Tag Archives: UAE

In an exclusive interview with Daniel Rosado Bayón, Director – Spain Tourism Office, Tourism Counsellor GCC stated that they received almost 80% of visitors as per pre-covid time. “In the first six months of the year Spain received over 30 million international visitors which is about 80% of 2019. In respect to expenditure it was about 89% as 2019. When you take UAE, we saw a spike of around 30% from UAE as pre-covid level.” One of the key factors that matter when visiting Europe is obtaining the visa, however according to Rosado Director Spain tourism office, there is now good news to be heard very soon from the European Union. “During this summer we saw a surge in Visa requests. This goes in line with the huge come back of tourism. After two years of restrictions, this summer has become very similar to a pre-covid summer. With the spike in travelling, that some call revenge tourism, we have witnessed how different sectors, from aviation to hospitality or infrastructures, faced difficulties to cope with this sudden surge. Not long ago there was not too many people travelling, and now we have more than before, as people have realized that we only live once and that we need to do the things we like better now than before. Visa issuance is no different, the amount of request is so high that they cannot be processed all in time. Resources are limited and given the importance of controlling the borders of the countries the visa process cannot be speed up. Having said this, Visa offices have experienced a high demand but are doing a very good job on processing as much as …

DayAway, the world’s leading online destination for guests to discover and book curated luxury daytime experiences, has announced its arrival in the United Arab Emirates. Perfect for both travellers and residents who are searching for unique, engaging and restorative daytime escapes, DayAway connects guests with a variety of accessible, enjoyable experiences spanning wellness, dining, adventure and more.  With seven luxury launch partners currently on board, DayAway’s offerings in the UAE includes a Precious Pearl Experience at the palatial Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, a Bedouin Desert Adventure at Telal Resort Al Ain and the Ultimate Island Daycation at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah that includes a 90-minute Spa treatment. Founded by lifestyle and technology leader Martha Waslen, DayAway launched in Singapore in 2021 with prestigious hotel partners such as Raffles Hotel Singapore; the group expanded to Hong Kong and Thailand in late 2021 before launching in Australia in May 2022. “We are delighted to have expanded into the UAE, a dynamic destination that has a reputation for providing a diverse range of luxury experiences. Our mission at DayAway is to elevate the everyday, and we’re defining a new era of luxury experiences that we hope will provide our community with opportunities to experience their favourite hotels in exciting and meaningful ways,” says Martha Waslen, Founder and CEO of DayAway. “Luxury hotels have a unique opportunity to connect with the growing experience economy by repurposing their underutilised assets as curated daytime escapes for both local guests and international travellers. The DayAway platform provides hotel partners with the technology and marketing tools to diversify revenue, while simultaneously engaging a new community of guests searching for experiences to relax, recharge and reconnect,” adds Waslen.

Watch the Asia Cup 2022 on the big screen, snacking away in an exciting atmosphere surrounded by friends and diehard cricket fans like you! Enjoy special food combos and beverages curated to suit the ambiance. The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2022 is just around the corner. The ODI match series is being played in the thrilling T20 format in the UAE, with Sri Lanka unable to host the matches this year. The UAE has been a great host of the sport, supporting the Indian Premier League and a previous season of the Asia Cup, which has strengthened its prowess in hosting cricket. Indulge yourself in our new cricket meal combos; Sixer, Powerplay, Bouncer, and more. All meal combos include a main and a soft drink or mocktail. In addition to the meal combos, the Food Souk will be offering a match-night-only exclusive 50% off on all food items ordered from the Ala Carte menu. The schedule for the Asia 2022 Cup has been released, with Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan in the first match, followed by a fan favourite, India Vs. Pakistan the next day. From August 27 to September 11th, enjoy a continuous streak of exciting cricket, live on the big screen at the Food Souk. Reserve your spot now! Call or WhatsApp: +971 50 381 6567. Inquire directly about offers and promotions available for larger groups. The Food Souk is an all-day dining restaurant serving a variety of International, Middle-Eastern, and Asian cuisines. With a seating capacity of over 120, it is the ideal venue for parties, social gatherings, and all special occasions. A favourite among those who travel to Dubai, Park Regis Business Bay Hotel strives continuously to …

