Being one of the 12 destinations which offer visa on arrival for expats from UAE, Azerbaijan tourism has taken one step further to include in their specialized itinerary an authentic and historical location known as Sheki located at about four and a half hour drive from Baku, this city charms its visitors with its Silk Road ambiance with caravanserais and hammams, delicious cuisine, natural surroundings and warm hospitality. Palace of Sheki Khans together with its historic centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Built in the shade of hundreds-year old plane trees, this 18th-century palace was the summer residence of Sheki khans – the-then rulers. One of the most distinctive features of this architectural pearl is its interior decorated with floral frescoes and shebeke windows made by filling wooden lattices with tiny glass pieces without using any nails and allow a ray of lights to come through in a magical manner. Another must-visit spot is the Karvansaray hotel established within a 18th-century caravanserai where you can feel the ancient Silk Road vibe while having the best of local sweets and enjoying the much famous tea culture in Azerbaijan. Speaking of sweets, you will notice that there are many sweet shops in the streets of Sheki. Quite famous for having a sweet tooth, locals here are masters in preparing some of the best sweets such as bamiya and halva. Bamiya are fingers of dough draped in syrup while Sheki’s signature halva is a type of pakhlava made of very thin dough layers packed with ground nuts, syrup, saffron and spices. Especially the latter reminds of a true work of art, and you can take it home as a great souvenir …

Qatar Airways ramps up all-inclusive FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ travel packages for fans to secure their place in world football’s biggest event. The additional packages include match tickets, flights and accommodation throughout the course of the tournament, allowing passionate football fans to book their seats and follow their favourite team during the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East. The airline originally launched these packages in September 2021 to cater to millions of anticipating fans, and now with less than 130 days to go until the mega event, a worldwide demand for match tickets has risen and these travel packages provide fans guaranteed tickets to experience matches in person. In a few easy steps, they can purchase match tickets, flights, and accommodation through a single dedicated platform by visiting: qatarairways.com/FIFA2022. If they are not yet members, fans need to ensure they join the Qatar Airways Privilege Club by visiting qatarairways.com/PrivilegeClub in advance, after which they will then be able to access the fan travel packages portal and select their options, which come with booking flexibility and seat reservations for their preferred games. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is proud to be the Official Airline of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and bring the world’s most prestigious sporting event to the Middle East for the first time. We anticipate unprecedented demand throughout the tournament, and as part of our agreement with FIFA, fans from around the globe can rely on us to enjoy this once in-a-lifetime journey from start to finish. The fan travel packages will guarantee passengers a remarkable bucket-list trip and seamless travel experience.” The tournament will be …

A little over a month since it inaugurated its first flight, Emirates has announced plans to boost connectivity and increase travel options for customers flying between Dubai and Tel Aviv with a second daily flight, starting 30 October 2022.  The additional morning frequency is in response to high demand for travel to/from Israel, and builds on the success of Emirates’ existing operation, as the airline reaffirms its commitment to growing its presence in the country. The second daily flight will be served by the modern and efficient Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class configuration. The new schedule will operate as follows: EK 933 departs Dubai at 0815hrs arriving in Tel Aviv at 0950hrs. EK 934 leaves Tel Aviv at 1150hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1650hrs*. The second flight provides Emirates customers from Israel with additional travel options to Dubai, as well as convenient onwards connections to popular destinations. The new flight also unlocks enhanced connectivity to a multitude of points within Emirates’ global network such as Auckland, Brisbane, Perth, Bali, Seoul, and Singapore, as well as points across India, among others, making it easier for Israeli travellers to discover new places with shorter transit times. The service will also provide customers traveling to Israel with more flexibility when planning their trip with the choice of a morning arrival at Ben Gurion airport, in addition to the existing EK931 service which arrives in the evening. Customers can also take advantage of Emirates’ partnership with flydubai when planning their travel, which includes a robust schedule of multiple daily codeshare flights. Travellers flying with Emirates can enjoy the best experience in the sky, with thoughtful product touches and exceptional service provided by …

