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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If you are planning your summer vacation, you should consider visiting Russia this year. Russia is steeped in rich history and old-world charm. The two ‘must see’ cities in Russia are Moscow, the capital, and Saint Petersburg, the showpiece city of culture and beauty. Both cities offer visitors a variety of Russian architecture including the iconic Red Square in Moscow with the St. Basil’s Cathedral which is a…
DUKES Dubai, the British five-star hotel and residences on Palm Jumeirah, has debuted its Duchess Floor, an exclusive area dedicated to female guests. The Duchess Floor features 20 exclusive rooms and is located on the third floor at DUKES Dubai. With private lift access, the floor features women’s only public spaces, as well as discreet and private access to rooms. The entire floor is adorned with Liberty…
The inaugural TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines named Emirates as the Best Airline in the World. Besides receiving the grand prize, the airline was the biggest winner with 4 other awards including Best Major Airline - Middle East & Africa, Best Economy Class, Best First Class and World’s Best Airlines - Top 10. This is the first year TripAdvisor has introduced a category for airlines in its…
Qatar Airways took home the top prize for its new Economy amenity kits at both the OnBoard Hospitality awards and at Pax International awards. Mr. Rossen Dimitrov, Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Customer Experience, said: “Winning two awards in one week for our recently launched Economy class amenity kits is a major achievement and takes us one step closer to our vision of becoming the world’s best airline.…
L’ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels will be marking its first foray to the Middle East when the Paris-based school of jewelry arts will set up a nomadic campus at Hai d3, in the Dubai Design District to shed light on the hidden worlds of jewelry and watchmaking, from the 7th to the 25th of November, 2017. As part of its Nomadic program, L’ÉCOLE will present a full set of classes led by professional jewelers, art…
Mleiha in Sharjah is an archeological treasure trove. It is home to the region’s earliest human settlers. Excavations at this site tell the story of man’s first inhabitation of the area 130,000 years ago. Among the most important archeological finds in Mleiha is the remnant of an ancient lake, which was formed by precipitation many thousands of years ago. Experts believe that the feature was created by the…
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has opened its second hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Holy City, the 1,624 room Swissôtel Al Maqam Makkah. The hotel overlooks the Masjid Al Haram and is conveniently located in the Abraj Al Bait complex, just steps away from the holy Ka’aba. Swissôtel Al Maqam Makkah's guest rooms and suites range from 32 to 84 square meters in size, with the majority providing unobstructed…
Air Arabia is starting flights to the Turkish Black Sea resort of Trabzon from June 23, 2017. The new seasonal non-stop service provides passengers the chance to discover Turkey’s historic port city, in addition to its already existing services to Istanbul. The flight will operate three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing Sharjah International Airport at 21:30, and arriving at Trabzon…
The Hilton Makkah Convention Hotel opened its doors on April 1 2017 to cater to the needs of pilgrims and also opened up a new option for the meetings and convention sector by offering the first and the largest conference center in the city with majestic views of the Grand Mosque. Instead of a beach holiday, now convention attendees can benefit from religious cleansing by being close to Islam’s holiest place.…
Le Chat-Botté’s recent relaunch in Hotel Beau-Rivage promises to offer a unique and memorable culinary moment for those headed to Geneva, the gourmet capital of Switzerland. With its complete renovation, guests are in for a feast that will delight the eyes and the heart, as well as the taste buds. Awarded one Michelin star and rated 18/20 in Gault & Millau, the restaurant is the work of the skillful chef…
Emirates today launched three A380 destinations from Dubai to Tokyo - Narita, Casablanca and Sao Paulo. With this triple deployment, Emirates will be the first airline to operate scheduled A380 services in Latin America as well as to North Africa. In addition, the Emirates A380 service to Sao Paulo marks the airline’s 10th year of operations in Brazil, which began with daily flights between Dubai and Sao Paulo in…
Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates airline, has been transporting some of the world’s best racehorses to Dubai for one of the most prestigious global racing events, the Dubai World Cup, which will take place on the 25th March at the Meydan racecourse. Champion thoroughbred horses have been arriving from all parts of the world into Dubai on Emirates SkyCargo freighters over the last few weeks.…
