Hospitality & Tourism

Qatar cultural events in September: New attractions, events, performances and concerts

Qatar recorded 2.6 million visitors, with a notable 43 percent coming from GCC countries during the first six months of 2024

Travel industry set to add record $11 trillion to global GDP in 2024

The industry's contribution to global GDP is expected to rise by 12.1 percent year-over-year

UAE’s Air Arabia to launch five weekly non-stop flights to Warsaw starting December 20, 2024

This addition makes Warsaw the second city in Poland to be served by Air Arabia, following Krakow

Sharjah Airport welcomes first flights of Saudi Arabia’s flynas, boosting international connectivity in the UAE

flynas will operate seven weekly flights from Jeddah and two from Madinah to Sharjah Airport, using Boeing 737s

Emirates doubles partnership connectivity, expands to 1,700 cities beyond its network

Airline delivers additional travel choices alongside 31 codeshare, 118 interline, and 13 rail and helicopter services partners

Red Sea Global launches Saudi Arabia’s second water aerodrome at Shebara resort

Last year, Red Sea Global secured the first operating license for a water aerodrome in Saudi Arabia at Ummahat Island

Sunset Hospitality Group acquires majority stake in Maximal Concepts

Transaction includes popular brand Mott 32, adds 19 restaurants in 13 countries to SHG portfolio

Passenger traffic at Oman’s airports rises 9.2 percent to 8.5 million in July

Number of passengers traveling through Oman's Muscat International Airport reached 7,571,148 by the end of July 2024

Saudi Arabia’s flynas expands UAE network with 8 new routes starting September 1

Expansion makes flynas the only Saudi airline serving the major four airports in the UAE with more than 20 daily flights

2.7 million tax free tags issued in UAE’s digital VAT refund system for tourists in H1 2024

UAE's digital VAT refund system processed 19.67 million transactions during this period

Nakheel awards $220.54 million contract for marine works at Palm Jebel Ali to Jan De Nul Dredging

Jan De Nul Dredging is expected complete the entire scope of marine works at Palm Jebel Ali in just over two years

UAE carriers boost global reach to 606 destinations, targeting 140 million passengers

This represents a 3.4 percent increase from the 586 destinations served at the end of 2023

Top 10 cities captivating social media audiences worldwide, led by Dubai

Dubai has amassed 30 million-plus TikTok videos and 123 million Instagram posts

Egypt targets over 15 million tourist arrivals in 2024, earnings to exceed $14 billion

The number of tourist arrivals to Egypt during the first half of 2024 reached a record high of 7.069 million

Visa-free travel to Sri Lanka: UAE, Saudi Arabia, and 33 other countries granted access

Saudi Arabia ranked third as a potential market for Sri Lankan tourism in June 2024

Dubai’s DXB to serve 3.43 million passengers between August 21 and September 2

The airport forecasts September 1 to be the peak day, accommodating 291,000 passengers

UAE travel: Abu Dhabi Airports welcomes 3 new IndiGo routes to India

The expansion boosts Abu Dhabi-India connectivity, bringing the total number of IndiGo-operated routes to 13

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport sets new record high in July with 4.73 million passengers

The airport set a previous record for the busiest month in January 2024, when it served 4.5 million passengers

Abu Dhabi’s hotel revenue soars to $865.79 million in first five months of 2024, welcoming 2.4 million guests

By the end of May, Abu Dhabi boasted 169 hotel establishments, offering a total of 34,079 rooms

Qatar Airways acquires 25 percent stake in Airlink, expanding African reach

Qatar Airways will expand its reach to 45 destinations across 15 African countries

Dubai welcomes over 691,000 health tourists, generating $280.42 million in spending

The emirate's indirect revenue from health tourism reached AED2.3 billion in 2023

Riyadh Air partners with CONCACAF to connect football fans worldwide

This partnership will boost brand awareness among a large, passionate audience, setting the stage for the 2025 launch