NEWS / REGIONAL
UAE IN NUMBERS 24.6 MILLION
The number of passengers passing through Dubai
International Airport in the first half of 2011
8,000 The number of people expected to visit Abu Dhabi
to attend the World Ophthal- mology Congress (WOC) in February 2012
1,000,000
The number of hotel guests visiting Abu Dhabi in the first half of 2011
IN BRIEF... HOTEL NEWS
STARWOOD’S KSA EXPANSION
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has revealed plans to open two new hotels Medina adding more than 450 rooms to the holy city’s room stock.
Owned by Saudi Brothers Commercial co., the Sheraton Medina Hotel and Four Points by Sheraton Medina are both scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2012.
MARRIOTT EXPANDS IN IRAQ
Marriott International has signed agreements with Empire Iraq to manage a 200-room, upscale Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel and a 75-unit deluxe Marriott Executive Apartments property in Erbil, Iraq. Both are planned to open simultaneously in 2014.
Erbil is served by several Middle East carriers including Etihad, Turkish, Royal Jordanian and flydubai.
A SAADIYAT ISLAND FIRST
Abu Dhabi’s exclusive Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat, will open on September 1, making it the first property to become fully operational on Saadiyat Beach - the tourism hotspot of the island. The club features four F&B outlets, an intimate boat-styled venue and the Library Lounge, a quiet and homely members-only retreat.
NEW HILTON IN EGYPT
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has opened its first resort in Egypt's Marsa Alam region. Hilton Marsa Alam Nubian Resort, a 370-room resort overlooking the Red Sea, is the 17th Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Egypt.
The resort is part of an integrated mixed-use development, which includes an entertainment village, a congress centre and a residential town.
8 /
Ireland waives visas for GCC nationals
A new visa waiver deal has been signed between the GCC and Ireland to make it easier for GCC nationals to travel to the country. Under programme terms,
GCC nationals who visit the UK can now travel to Ireland from the UK without the need to obtain a visa prior to travel. Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E.
Niall Holohan, said: "This initia- tive which improves the ease of access of visitors to Ireland travelling via the UK will encourage even greater num- bers of visitors to travel to the country from the Gulf region." For more information on the Short-stay Visa Waiver Programme visit
www.discoverireland.com/ae/
JAL with Rezidor
The Rezidor Hotel Group has assumed control of JAL Hotel properties in the Middle East incorporating the 471-room Radisson Royal Hotel, Dubai and the 257-room Radisson Blu Resort, Fujairah. “The Radisson Royal Hotel,
Dubai will be one of our flag- ships in the Middle East. It enjoys a prime location with outstanding visibility, an award- winning design, and world class service standards,” said Rezidor president & CEO Kurt Ritter. The Radisson Royal Hotel,
Dubai combines form and func- tion with some of the most unique meeting space in the
city. An exclusive 600 square metre state-of-the-art modu- lar space is available alongside seven boardrooms, all equipped with the latest audio-visual facili- ties, views of the city and free access to high-speed internet. The Radisson Blu Resort,
Fujairah also has a distinctive setting and location on the East Coast of the UAE, providing the ideal location for off-site com- pany meetings and events. The hotel features two multi-purpose halls which can cater for 10-80 people. Or, for an event with a difference, outdoor venues including pool and beachside can cater for up to 600 people.
The Radisson Royal Hotel, Dubai
IN BRIEF... AIRLINE NEWS
MORE A380 ROUTES FOR EK
Emirates Airline has appointed its super jumbo – the A380 – to serve two additional routes – Dubai-Kuala Lumpur and Dubai-Rome.
The airline flies 21 non-stop flights a week to the Malaysian capital and seven of these will now be operated by the A380. Rome is currently served twice daily by Emirates. This will be replaced by one A380 service.
SALALAH FLIGHT BOOST
Oman Air has added frequencies to its Muscat-Salalah route. The airline now operates up to seven daily flights between the two cities.
KOLKATA FOR QATAR AIRWAYS
Qatar Airways has launched daily non-stop services from Doha to Kolkata (Calcutta). The carrier now operates 95 flights weekly across 12 destinations in India.
BA UPS RIYADH COUNT
British Airways plans to increase its flight frequencies from Riyadh to London Heathrow from five times a week to six, using a Boeing 777. The aircraft will offer a choice of four cabins First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. The additional flights will be added to the airline’s winter schedule, which starts at the end of October.
DÜSSELDORF IN DECEMBER
Etihad Airways will fly to Düsseldorf in Germany from December 16 marking the airline's 71st destination. The service will initially run four times weekly, increasing to daily in mid-April 2012. The route will be served by an Airbus A330- 300 in a three-class configuration.
TURKISH IN TURIN
Turkish Airlines added its seventh Italian destination, Turin, on August 2.
The airline flies three times weekly to the city, on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. On September 12, the carrier will launch a three-times- weekly Istanbul to Dammam service.
SHARJAH SHUTTLE
Jet Airways will start a daily service from Sharjah to Thiruvananthapuram on October 30. The airline already operates a daily flight from Sharjah to Kochi.
NAIROBI FOR GULF AIR
Gulf Air has launched services to Nairobi – its eighth new destination in 2011.
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