Josh Corder travel tips

Saudi Arabia is truly leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit to become a tourism superpower. The kingdom’s latest move is to create the “Dan Company”, an organization under the sovereign wealth fund designed to promote and develop agritourism and eco-tourism.

Saudi Arabia’s Belgium-sized city of Neom has unveiled another giga-project. It’s called the Gulf of Aqaba and will contain many of the futuristic hotels the $500 billion project has announced in recent months.

State-owned Qatar Airways has partnered with barefoot luxury brand Habitas to open one of the most costly resorts in the country. The Habitas Ras Abrouq is slated to open next month with room rates starting at around $700 per night to stay in one of its 42 villas.

The most powerful decision-makers from across the region’s travel and tourism landscape will be attending the Skift Global Forum East over the course of three days. The event kicks off tonight (Tuesday, December 12), with an invite-only networking event at Atlantis The Royal’s panoramic Cloud 22 venue. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Diamond Ballroom of the Atlantis will set the stage for two days of thought-provoking panels and discussions with the greatest minds in the Middle East.

State-owned Qatar Airways has partnered with barefoot luxury brand Habitas to open one of the most costly resorts in the country. The Habitas Ras Abrouq is slated to open next month with room rates starting at around $700 per night to stay in one of its 42 villas.

Qatar Airways has launched twice-weekly flights to Neom, the $500 billion anchor of Saudi Arabia’s tourism push. The first of Neom’s destinations – Sindalalah – is expected to open partially next year. For now, these two flights are intended to connect Neom staff with their families outside of Saudi Arabia.

Dubai’s home-grown hotel group FIVE is looking at potentially expanding beyond the emirate into the world’s largest hospitality markets. This includes a potential resort in party haven Las Vegas and in the conservative Gulf kingdom Saudi Arabia.

The $1,500-a-night Vakkaru Maldives resort in the Baa Atoll will launch a sister resort in the UAE’s relatively quiet emirate of Fujairah. The project is called Naama Beach Villas and Spa, vying to become the most luxurious property in the emirate.

The Saudi Crown Prince has relaunched and “rebranded” his project outside of Riyadh called Qiddiya – a super-city purely focused on sports, leisure and entertainment. The new Qiddiya vision has been announced without a price tag, nor a firm opening date, but is described as a “cornerstone of Vision 2030” – Mohammed Bin Salman’s ambition to diversify his kingdom’s economy away from oil exports by the end of the decade.

The ultra-exclusive hotel operator Kerzner has said it plans as many as 15 more hotels as soon as five years from now. The Bahamas-born hotel group was created in 1993 and has focused on slow and steady growth over three decades with 15 One&Only resorts around the world, two Atlantis mega-resorts and a single “Rare Finds” property in the Dubai desert.

Will Smith is the latest celebrity to promote Saudi Arabia. Smith posted a video on Instagram Wednesday morning showing his recent visit to Neom, a $500 billion project Saudi Arabia is building and hoping to open by next year.

The Address resort is going ahead in Ras Al Khaimah. First announced in 2018, Dubai operators Emaar never gave the luxe property a firm opening date, until now. The property will open in 2028, one year after the Wynn resort on the same off-shore Al Marjan island of the emirate.

The master developer of Saudi Arabia’s super-luxury island tourism project, The Red Sea, is working on another giga-project that will house more affordable hotel options and tap into a market — millions of travelers strong. Red Sea Global (RSG) group CEO John Pagano confirmed the development to Skift, adding that it will open before 2030 and introduce thousands more hotel rooms to the kingdom’s burgeoning tourism sector.

The construction firm behind the MGM Cotai casino resort in Macau has been awarded the contract to build “The Island” in Dubai. First reported by MEED, the $1.2 billion contract is the most valuable construction deal in Dubai in the past six years.

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious mega-development Neom continues to announce small boutique hotels. With more than half a trillion dollars at its disposal, Neom could build the biggest hotels in the world, but, for now, is opting to unveil properties no more than 100 keys in size.

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund will acquire a 10% stake in Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe. Saudi is buying the share off of Ferrovial of Spain, while Paris-based Ardian will acquire 15 percent in a deal worth £2.37 billion ($3 billion) The deal is being made by the Public Investment Fund, known as PIF, which is chaired by the kingdom’s crown prince.

The UAE’s newly-formed gaming commission has hired its head of investigations: A recently retired U.S. lieutenant who had led the Gaming Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Ed Aylward confirmed Monday that he will join the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

The Middle East’s travel and tourism ambitions can seem unbelievable: 150 million visitors into the once-closed off Saudi Arabia, 40 million visitors to the UAE – big goals keep getting more ambitious. The Skift Global Forum East returns to Dubai from December 12 to 14 and we’ll be speaking to the most important travel executives from the region to better understand how it might all play out.

The Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai has appointed a managing director. The property’s long-time SVP and general manager, Tom Roelens, takes on the role, who has led the mega-resort since its pre-opening phase.

In anticipation of Skift Global Forum East, happening in Dubai December 12-14, I wanted to sit down with both our Middle East Report, Josh Corder, and Twenty31 Consulting (now Skift Advisory) Managing Director, Joe Naaman, to discuss a big picture view on growth and dynamics in the Middle East.

Toronto hotel brand Four Seasons is likely to announce its own resort and standalone villa project in United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) Ras Al Khaimah. The proposed super-luxury resort is currently going through its master planning stages and has already found a plot of land “very close” to the $3.9 billion Wynn integrated resort opening in 2027.