Tag Archives: Riyadh

Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service on September 23 to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in celebratory participation of the country’s 88th National Day. Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Centre, said, “The UAE enjoys a strong relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through fraternal ties and constructive cooperation, as well as a shared vision for the future. Bringing the Emirates A380 is a fitting way to support the National Day celebrations, and for customers in Riyadh to try the superior A380 product. King Khalid International Airport is also well-equipped to handle the A380 and we are working closely with the civil aviation authorities to ensure the one-off operation is successful.” The Emirates A380 service will touchdown at King Khalid International Airport on September 23 as EK 813 and EK 814, departing from Dubai at 1500hrs and arriving in Riyadh at 1550hrs. The flight will then depart from Riyadh at 1850hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2140hrs.

VFS Global has opened a UK visa application centre in Riyadh, close to the Diplomatic Quarter. The company said that the new centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which will serve travellers to the UK & Australia, is equipped to handle more visa applicants conveniently with increased seating capacity and ample parking space, while also offering ancillary travel services facilities within the premises. Officially inaugurating the new visa application centre, the Ambassador of United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, HE Simon Collis, said, “‘Our customers in Saudi Arabia are extremely important to us, and we continually look for new and innovative ways to improve the visa service we offer, both to Saudi nationals and local residents. For Saudi nationals, the average processing time for non-settlement visas is less than five days.” The new centre is located at Al Hada District, besides Courtyard Marriott Hotel and close to Ritz Carlton, Riyadh. Visa applicants to the UK and Australia can access details on visa application procedures at  www.vfsglobal.co.uk/sa/en Commenting on the launch, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO for Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said: “The new stand-alone centre has been designed to provide a comprehensive experience to applicants in terms of visa processing and accessing necessary travel services under one canopy. The UK continues to remain a popular destination for tourism, business and student visitors from Saudi Arabia. The latest visa figures show that over 130,000 Saudi nationals were issued a UK visa in the last year. We are confident that the new centre for the UK and Australia visa applicants will provide enhanced convenience to the customers.”

Emirates will boost its services to Riyadh with the addition of a fourth daily flight to the Saudi capital from September 1, 2018. The addition of the fourth daily service will take the total number of weekly Emirates flights serving Riyadh to 28. The fourth daily flight will be serviced by the Boeing 777-300ER in a three class configuration. Emirates flight EK813 will depart Dubai at 1500hrs arriving in Riyadh at 1550hrs. The return flight, EK814 will depart Riyadh at 1750hrs and will arrive in Dubai at 2040hrs. The late afternoon departure offers an additional option for travellers, complementing the existing morning and evening flights. Dubai’s attractiveness as a destination for Saudi travellers continues to be strong and in 2017 more than 1.5 million Saudis visited the city, according to data published by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). Dubai offers an extensive array of leisure and family activities catering to every taste, in addition to hotels for all budgets. As a commercial and business hub, Dubai has become a platform for a myriad of businesses seeking exposure in emerging markets, and is also a springboard for investments coming into the region. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the UAE’s largest trading partner in the region, with non-oil trade reaching an estimated AED 880 billion (USD$24 billion) in 2017, according to UAE Federal Customs Authority data. Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East & Iran said: “Emirates’ expanded schedule to Riyadh will offer more travel options and choice for business travellers and families alike who are looking to visit Dubai.

Opening doors for the tenth consecutive year, Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) 2018 is set to be held at the Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh from April 10-13, 2018. The four-day event will become the focus of business networking opportunities, seminar sessions, discussions and the recognition of the tourism industry’s achievements throughout the year. More than 270 exhibitors will be present representing more than 50 countries. Over 50 national and regional pavilions will also have a prominent presence. The show floor space has also increased by 10 per cent compared to the 2017 event. “Last year, RTF featured 270 exhibitors with visitor attendance at 27,329. That was an increase of 30  per cent compared to the 2016 edition. This year will continue our year-on-year growth as exhibitors hit over 270 and expected visitors numbers over 30,000,” said Bander’ Al Gryni, General Manager, ASAS Exhibitions (organiser of RTF). The Riyadh Travel Fair is open to both travel professionals and the general public looking for in-depth destination information and special deals. Visitors to the 2018 edition will be able to interact directly with various tourism authorities, hotels, airlines and travel agents from around the world.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed up with Dur Hospitality for a franchise agreement of Crowne Plaza Riyadh Palace, under the master franchise agreement signed earlier for four hotels. Currently operating as Riyadh Palace Hotel, the property is expected to be rebranded to Crowne Plaza by June 2018. The hotel totals to 304 rooms, over 1400 sqm of meeting space, a business centre along with an outdoor pool, lounge and a spa. It offers a range of authentic and contemporary cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant and at the Lobby Café. Ahdab, President, Hotel Operations—Dur Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with IHG yet again, for their world-class brand Crowne Plaza, making this our second hotel with them, following the opening of Holiday Inn, Tabuk. Riyadh has solidified itself as a commercial hub, attracting business travellers from domestic and international markets.” “Incorporating an element of French design, the hotel is strategically located in the Ministries Area, a popular business district, making it an ideal and convenient location for the business community”, he further added.

