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Dubai’s low-cost airline flydubai has chalked up its seventh destination in Saudi Arabia with the start of its three-weekly flights to Taif in the Makkah Province.

Flydubai launched its Saudi operation in November 2010, and now serves key cities including Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu, Gassim, Abha and Dammam in addition to Taif with a total of 55 weekly flights across the country, said a statement from the Dubai airline.

The inaugural flight, FZ875, took from Dubai Terminal 2 at 7.25pm on Wednesday and landed at Taif Regional Airport at 9.30pm (local time). On return, the flight FZ876, departed at 10.30pm and arrived in Dubai at 2.20am on Thursday morning.

The one-way fares from Dubai to Taif start at Dh570 ($155) and fares from Taif to Dubai start at Dh600.

Commenting on the launch, flydubai’s CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: 'The UAE has boosted its commercial links with Saudi over the past year and the Kingdom is currently the UAE’s top non-oil trading partner.'

'By covering the country’s main commercial and leisure hubs, flydubai is supporting these relationships through offering regular travel between the two nations,' he added.

He pointed out that Taif was the Kingdom’s leading summer destination. 'Every year, the Saudi government relocates to the temperate climates from the heat in Riyadh,' he noted.

'Thanks to its location less than 100km from Makkah, it offers an alternative entry point for people performing Hajj and Umra,' said Al Ghaith.

'Located on the slopes of the Sarawat mountains, Taif’s lush landscape and mountainous terrain puts it in stark contrast to the summer dryness of its neighbouring cities.'

'It is renowned across the Kingdom and GCC for its gardens, as well as its agricultural produce, especially roses and grapes,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of the Seychelles, will run two weekly return flights from Mahé to Abu Dhabi from March 12.

This follows last week’s announcement that Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, would form a strategic partnership by taking a 40 per cent stake in the airline.

This launch complements Etihad Airways’ existing four weekly services from Abu Dhabi to Mahé.

Effectively, the new schedule will offer six direct services per week between Abu Dhabi and Mahé, increasing to seven per week from June.

These Air Seychelles flights will operate on a Boeing 767-300ER series aircraft, in a two-class configuration, offering a total of 844 seats each week.

The new flights are on sale from today, a statement said.

A key benefit to travellers of the new Air Seychelles non-stop Mahé-Abu Dhabi service is convenient flight arrival and departure times and connectivity from Mahé with Etihad Airways’ codeshare flights through Abu Dhabi to the Far East, Australia, the Indian Subcontinent and the Gulf region, it added.

Etihad Airways guests, particularly from key feeder markets of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom, will also benefit from the increased connectivity options in travel to Mahé and onward destinations across the Air Seychelles network, such as Mauritius and Johannesburg.

Cramer Ball, Air Seychelles chief executive officer, said: “The Seychelles have already proven to be a hugely popular holiday destination amongst Etihad Airways guests.  With these additional two Air Seychelles weekly flights, we look forward to successfully serving the route, tourism and business at each end and beyond.” – TradeArabia News Service

Global Village, one of the largest outdoor family entertainment venues in the region and member of Tecom Investments, has confirmed that it will continue receiving visitors till March 3.

The event witnessed unprecedented turnout from visitors of all nationalities and residents in the UAE, especially on the weekends and achieved a new record of 155 thousand visitors on Friday.

Global Village received praise from multi-international media who visited recently and singled out coverage on their websites.

This season, its entertainment schedule included over 4500 performances from around the world. 

Global Village increased Fun Fair’s space area this year by 30 per cent and added new games suited for everyone starting from four years of age.

The shows performed by various bands in 30 pavilions give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the different cultures of the world.

Since its inception in 1997, Global Village has become the key entertainment and shopping destination in the region. It includes rich diverse cultures and civilisations, and offers a diverse range of restaurants and shops from across the world. – TradeArabia News Service

Oman Air’s frequent flyer programme, Sindbad, has launched its second online raffle, a recently introduced online feature that allows its members to spend miles to participate in exclusive online raffle draws for a chance to win prizes.

The raffle draw is an additional redemption option for Sindbad members who can spend their miles on flight tickets and upgrade rewards, a statement from the airline company said.

Wayne Pearce, CEO, Oman Air, said: “We have associated with the exclusive Park Hyatt Zurich, a luxurious 5-star boutique Hotel with views overlooking picturesque Zurich. All Sindbad members can participate in this raffle by visiting the website and buying tickets online for 200 Sindbad Miles, and stand a chance to win two free tickets to Zurich on-board the airline’s award-winning business class seats and a three nights’ stay for two people at the exclusive Park Hyatt Zurich Hotel including breakfast, as well as a limousine transfer to and from the hotel sponsored by Sixt.”

Park Hyatt Zurich Hotel affords effortless access to the fashionable boutiques on Bahnhofstrasse, the scenic beauty of Lake Zurich and the captivating attractions in Altstadt (Old Town), Niederdorf, the Congress Hall and the stunning Opera House, the statement said.

