Travel in Kuwait

If this morning’s reports from the BBC and other sources have it right, the ban on in-cabin laptops will not be extended to include additional flights from Europe to the U.S.

The head of Saudi Arabian tourism wants Taylor Swift to bring her tour to the Middle East. Of course he does; Swift’s Eras tour has a proven track record of boosting economies wherever it goes.

A Taylor Swift tour is on Saudi Arabia’s radar. That’s not saying much of course – Swift is on every destination’s radar. But Saudi says such a concert could be in the country’s future if the wider Arabia does more to promote itself as a unified destination.

Emirates is famed for its extravagant service onboard its current fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. It’s therefore little surprise that expectations are high for its incoming A350s – an aircraft that has been years in the making.

India’s TBO Tek will start lining up buyers for its IPO this week and shares should start trading on May 15. In all, it hopes to raise INR 15.5 billion ($180 million).

Saudi Arabia is projected to have 320,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 as the Kingdom ramps up efforts to accommodate an annual influx of 150mn tourists, both domestic and international, according to a report by global property consultancy Knight Frank. This massive expansion of the hospitality sector is central to achieving Saudi Arabia’s goal of increasing the travel and tourism industry’s contribution to the economy from nearly 6% to 10% by the end of this decade, the report stated.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to deliver 320,000 new hotel rooms – with a development cost of US$37.8 billion – by 2030 as part of its unprecedented investment in infrastructure, tourism transformation and real estate, according to industry data released ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, 29 April to 1 May.

United Airlines said it was canceling its service to Tel Aviv on Saturday, as reports came out that Iran was launching drones toward Israel.

For the first time ever, the profound and mystical journey of wild Pacific salmon will swim into IMAX and other giant-screen theaters around the world late next year. The new film in production from a team of seasoned large format veterans will be set in one of the Earth’s wildest, most pristine, and threatened places – the stunning mountainous river systems of the North Pacific. Wild salmon are some of the planet’s most valuable species, often approaching $1 billion in economic output annually in Alaska alone.

The Saudi Tourism Authority has said that the kingdom aims to make India its top source market. The country is seeking to bring in 7.5 million Indian visitors over the next seven years. 

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have signed a pact to promote cruises across all four destinations. The Cruise Arabia Alliance was forged at this week’s ITB Berlin travel trade show and is the latest development in trying to promote multi-country holidays in the Gulf.

The appointments of Yasser Ahmed and Nicolas Anghelopoulos mark a significant milestone in Action Hotels’ journey towards continued growth, innovation, and service excellence.

International tourism will rise by 15% in 2024 from last year, according to data shared by United Nations World Tourism Organization Friday. In fact, it will also exceed 2019 levels by 2%.

Doha: The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ is set to be a spectacular affair with the 51 matches to be played in nine state-of-the-art stadiums.

Passports could become a thing of the past for those arriving in the UK under new Home Office plans to create ‘frictionless travel’ at Britain’s borders. New hi-tech e-gates will be fitted at airports which will be so advanced they will allow arrivals into the country using only advanced facial recognition.

The upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council unified visa, which would ease crossing borders like in the Schengen Zone, is forecast to supercharge inter-regional travel in the Gulf states, according to Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism boss.

Pegasus Airlines launches thrice-weekly flights between Dortmund Airport (DTM) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW).

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The Al Humaidi Family of Kuwait, which is headed by Dr. Abdulla Al Humaidi, has launched (and is continuing to launch) a range of ambitious projects via Kuwaiti European Holdings Group.

The hotel is IHG’s fifth Vignette Collection signing in the MEA region, adding to the company’s growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the region

Gulf countries are forming a new “bloc” dedicated to furthering the region’s tourism sector. The much-anticipated ‘GCC zone’ unified visa should be announced by December to tie together the GCC states: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

As Future Hospitality Summit 2023 kicks off, Hilton has announced plans to increase its presence in the Middle East by more than 125% in the years ahead.