Tourism

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

Tourism surge, evolving preferences raise demand for short-term rentals in Dubai by 30 percent

Business Bay, Arjan, Jumeirah Village Circle, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah and DAMAC Hills are particularly popular for short-term stays

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

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

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport: Four world-class design and engineering firms to lead development

New master plan includes several terminals, six runways, and a multi-asset real estate area

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

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

Passenger traffic at UAE airports surges 14.2 percent to 71.75 million in H1 2024

National carriers transported 68 percent of the 2,162,786 tons of air cargo

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

Saudia leads world in on-time flights again

The airline achieved on-time arrival rate of 88.12 percent and on-time departure rate of 88.15 percent

How global aircraft chartering is revolutionizing corporate travel 

Companies spend about $111.7 billion on business travel every year 

GCC’s aviation sector soars as a key economic driver 

Robust infrastructure, strategic location vital to the growth of the industry and the region’s economy

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways records 10.4 million passengers during Jan-Jul 2024

The airline transported 1.7 million passengers in July 2024, achieving an 89 percent load factor

Etihad to launch three weekly A380 flights to Mumbai for 4 months starting September 1

By early 2025, Etihad Airways will have its sixth A380 in operation

Air Arabia reports $188.67 million net profit in H1 2024, continues network expansion and sustainability efforts

The airline achieved a turnover of $449.22 million, a 19 percent increase year-over-year

UAE’s diversified economy maintains robust growth in real estate, tourism, and manufacturing: OPEC

OPEC reported that the housing, utilities, and fuels sector rose to 6.7 percent YoY in June, up from 6.6 percent in May

Emirates to launch retrofitted Boeing 777s to Zurich, Riyadh starting October 1

So far, 25 aircraft have been retrofitted, with 17 more to undergo the upgrade by December 2024

Etihad Airways to fly Airbus A380 to Singapore, adds six new flights to Thailand

The airline's new Thailand schedule will include 21 flights to Bangkok and 20 to Phuket