“Sindbad’s Second Raffle follows a series of exciting announcements such as the launch of two major Partners: American Express and Muscat Duty Free, which are part of Sindbad ongoing drive to improve and reward Oman Air’s most loyal customers,” Pearce added. – TradeArabia News Service

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism hopes to see a recovery in tourist numbers to between 12 and 13 million this year, bringing in $11 billion, despite ongoing street violence and more than 70 deaths after a football match riot last week.

Last year’s popular uprising, which forced out President Hosni Mubarak, brought much of Egypt’s economy to a halt, slashed tourism revenue and prompted overseas warnings against visiting its Red Sea and Mediterranean holiday destinations.

“The future of tourism in Egypt will be great,” Samy Mahmoud, undersecretary of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and head of the International Tourism Sector, told Reuters in an interview in Dubai.

“By the end of 2012, we expect between 12 to 13 million tourists. The contribution to the economy will be around $11 billion.”

He said figures from last year were not yet available, but added that 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010, adding around $12.5 billion to the country’s economy.

Cairo, home to the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the 14th century Khan el-Khalili market, was rocked again on Sunday by protesters demanding a swift presidential election and an early handover of power by the army.

They hurled rocks at police guarding the Egyptian interior ministry and were forced back with volleys of tear gas.

“Seventy-five per cent of total tourist arrivals to Egypt are going to Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. These places are very safe. Only about 25 percent are coming to Cairo,” he said.

Mahmoud said he expected rising visitor numbers from Russia, Germany, Italy, the UK and the Gulf Arab region.

A senior assistant to the tourism minister said in December Egypt expected to earn about $9 billion from tourism in 2011, down by about a third on a year earlier.

With its pharaonic antiquities and year-round warm beaches, Egypt relies on tourism as its top foreign currency earner, source of over a tenth of gross domestic product. It provides  one in eight jobs in a country beset by high unemployment.

On Thursday, in Egypt’s worst ever soccer disaster, fans rioted after a match in Port Said when the local team al-Masry beat Al Ahli, one of the country’s most successful clubs. At least 74 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.

Asked about what the authorities could do to convince tourists that Egypt was safe, Mahmoud said: “By the end of June we will have a president and a strong government. This will boost tourism in Egypt.”

The military council, which took charge when former President Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising on Feb. 11, has promised to hand power to civilians by the end of June after an election.

The Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party secured almost half the seats in the first election since Mubarak’s ouster, is now under pressure to use its newly won parliamentary power to help restore order.

Asked whether he thought Egypt’s new government was doing enough to promote tourism, Mahmoud said: “Of course. We have good security and a good system. Tourism will be the future for the economy of Egypt.” – Reuters

Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, was yesterday (February 5) forced to cancel its flights to London's Heathrow Airport following severe weather conditions in the UK.

Flights GF003 and GF006 were cancelled, the airline said on its website.

'Gulf Air will be operating a larger aircraft to accommodate passengers booked to fly on the cancelled flights in the next operating flight,” the statement said.

The flights, which were to take off at 2am this morning, have been rescheduled to 9:30am, a Gulf Air representative told TradeArabia.

Other UK flights are maintaining their normal schedule, he added.

Meanwhile, Emirates, the leading international airline of the UAE, was forced to cancel two of its four flights from London Heathrow to Dubai yesterday.

However, the airline flew two of its Dubai-London Heathrow routes this morning, the airline website showed.

A British Airways flight took off from Bahrain to London Heathrow at 2am as scheduled, and the airline 'planned to operate as normal a schedule as possible' today, it said on its website.  – TradeArabia News Service

The Fifa World Cup will drive the number of tourist arrivals in Qatar per year to between 1.7 and 3.7 million by 2022, up from 900,000 currently, said a top official.

The World Cup would contribute 10 per cent growth to the value of the region’s hospitality and tourism sectors, added Secretary General of Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Hassan Al-Thawadi, speaking at Qatar Projects 2012, a major energy and infrastructure event, in Doha.

He said the event’s committee had studied the success models of previous global sporting events, specifically the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

Commenting on the Barcelona Olympics, Al-Thawadi said: “Between 1981 and 1987 for example, the number of tourist arrivals to Barcelona was fairly stagnant at around 700,000. Barcelona’s journey has been an extremely successful one with the city now boasting one of the highest occupancy rates in Europe with approximately seven million visitors each year.”

Al-Thawadi said the aim of the 2022 World Cup was to bring sustainable social and economic benefit to the Middle East region as a whole. In a reference to the unrest that has affected the region, Al-Thawadi pointed to the diversification of regional economies and job creations with considerable benefits for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Al-Thawadi drew parallels between the Middle East and Africa in terms of their shared passion for football and how the Qatar World Cup 2022 would bring the Middle East closer together.

Referring to the World Cup in South Africa, Al-Thawadi said: “This was very noticeable when Ghana was the only African team to qualify for the knock-out rounds. South Africans of all colours and creeds united with the entire African nation and gave their full backing to the Ghanaian team. The World Cup was Africa presenting a unified face to the world.”