Effective 1 August 2022, residents of the UAE can apply for their Israel visas at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Abu Dhabi. The centre accepts applications for tourism, business, student, conference, medical, relatives and family visit categories. The contract was signed by H.E. Mr. Danny Gadot, Ambassador of Administration and Consul Affairs, Israel Embassy in the UAE, and Mr. Atul Marwah, Head – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, earlier this year. This is the first time the Israel Embassy in the UAE has outsourced its visa application pro-cess. Atul Marwah, Head – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to embark on this new partnership with the Israel Embassy in the UAE, bringing in VFS Global’s domain expertise to provide a smooth and efficient visa application journey. In February 2022, the Israel Ministry of Tourism signed a partnership with VFS Global as their tourism representation agency in the UAE. This new asso-ciation is another feather in the cap for VFS Global’s association with this beautiful country.” Applicants will benefit from a range of optional services offered by VFS Global, including passport withdrawal service, video conferencing for child applicants, form filling assistance, SMS updates, and courier return, among others. Applicants can also opt to submit their applications from VFS Global’s Premium Lounge, enjoying end-to-end personalised assistance throughout the submission process.

Wizz Air is launching exciting new routes from Dammam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to Rome, Vienna and Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi route will be operated by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air’s joint venture airline with ADQ. Launching in September 2022, the new destinations are the first step towards a growing presence in KSA which will provide for the first time truly affordable, hassle-free, point to point travel for tourists and residents in the Kingdom, Europe and the UAE, strengthening global connectivity. The new routes by Wizz Air introduce a new era of travel to the Residents of KSA by unlocking affordable travel opportunities and giving them access to WIZZ’s incredibly low fares. Tickets for all routes are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from 24.99€.* Last month Wizz Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Investment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supported by the Saudi National Air Connectivity Programme (a Ministry of Tourism initiative) to support the development of the Saudi Tourism Sector. The MoU reflects a shared vision between the parties on the potential Wizz Air could bring to the Kingdom to stimulate tourist demand, thereby making a significant contribution to Saudi Arabia’s planned growth. The new destinations support the growing Saudi Arabian tourism sector, aligning with the Vision 2030 programme, a strategic and ambitious vision to triple passenger traffic in the Kingdom by 2030. The ultra-low-cost routes will boost the burgeoning tourism industry and significantly increase connectivity for residents in Europe and the region, with key strategic government partners collaborating to add to the Saudi aviation ecosystem. Robert Carey, President of Wizz Air, …

Travelport released the below trend data highlighting that the United Arab Emirates has recovered to 110% of its 2019 levels, based on point of destination travel. This makes the U.A.E. currently the most recovered country in the world. Contributing to the U.A.E.’s strong recovery is Dubai, which has currently recovered to 114% of its 2019 levels. This makes it the second most recovered city in the Middle East and the fifth most recovered city in the world. Dubai is also currently ranked as the top global destination for corporate travelers, who currently make up nearly one-third (29%) of all 2022 bookings to the city. Global Recovery Update To date, the global travel industry has recovered more than two-thirds (67%) of its gross activity, a 14% growth in the first three months of 2022 alone. At 110% recovered, the U.A.E. is currently the most recovered country in the world. Dubai (114%) is the second most recovered city in the Middle East, following Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (115%). Dubai is also the fifth most recovered city in the world: 1. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (136%) 2. Montego Bay, Jamaica (132%) 3. Cancun, Mexico (124%). 4. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (115%) 5. Dubai, U.A.E. (114%)   United Arab Emirates Travel Trends The top nine countries traveling to the U.A.E. are: 1. The United Kingdom 2. Bangladesh 3. India 4. Pakistan 5. Germany 6. Saudi Arabia 7. France 8. United States 9. Italy The top nine international destinations for travelers from the UAE are: 1. India 2. Pakistan 3. The Philippines 4. Saudi Arabia 5. Bangladesh 6. China 7. Egypt 8. Turkey 9. United Kingdom Corporate travelers are returning in high volumes to Dubai, making up …

