Category Archives: Govt

‘Shop Bahrain’, one of the largest shopping festivals in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is set to be held from January 11 to February 10. The festival will create an exciting range of in-mall activities. More than 80,000 prizes in raffle draws held during the 30-day event include cars, travel tickets and much more. The event, organised by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) in cooperation with partners from the public and private sectors such as Tamkeen, YK Al Moayyed, VIVA Bahrain and Gulf Air. “We are delighted to announce the calendar of events for the fourth edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival. Shop Bahrain aims to further drive the growth of three main sectors- tourism, retail and culinary by providing events and activities suitable for the entire family,” said Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, Chief Executive, BTEA. “Shop Bahrain aims to attract visitors from Bahrain and abroad by hosting a wide range of exciting family-oriented events throughout the duration of the festival. We also ensured to host events that suits the interest of all age-groups,” he added. The organisers of ‘Shop Bahrain’ also held a GCC roadshow in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to promote the festival and increase the number of tourists coming to Bahrain.

Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General, Dubai Municipality, along with other members of the Dubai Safari team welcomed the UAE dignitaries and VIPs at the opening recently. As part of the visit, Eng. Lootah hosted a tour of the 119-hectare park, including stops at the Arabian Village, African Village as well as the open Safari Village, in addition to the UAE’s largest walk-through aviary. “Dubai Safari would like to thank its guests for visiting the park today. It was our honour to host them and give them a tour of the various villages and activities that make Dubai Safari a must-visit experience for both UAE residents as well as visitors from around the world,” said Eng. Lootah. Dubai Safari is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm including all public holidays and is located at Al Warqaa 5 district across Dubai’s Dragon Mart off the Dubai-Hatta Highway. There are different tickets available to the public at Dubai Safari like the Safari Park ticket and Combo Ticket. Senior citizens and children under the age of three are allowed to enter Dubai Safari for free.

The Dubai Festival City has partnered with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to ensure a valuable retail tourism experience to visitors during the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). With over 400 retail stores at Dubai Festival City Mall participating during DSF, IKEA Festival City is giving shoppers a chance to win a complete top-of-the-range room furniture up to AED 10,000 by spending AED 1,000 as part of the DSF Dream Home Raffle. Dubai Festival City Mall’s first ever ‘Paddington World’ in Festival Square saw over 45,000 customers in just four weeks of its launch. Steven Cleaver, Director – Shopping Malls, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate said, “With the new Festival Wheel on Festival Bay, special Star Wars IMAGINE shows every night, great deals across the mall and exciting prizes each week, Dubai Festival City Mall is guaranteed to entertain shoppers this DSF. A brand-new city sightseeing route and a convenient RTA water taxi stop has been added to the festival experience for residents and tourists alike.”

The fifth edition of Sharjah World Music Festival (SWMF) is back to entertain the UAE from January 12-19, 2018. It is presented by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in a strategic partnership with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Festival organiser, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre, has confirmed that a stellar line-up of artists and musicians from the Arab and Western worlds will be performing in this edition. Dozens of artists, musicians and instrumentalists from 11 countries are set to perform at four different venues in Sharjah, namely, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, The Flag Island Theatre, Al Qasba and Al Majaz Waterfront during the eight-day festival. From Arabic to Andalusian and famous Jazz orchestras, the festival will feature a mix of musical traditions from around the world. “Every year, SWMF gives citizens a golden opportunity to escape the business of everyday life and absorb the sights, sounds and colours of the event across eight days. The event will showcase a spectacular selection of musical stalwarts from the region and beyond,” said artist Furat Qaddouri, Manager, Sharjah World Music Festival.

With ecotourism spots located in the central region, Sharjah is steadily improving its development and public infrastructure projects in the area. A new shopping mall has been opened in the town of Al Madam on the Dubai-Hatta road, just 20 minutes away from the famous Mleiha ecotourism centre. All 27 retail units at Al Badayer Shopping Mall have been leased, although the facility is being opened to the public in two phases. Phase two of the mall is expected to be opened in February 2018, which will be dominated by a large camping equipment, sporting goods and outdoor supplies retailer. Sharjah’s retail sector is currently enjoying a period of strong growth, with more than 4 million square feet of new mall space expected to be added to the sector by 2020. Projects include the expansion of existing shopping malls in Sharjah, two new mega-malls outside the city area, plus local shopping centres in the emirate’s central and eastern regions. The Government of Sharjah is currently implementing a 25 year strategic development plan for its central region, which includes the towns of Al Dhaid, Mleiha and Al Madam. The plan aims to enhance the quality of life, prosperity and job opportunities for residents of region.

