Dubai Airports CEO Suggests Current Hub Could Become Obsolete

As Chinese travel into the Middle East continues to increase, one of the country’s largest hotel operators sees an opportunity. While it’s not as commonly known in the West, H World is a giant in the hotel industry, with around 9,300 hotels and close to one million rooms across the world.

Skift reported recently that Saudi’s Vision 2030 is too expensive for tourists: If it eventually wants 70 million international visitors, it’s going to need more supply of hotels that don’t cost thousands of dollars a day. 

Following fruitful discussions with Senior Executives of Emirates Airline, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says plans are underway to include Jamaica as one of the hubs for the airline in the Caribbean. Emirates Airline, based in Dubai, is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines that connects its customers to a network of over 150 destinations.

What do American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, and Air France each have in common? They’ve all reported red-hot demand for premium cabins in recent months – and they’re not alone.

“Perception” was one of the key topics discussed by Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin during a roundtable discussion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) conference in Dubai.

Saudi Arabia’s spare-no-expense cruise brand Aroya is set to launch this December, promising cigar lounges, jacuzzis, 28 dining options, 20 venues for entertainment, a retail area, and wellness and spa facilities.

When it comes to the world's best airlines for business class, the same names and products have long dominated the conversation, especially when it comes lie-flat products on Middle Eastern routes. But these days, with new technology for a post-pandemic travel era coming to fruition and the elevated-class competition strong, travelers would do well to pay attention to newer business products that are emerging to compete with those major players—particularly on smaller routes, where the service is more focused and the airport less-crowded, no less.

Underscoring Emirates’ commitment to boost tourism inflows across its network, the airline has reaffirmed its strategic cooperation with Tourism Seychelles and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and has forged a new partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Emirates has pledged its renewed commitment with Tourism Seychelles, supporting the island’s efforts to promoting tourism and trade to the country. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial - West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles, in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.

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.

Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts is now just “Jumeirah” as the state-owned hospitality brand undergoes a rebrand. Jumeirah announced this on Tuesday at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Dubai’s biggest travel tradeshow.

New Saudi Arabian carrier Riyadh Air plans to sell package holidays alongside its flight tickets. The government-funded airline is part of Saudi’s attempt to become a global aviation hub, boosting its tourism sector in the process.

Are Saudi Arabia’s new tourism offerings too pricey? That’s the sentiment on the ground at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Riyadh this week.