SaudiGulf Airlines will launch its maiden international operations to Dubai as a double daily flight catering to the corporate and leisure travellers between the two nations from March 1, 2018. The flight will departure Riyadh at 07:50 and arrive Dubai at 10:55, and commence departure from Dubai at 12:10 with arrival at 13:05 in Riyadh. The other flight timings will be 16:00 departing Riyadh and reaching Dubai by 18:55, and departing Dubai at 20:55 and reaching Riyadh by 21:50 with a starting all inclusive fare of AED 999. It will be a two configuration A320 with 16 Business First class seats and 120 seats in economy, an in-flight entertainment system, Wi-Fi service onboard along with a dedicated chauffeur service in Riyadh. Samer Majali, President and Chief Executive Officer, SaudiGulf Airlines stated that after just one year and two months of domestic operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they found the niche in Dubai in the international market to serve a destination with the most amount of traffic. This strategic decision was taken by SaudiGulf Airlines considering the strong affairs between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, supported by Dubai Tourism to provide greater varieties to travellers from both countries.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of Crowne Plaza Riyadh–RDC Hotel and Convention Center. The newly opened hotel will be the seventh IHG hotel in Riyadh and the 31st in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 326-room hotel is strategically located in the Al Ra’idah Digital City (RDC), a mixed use district expected to accommodate over 20,000 employees and up to 10,000 residents. Crowne Plaza Riyadh–RDC Hotel is in close proximity to the new financial district, the Riyadh CBD, King Saud University, Diplomatic Quarter and lies within 25 minutes of King Khalid International Airport, making it an ideal choice for business travellers. The hotel also offers a comprehensive range of facilities to meet the needs of corporate and MICE guests travelling to and within the Kingdom. The hotel features over 12000 m2 of exhibition and conference space including a three-level circular conference centre, a ballroom, large pre-function areas and 12 meeting rooms equipped with modern digital technology. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s large outdoor swimming pool or re-energise with a game of tennis at the outdoor court. An on-site business centre is equipped with the latest technology to keep guests connected to their business and their families back home.

Saudi Arabia’s new low-fare airline flyadeal has received a welcome market response since the start of services, with load factors reaching more than 82 per cent. flyadeal currently operates on three routes from Jeddah to Riyadh, Dammam and Qassim. Having commenced operations on September 23, Jeddah-Riyadh was the first city pair, beginning as a double-daily service, quickly growing to five-times-daily. Dammam and Qassim began this month, with Jeddah-Dammam increasing to double daily later this month. flyadeal currently has a fleet of three aircraft, with an additional five to be delivered. All are brand new A320 aircraft in a single-class configuration of 186 seats. Con Korfiatis, CEO, flyadeal, said, “flyadeal has received a very warm welcome from our passengers so far and we are grateful for their support. We look forward to continue serving our loyal guests as we move into the next phase of expansion in the coming months.”

Turkish Airlines has launched new flights from various cities in the Middle East and Germany to key tourist destinations in Turkey. The national carrier will launch direct flights between Turkish cities such as Bodrum, Antalya and Trabzon and the Middle East, beginning from this month. The airlines will be providing a total of 16 weekly flights between Jeddah, Kuwait, Riyadh, Al Qassim, Yanbu, Medina and Trabzon. Furthermore, they will also be providing 13 weekly flights between Jeddah, Baghdad, Erbil, Riyadh, Amman, Kuwait, Sulaymaniyah and Antalya during this summer. Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart are other cities benefitting from the new direct flights, connecting travellers from Germany to Izmir. Additionally, passengers from Kuwait will also be able to travel directly to Izmir. Commenting on these direct flights, Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi, said, “We are always looking to provide our passengers with the most convenient and time-efficient way of travel. Tourists worldwide have been continously increasing due to the fantastic attractions and features provided by all our Turkish cities. As we move forward, our goal will be to create these direct flights from all the markets, we operate globally so that travellers can now fly directly to their destination of choice.”  

Cebu Pacific Air will soon suspend its service to and from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Doha, Qatar. CEB will fly the last of its four-times-a-week service from Manila to Kuwait on June 13, 2017, and its Kuwait-Manila flight on June 14, 2017. The thrice-weekly Manila-Doha-Manila route will have its last flight on July 1, 2017; while CEB’s last flight from Manila to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will depart on July 2, 2017, while the Riyadh-Manila flight will leave on July 3, 2017. CEB will retain its other long-haul services to and from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Sydney, Australia, with a view to increasing frequencies to these destinations in the future. The airline also flies to 24 other international destinations across Asia and USA; as well as 37 domestic destinations. Passengers affected by the suspension of CEB service in Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait are being contacted. Options are being provided to minimize the disruption, which include rebooking passengers on flights with other airlines or on earlier travel dates with CEB; a full refund; or placing the full value of the ticket in a travel fund for future use.