The Dubai Fountain is set to add the Korean pop song, ‘Power’ from the popular Korean boy band EXO to its list of melodies. The song’s inauguration will take place on January 16, 2018. In addition to key media representatives from UAE, GCC, China and South Korea, influencers and fans as well as EXO members and organisers are expected to watch the premiere of the song played at the fountain. “We are thrilled that visitors to The Dubai Fountain will be entertained with EXO’s latest song. Dubai is at the crossroads of the world and it’s only fitting that a major Asian group’s music should become an integral part of one of the most visited attractions in the city.” said Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Tourism. Ahmad Al Falasi, Executive Director – Group Operations, Emaar Properties, said, “Our goal with The Dubai Fountain is to engage every visitor and offer them a memorable time through spectacular performances set to world-famous songs.  The rhythmic swaying of the fountain to the beats of Power will be a delight for all, especially for fans of K-Pop.”  

The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island and the hosting of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix contributed to a dramatic surge in hotel guests staying in the emirate during November. The month saw a 16 per cent rise in guests in Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments compared to the same period in 2016, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. With 4.3 million hotel guests staying in accommodation across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region in the first 11 months of the year, the emirate has witnessed 9 per cent year-on-year growth and is on target to reach a record 4.9 million guests by the end of December. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “While November and Q4 is traditionally a strong period for us, particularly with visitors from Europe, we are encouraged by the sector’s performance during the month and the increase in hotel guests across all three regions. The opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi was a monumental event, not only for Abu Dhabi but also for the whole of the country and indeed the region, contributing enormously to our appeal as a ‘must visit’ destination.”  

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a new promotional website ‘www.experienceoman.om’ which will serve as a one-stop shop for all Oman Tourism related information. The website was launched under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture during a gala dinner hosted on the sidelines of the 2nd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture. The launch of the website comes as a part of the Ministry’s initiatives to support the development of the tourism sector in all areas, especially in the use of electronic platforms and digital marketing. Providing insights into suggested travel itineraries, list of tour operators, hotels and services, MICE opportunities; the website also orients tourists with the latest events in Oman and can be viewed in six languages. The website promotes the Sultanate as a unique tourism destination with distinct cultural, historical and natural components, and enables tourists to obtain the information they need to visit tourism attractions. ‘www.experienceoman.om’ will complement the existing ‘Oman Tourism’ website to provide comprehensive and diverse information regarding Oman tourism.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) hosted the 67th Annual Convention of the German Travel Association (DRV) at Rixos Bab Al Bahr in Ras Al Khaimah. The three-day convention welcomed 630 German travel trade professionals. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA, highlighted the importance of hosting the event in Ras Al Khaimah and RAKTDA’s efforts in showcasing the destination to the emirate’s emerging markets. CEOs and senior executives from tour operators, travel agencies and service providers of all sizes, as well as representatives from airlines, cruise lines and insurance companies attended RAKTDA-organised tours, destination workshops and events highlighting the emirate’s latest tourism developments, future plans and unique attractions. A discussion panel during the opening ceremony of DRV focused on Ras Al Khaimah as an emerging tourism destination. The panel was moderated by Dr. Carl Naughton and led by key executives from the travel and airline industries including Volker Greiner, Vice President – North & Central Europe, Emirates; Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA; Ralph Schiller, Group Managing Director, FTI Group; Thomas Bosl, Managing Director, RTK and Stefanie Berk, Managing Director – Central and Eastern Europe, Thomas Cook.

Sharjah Grand Prix, the annual international championships for water sports, returns for the next two weekends. The event will be organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Royal Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, during Sharjah World Championship Week. The emirate will play host to the UIM Formula1 Power Boat Championship and Sharjah Aquabike World Championship from December 15-21, 2017 at the Khalid Lagoon, in partnership with Sharjah International Marine Sports Club and Union International Motonautique, Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development Authority (SCTDA) revealed. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “Hosting the F1 Powerboat Championship further consolidates Sharjah’s position as an ideal sporting destination in the UAE and the region, as well as enables the emirate to showcase its authentic Arabian culture and heritage. Aiming to continue building such venues in Sharjah, we look forward to another exciting and successful race in this edition.” The key partners of the event include the Department of Seaports & Customs-Government of Sharjah, Sharjah Police Headquarters, SEWA, Sharjah City Municipality, Air Arabia, Sharjah Road and Transport Authority, Civil Defense Department- Sharjah, Sahara Centre and Mega Mall.