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States has issued directives on electronic devices in baggage on flights to the US from airports in Amman, Cairo, Kuwait City, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Riyadh and Jeddah. With the exception of medical devices, electronic devices larger than cell-phones/smartphones will not be allowed in cabin luggage. These restrictions apply…
Etihad Airways is introducing its award-winning A380 on the Abu Dhabi – Paris route this summer as part of seasonal adjustments to the airline’s fleet deployment plan. Featuring The Residence – the world’s first three-room suite on a commercial airliner – the aircraft will operate on one of its twice-daily services to the French capital between July 1 and October 28. Paris becomes the airline’s latest A380 long…
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization today opened an exhibition giving a rare glimpse into the lives of Muslims in China as documented by the world’s preeminent photographer of Muslim communities. The exhibition Moments in the Lives of Muslims in China – Through the Lens of Peter Sanders is a comprehensive photo essay of 50 large-scale images that reflects the vibrant and diverse lives of Muslims at work, at…
Emirates Airline debuted the new Real Madrid decal on its iconic Airbus 380. Making its first touchdown at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, the Emirates A380 has been emblazoned with the image of Real Madrid footballing giants. The plane’s eye-catching customized decal features some of the club's world-class players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Marcelo. Visible from both…
Emirates has now commenced daily passenger service between Newark and Dubai via Athens. Newark becomes Emirates’ 12th U.S. gateway, and is the second serving the greater Tri-State Area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Passengers embarking from Newark and Dubai will have the option to disembark in Athens or continue to their final destinations. “This new route will connect America’s largest metropolitan…
Emirates is adding Phnom Penh in Cambodia to its list of destination from July 1 2017. A daily service on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to the Cambodian capital will first stop in Yangon and then continue on to Phnom Penh. The launch of daily services from Dubai to Phnom Penh will coincide with the introduction of a direct, non-stop route between Dubai and Hanoi. From July 1, Emirates passengers traveling to Hanoi…
This summer, from June to September 2017, you can travel to three new destinations on flydubai: Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro. After the launch of flights to Bangkok, flydubai is continuing to diversify its network with the addition of popular summer destinations for passengers from Dubai and across the region. The decision to launch these seasonal routes is in direct response…
Turkish Airlines has added Seychelles to its global route map with the airline’s inaugural flight landing at Mahé International Airport. This service brings the total number of destinations the airline flies to in Africa to 42, as it keeps its status as the carrier that flies to more countries and international destinations than any other airline by serving its services to 114 countries across Europe, Russia,…
The UAE is made up of seven emirates; each with its own personality and charm. One such example is the emirate of Sharjah, it caters to people with different interests such as music, art, science and nature. Sara Al Madani, Board Member at Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry shares her top five hidden gems of Sharjah: Meliha Archaeological Centre (Meliha desert) Launched just a few months ago, the…
Emirates today resumed services between Dubai and Conakry in the Republic of Guinea. The four times weekly service via Dakar, reopens access for Guinean travelers to Emirates' route network of more than 150 destinations through the airline’s world-class Dubai hub. Traveling on today’s flight, EK 795, was Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa, and a contingent of Guinean…
Turkish Airlines is strengthening its presence in Africa by adding Zanzibar, the most prominent tourism destination of Tanzania, as its 3rd gateway in the country, with existing services to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro. Turkish Airlines will have a presence in 50 destinations in 31 African countries, making it one of the leading carriers to the continent. Beginning from 12th December, flights to and from…
Qatar Airways has announced an increase in services to Dammam and Riyadh, connecting travelers from Saudi Arabia to more than 150 worldwide destinations through Hamad International Airport in Doha. From 30th October 2016, Qatar Airways will add another eight flights a week to Riyadh and one more daily flight to Dammam, increasing its connectivity to the two major Saudi cities. Through its hub in Hamad…
