GULF STATES
On Saadiyat Island, the Cultural District will be home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Oman attracted 103,000 Brits last
year – it’s 10th consecutive rise in UK visitor numbers (see Tourism Talk). “Oman offers discerning travellers a refreshing and very authentic alternative,” said Ted Wake, Director of Sales & Marketing at Kirker Holidays. “It is a wonderful destination for those who relish the opportunity to combine a comfortable stay in a stylish hotel with a visit to a destination that has preserved a wide range of its original Arabian culture.” Qatar may not be as popular as
a tourist destination, but like its neighbours, it is developing fast – and the eyes of the world will be on it in 2022 when it hosts the World Cup. Something to bear in mind (and the reason why many locals fl ee to Europe), is that the heat is almost unbearable in July and August, as Zoe Saunders, Product Manager at ITC Classics, explains: “During the summer a lot of hotels close outdoor dining restaurants as it can get too hot and uncomfortable to dine, so ask your operator who can let you know which restaurants will be open.”
What’s new Airlines/Airports: In Qatar the
fi rst phase of Doha’s new Hamad Airport has opened. On completion it will handle 29
million pax. Qantas has launched twice-daily fl ights from Heathrow to Australia via Dubai.
Accommodation: A 400-room Rotana Hotel will open in Salalah, Oman later this year. The $80 million fi ve-star Azaiba Hotel, opens in Muscat; and the 2,000-metre hilltop luxury project, the Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort, and the 110-room Khasab Hotel in Musandam will open towards the end of the year.
The Fairmont Hotel at the Wave opens in 2014.
Four Seasons, Banyan Tree Hotels and Hotel Missoni will all be included in Muscat’s Jebel Sifah project. Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels is a new collection of six fi ve-star hotels, recently opened in Qatar’s capital Doha. The hotels are within the Souq Waqif, the oldest area in Qatar and only traditional Souq in the Gulf. The 13-storey, 120-room Amari Doha, a contemporary luxury
In Dubai it’s worth taking a trip to the old part of town – Deira and Bastakia. Hopping on an Abra (water bus) with the locals for the five-minute trip across the Creek brings old Dubai to life.”
BRENDAN MAGUIRE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, IF ONLY…
Clockwise from top: Rotana is a major hotelier in the Gulf. Camel riding with Banyan Tree Al Wadi
DINNER AT THE MUSEUM BY TED WAKE “On my first visit to Dubai, I was surprised by a late-night invitation for a private, after dinner tour of Dubai Museum. “You could not wish for a better contrast to Dubai’s 21st century attractions. The museum celebrates the history and development of this fascinating Gulf state. “Dubai’s rise to become one of the world’s most developed tourism destinations, has been astonishing. I spent breakfast the next morning reviewing photographs of the evening’s activities – and was a little puzzled by the photo of me feeding a camel as I had no recollection of this; although the camel in the photo had once been alive – if you looked more closely, you could see that it was now a good example of what a brilliant taxidermist can achieve.”
30 June 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
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