As demand grows during the summer holiday season, Oman Air has increased the weekly number of flights from its Muscat hub, offering 10 flights to Bangkok, 7 flights to Kuala Lumpur, 5 flights to Manila, and 4 flights to Jakarta, providing more options to discover an array of cities and experiences across Southeast Asia. The additional flights offer greater convenience and connectivity for Oman Air guests to discover more than 40 other exciting destinations in Southeast Asia and Australia. Oman Air is optimizing its network through increased cooperation with alliance partners to link passengers to more locations as quickly and as seamlessly as possible. This will result in increased travel connections and an expanded network of destinations. Oman Air currently has four partner airlines in Southeast Asia, allowing guests to fly to 44 destinations across Southeast Asia and Australia from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. In total, Oman Air has entered into strategic codeshare agreements with 18 different partner airlines. These agreements enable Oman Air to market 229 different sectors, which, when combined with the 45 sectors that the airline itself operates, brings the total number of sectors it serves to 274. Oman Air is renowned for its exceptional award-wining products and services, both in the air and on the ground, and for the signature Omani hospitality accessible to guests on every flight. The airline offers wide-body service, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A330, between Muscat and destinations in Southeast Asia. Guests departing Oman should ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, in addition the updated flight times and schedule which are provided at omanair.com

The first and biggest world-class shopping destination in Thailand, bringing together all-encompassing shopping, dining, attractions, and entertainment options, it is a one-stop location for all a tourist could need in the Thai capital. Siam Paragon is an ultimate lifestyle destination in Thailand. With Thailand re-opening its doors to the world in recent months, it is better now than ever to plan a trip to this majestic Asian nation. Located in the heart of Bangkok, this unrivalled shopping mall is a must visit locale in the Land of Smiles. The mall features extensive shopping options including the world’s most luxury fashion outlets, top quality food vendors, amazing attractions, and convenient accommodation choices in Siam Kempinski. Offering many services for UAE residents including prayers rooms, free WIFI throughout the whole mall, and a superb tourist card that gives guests incredible discount in several outlets, it really has it all for tourists to Thailand’s capital. The mall has gathered stores, places of entertainment, tourist check-ins, as well as world-class restaurants into one location, delivering unique experiences. Siam Paragon also includes the lavish Dii Aesthetics, the biggest aquarium on the Southeast Asian mainland in SEALIFE Bangkok, a range of local and international culinary options from popular street food to Michelin Star quality, and a whole host of high-quality shopping choices.   Siam Paragon has recently been recognised for its brilliance as a luxury lifestyle destination by receiving some highly coveted awards. The superb mall was the recipients of multiple awards within the last year including “Best Luxury Mall 2022”, “TripAdvisor’s Traveler Choice 2022” and “Best SHA award” from the Thai government for their efforts during the pandemic, which really shows how it embodies the …

Etihad Airways announced the extension of its flights between Abu Dhabi and Zanzibar to 14 January 2023. The service will continue to be operated at the current schedule of three times weekly until 26 November, when a fourth weekly flight will be introduced for the end of year holidays. The flights will be operated on modern Airbus A320 aircraft, providing travellers with a range of travel options to the popular Indian Ocean archipelago throughout the week. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo, said: “Zanzibar is an incredible destination and Etihad looks forward to welcoming more travellers on their way to experience the natural splendour of its islands. “Our seasonal Zanzibar flights have proven extremely popular with guests from the UAE and across Europe, especially Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy, and Etihad is on track the pass the 10,000-passenger milestone over the next few weeks.” Etihad’s seasonal Zanzibar service this year was launched on 17 June and initially scheduled to operate until 18 September before being extended throughout 2022.

In order to change business as usual, the city’s design will be completely digitized, and the construction industrialized to a large degree by significantly advancing construction technologies and manufacturing processes. The announcement of THE LINE’s designs is a continuation of NEOM’s progress in the development of its flagship projects such as OXAGON, its reimagined manufacturing and innovation city; and TROJENA, its global mountain tourism destination that will offer the Arabian Gulf’s first outdoor skiing; as well as the launch of two of NEOM’s subsidiaries: ENOWA, its energy, water and hydrogen company; and the NEOM Tech & Digital Company. His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors, announced the designs of THE LINE, a civilizational revolution that puts humans first, providing an unprecedented urban living experience while preserving the surrounding nature. In January last year, His Royal Highness launched the initial idea and vision of the city that redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future should look like. The designs of THE LINE embody how urban communities will be in the future in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions. It will run on 100% renewable energy and prioritize people’s health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure as in traditional cities. It puts nature ahead of development and will contribute to preserving 95% of NEOM’s land. The announcement reveals the most important characteristics of THE LINE, which is only 200 meters wide, 170 kilometers long and 500 meters above sea level. THE LINE will eventually accommodate 9 million residents and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometers, which is unheard of when compared to …