Al-Thawadi was speaking on the first day of Qatar Projects 2012, which began with a dedicated Sports Business Forum focusing on strategies and opportunities for developing the Gulf region’s fast growing sports business sector.

Qatar Projects 2012 opened yesterday (February 5), and will run up to February 8 at Grand Hyatt Doha. – TradeArabia News Service

Rotana, a leading hotel management company in the region, has announced the joining of Vicky Varfis in the capacity of corporate vice president – Sales & Revenue.

Varfis joins Rotana from N Daskalantonakis Group Grecotel & Classical Hotels, and has gained considerable international experience in hotel related sales and revenue from her 25 years in the industry. This includes 20 years in various positions with the Marriot Hotel Group.

She will be working on developing the local, regional and international sales & revenue channels for Rotana, in keeping with the expansion plans which will see Rotana managing around 14,000 rooms across in the region by the end of 2012, a statement said.

Born in the Greece, Varfis studied Marketing Management and completed her BA degree from Deree, the American College in Athens. – TradeArabia News Service

Hyatt Hotels Corporation said it has entered into an agreement with Saudi-based Naseel Holding Company to manage three new Hyatt-branded hotels in the Kingdom.

A leading global hospitality company, Hyatt said these new hotels will mark the launch of the first Grand Hyatt  and the second Park Hyatt project in Saudi Arabia.

With the addition of these three new hotel agreements, there are six Hyatt-branded hotels under development in Saudi Arabia across five of Hyatt’s brands, said a statement from Hyatt.

Currently, there is one Hyatt-branded hotel in Saudi Arabia – Park Hyatt Jeddah – Marina, Club and Spa, which opened in 2009, it added.

“Saudi Arabia is an important market for Hyatt, having just increased our worldwide sales team to include on the ground support in the country,” remarked Peter Fulton, the managing director for Hyatt International – South West Asia.

“Expanding the number of Hyatt-branded hotels in the Kingdom will be a significant step towards our goal of being the preferred brand for global travellers, and we are pleased to be working with Naseel Holding Company to manage these outstanding new properties,” Fulton added.

“The addition of the Hyatt brand to our portfolio of hotels in the Kingdom is greatly welcomed and we are pleased to be part of Hyatt’s strong commitment to the Kingdom and hospitality sector,” said Majid Al Ibrahim, chairman of Naseel Holding Company.

'We are confident that the three new buildings are going to be a very valuable addition to the two great cities of Riyadh and Jeddah,” he noted.

“It has been a total pleasure to have the opportunity to work with both Naseel and Hyatt in these exciting projects,” said Jaber Albrahim, CEO of New York-based Interventure Capital Group, who served as an advisor to Naseel in negotiating the agreements.

'I am very confident that this is the start of a long-term rewarding relationship which will set the tone to always explore opportunities in this thriving market,' he added.

Park Hyatt Riyadh, currently slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2015, will be a stand-alone building located on King Fahd Road in the Olaya District in Riyadh, situated near the Kingdom Center and the Al Faisaliya Tower, said a statement from Hyatt.

The 275-room hotel, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), will have 50 suites, as well as three restaurants, a lounge, 1,450 sq m of meeting and event space, including a 1,000 square meter ballroom, and a spa and fitness center, it stated.

Hyatt Regency Jeddah, with 240-rooms, including 30 suites, will be located on Tahliyah Street in the center of Jeddah, close to Malek Road and North Corniche Road.

The hotel, which is expected to open in the second half of 2015, will feature three restaurants, a lobby lounge, and a Regency Club lounge, it added.-TradeArabia News Service

Jazeera Airways, a leading airline serving the Middle East out of Kuwait, carried 1.2 million passengers between Kuwait and 17 leisure and business destinations in the region during 2011.

The 2011 report showed that the airline operated at a high on-time performance of 95 per cent during the year, making it once again one of the most punctual airlines in the Middle East.

The report, based on data from Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), also showed that Jazeera Airways was the leading airline on the Alexandria, Luxor, Aleppo, Assiut, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Deir Ezzor and Damascus routes.

Jazeera Airways captured the largest market share on routes operated between Kuwait and five Egyptian cities, grabbing a 38 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Alexandria route, a 61 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Assiut route, an 83 per cent on the Kuwait-Luxor route, a 50 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh route, and 37 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Sohaj route.

The airline also claimed an 18 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Cairo route, which was launched in May.

Jazeera Airways also captured the largest market share to Syrian destinations served with a 47 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Damascus route, a 76 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Aleppo route, and a 90 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Deir Ezzor route.

The report also showed that the airline was also the leading Kuwaiti airline on routes between Kuwait and Beirut, Amman, Mashhad, Bahrain and Dubai.

Jazeera Airways grabbed a 33 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Amman route, a 35 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Beirut route, a 17 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Bahrain route, and a 16 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Dubai route. – TradeArabia News Service