Emirates is offering travellers from the UAE the chance to book their long-awaited Eid break to popular resort hotspots or make up for the lost family time by reconnecting with loved ones. UAE travelers can also plan early and book their summer holiday with Emirates’ special fares starting from AED 1,525. Emirates Economy Class and Business Class passengers can choose to book their getaway to one of the below popular holiday destinations and to more points across the Emirates network when they visit emirates.com. The offer is valid on bookings made today until 1 May 2021, for travel until 30 September 2021. UAE Travellers can also plan a last-minute getaway with Emirates Holidays, starting from AED 1,849 per person for three-night stays, and packages are available even more destinations in the special fare offer. Emirates remains focused on taking the stress out of travel and has led the industry in protecting the health of its customers to ensure a feeling of safety and confidence when deciding to fly.  Emirates customers travel with the assurance that the latest health and safety measures are in place at every step of the journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology to ease customers through Dubai airport. Knowing their safety and wellbeing is looked after, customers across all classes can enjoy more than 4,500 channels of entertainment on ice, the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, along regionally inspired gourmet meals. Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. Recently the airline took its customer care initiatives even further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance …

New research from global traveller experiences expert Collinson has found that in the future, 76% of travellers in the UAE and 80% in KSA have said they’ll be prioritising their mental wellbeing more when they travel now than they did before COVID-19. Despite there being a pent up demand for travel in the region, the majority of travellers (62% in the UAE and 67% in KSA) think travel post-pandemic will be more stressful in the current climate. When asked what travel brands could do to help the situation, in both countries, 38% of travellers said they would value propositions from providers that prioritise their mental wellbeing. Travellers also highlighted additional services that they would be willing to pay for to improve their wellbeing at the airport. These included spaces such as airport lounge access, as many as 37% would pay for this in KSA whilst 30% of UAE respondents would pay for a quiet place in which to sit and relax. 18% in the UAE and 28% in KSA have also said they would pay extra for access to airport sleep pods. Priyanka Lakhani, Director South Asia and Commercial Director Middle East and Africa at Collinson said, “In the context of travel during Covid-19, it’s often the conversation around physical wellbeing that has dominated so it’s very insightful to understand more about the importance passengers in the region place on the emotional and mental wellbeing aspects of their journey. While hygiene measures are critical, looking after travellers’ all-round wellness across the travel experience will be just as important and will help the travel industry shape its offering to encourage and rebuild traveller confidence. The travel industry needs to stay flexible, …

General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced reopening of airspace and resuming of air traffic between the UAE and the State of Qatar, following the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration, which includes an agreement for permanent solidarity. The GCAA said that it will resume scheduled and unscheduled flights between the two countries, in coordination with the civil aviation authorities and national carriers in the UAE. Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, announced that the UAE will begin to end all measures taken against the State of Qatar according to the statement issued on June 5, 2017, following the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration. The Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation noted that the Al-Ula Declaration, and the associated permanent agreement of GCC solidarity, is considered a Gulf and Arab achievement that promotes and bolsters the cohesion of the GCC, Arab and Islamic unity. He indicated that the UAE will work to re-open all land, sea and air ports for inbound and outbound movement, and that all relevant authorities in the UAE have been notified of these measures which will go into effect as of 9 January. He added the UAE will work with the State of Qatar to resolve all other outstanding issues through bilateral talks.

There is huge potential for the UAE and Vietnam to expand ties in renewable energy, trade, investment, logistics, maritime transportation, medical tourism and aviation, according to government officials and trade experts who spoke at the first Global Partnership Series event. The virtual forum, organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, was attended by 80 participants from the UAE and Vietnam, including government officials, industry experts and business leaders. “I expect that the efforts from two sides will create the favourable conditions and further enhance the economic, trade, industry and investment relationship between Vietnam and UAE,” said H.E. Nguyen Manh Tuan, who outlined several recommendations for boosting bilateral ties including promoting cooperation between free zones, increasing business and knowledge exchange, and driving participation of businesses in the seminars, workshop, exhibitions and trade fairs organised in Vietnam and Dubai. Addressing participants, H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair elaborated on the state of UAE-Vietnam trade ties, which he said have expanded rapidly following the mutual opening of embassies many years ago, strategic cooperation agreements and the establishment of direct flights between the two countries. The UAE is Vietnam’s top trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa, and Dubai serves as a gateway for the re-exporting Vietnamese goods and products. Yet, he noted that there is still plenty of scope to expand Dubai-Vietnam non-oil trade beyond the $7.4 billion accounted for in 2019, adding that the virtual forum supports Dubai Chamber’s efforts to explore untapped economic potential in Vietnam and other emerging markets around the world.