The UAE’s flagship racecourse, Meydan, will commence its 2022/2023 season on Friday, 4 November with the first of 21 fixtures, the Dubai Racing Cub announced. This season will see an increase of visitors from across the globe. The events at Meydan Racecourse will culminate in the 2023 edition of the $30.5million Dubai World Cup meeting, one of the world’s biggest horse racing tournaments, set to be held on Saturday, 25 March. Commenting on the announcement, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, thanked His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority for the support he has extended to Dubai Racing Cub’s initiatives. “We are delighted to announce an enhanced programme for the 2022/23 racing season in Meydan,” said Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook. “We thank HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed and the ERA team for their support, which has enabled us to enrich the fixture list and create a dynamic new programme that offers greater opportunities for international horses to compete here during the Carnival. “We are also grateful for the support of our local horsemen and women, as well as our loyal racegoers, and look forward to welcoming them back to our iconic Meydan Racecourse for the first of our ‘Racing In Dubai’ meetings on 4 November.” “Dubai continues to introduce initiatives to boost the sector and revitalise the global community of horse owners, trainers and other equestrian professionals. With its deeply-rooted traditions in horse riding, racing, breeding and various equestrian activities, Dubai also continues to be focal point for the global equestrian fraternity,” he added. The build-up to …

With new flight services operating from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Munich to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, the destination strengthens direct connectivity with a major source market. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) announces a new strategic airline partnership connecting the Emirate with major cities in Germany, including Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Munich. Starting from 1 November 2022, Corendon Airlines will operate seven direct weekly flights to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, effectively meeting strong demand from Germany. Marking the latest in a series of strategic airline partnerships forged by the Tourism Authority, the new flights cement an important tourism market, delivering a significant weekly increase in visitors to an Emirate popular for its outstanding natural and cultural attributes, global hotel brands, as well as its unrivalled adventure tourism offering and year-round sunshine. The announcement strengthens the Tourism Authority’s ongoing strategy to enhance accessibility and accelerate connectivity by working closely with leading tour operators. Within a five-hour flying time, Germany is already a top five tourism source market for Ras Al Khaimah; the launch of new direct flights to the Emirate is expected to have a significant impact on tourism in the destination. “We’ve seen first-hand the impact of direct connectivity as one of the main drivers of tourism, especially in a post-pandemic period.  We also know that tourists who arrive directly to the destination, stay longer and really take the time to discover our nature emirate,” commented Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “He added: “As Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism vision gains momentum, working with valued trade partners and securing new airline alliances builds on this progress, and delivering additional tourism from three major German …

Ajman tourism is set to launch a number of innovative initiatives and projects to enhance the tourism sector as a part of the department’s efforts to showcase Ajman’s natural touristic destinations, and rich heritage, aiming to increase its visibility and attractiveness for visitors from all over the world, and achieve the emirate’s tourism vision. Ajman Museum Smart App – in conjunction with the renovation of the museum to provide a unique interactive experience enhanced with the latest technologies to stimulate all senses, through exhibits explained in Arabic and English, to promote it by providing a detailed audio-guided tour of all sections of the museum and a map of the site, opening times and how to reach the museum. The Visual Identity of Ajman Museum, Masfout Museum, & Al Manama Museum – Ajman Tourism also launched the new visual identity for Ajman Museum, Masfout Museum, & Al Manama Museum, one of its initiatives aimed at preserving the unique heritage of Ajman and present it in a renovated updated look. Moreover, the department unveiled the “Media Hub” which is a digital media library project, and an integrated platform for displaying promotional images and videos for Ajman that is constantly updated, and displayed on a dedicated page within the ADTD’s official website to serve all stakeholders and community, where images and videos can be downloaded, and to eventually become the largest digital archive documenting the main tourist attractions of Ajman. Ajman’s Heritage Path – Ajman Municipality and Planning Department revealed the latest activities of the Heritage Path project, which is located in the Al-Nakhil neighborhood and stretches over 1,025 km, linking heritage buildings starting from the Ajman Museum and the heritage district to …