has emerged as the place people like to brag about passing through the most. In a sign that people are most inclined to broadcast their whereabouts when they’re about to jet off to another destination, the list was dominated by airports, most of which came from within the US. Other places people liked to crow about checking into…
Artist Billie Achilleos has crafted a giant sea turtle out of Louis Vuitton accessories for the brand’s store in Waikiki, Honolulu. Achilleos’s eight-piece exhibition in the store will be on display until August 31st.
The majority of travelers will never know the joys of a personal concierge service. After all, a person dedicated to responding to guests’ every need at all hours of the day and night, in addition to providing suggestions on where to wine and dine, is a rather high-end luxury. However, internet users now have access to what may be the next best thing. The Four Seasons, whose 91-hotel network includes the…
Go where not many have gone this Eid. The Greek island of Crete has a hotel fit for kings and princesses - the Palazzo Loupassi Boutique Hotel, Kolymbari Chania - is offering a special 50% discount for those who wish to visit this Leading Hotel of the World in October. The Prince Elias Presidential Suite is ideal for visitors with large families. This palatial suite has three bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining…
China has recently seen an exponential increase in towers of over 500 meters, all designed to house apartments, offices, shopping malls and luxury hotels. Standing at 632 meters (2073 feet), the Shanghai Tower, the main structure of which attained its highest point in early August, is now the tallest skyscraper in Asia. Set to be finished in 2015, a luxury hotel is scheduled to open in the tower that year.…
North Korea said Wednesday it saw a “bright future” for tourism and would offer more international and domestic flights and open up the sector to foreign investors. “Abundant in tourism resources, the (North) has a bright future to develop tourism,” Jo Song Gyu, director of the International Travel Company, told the state news agency. The country was making “big efforts” to develop tourism as one of…
