Rotana is advancing its regional growth strategy with 40 hotels and 8,334 keys under development, including 10 projects in Saudi Arabia, as the Middle East hospitality group expands into new markets and hospitality segments.

The company, which operates 78 properties across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Türkiye, outlined its development pipeline at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, highlighting Saudi Arabia as its largest growth market, accounting for one quarter of projects currently under development.

The Saudi pipeline comprises 10 properties with 1,404 keys across Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Hail, Abha and Al Baha, reflecting the group’s strategy of balancing established gateway cities with emerging destinations supported by rising domestic tourism demand.

Philip Barnes, chief executive officer of Rotana, said: “This year has been about moving Rotana forward in a focused way. We have opened new properties in our core markets, taken our brands into new cities and entered new segments, including branded residences and mountain hospitality.

“What matters is not simply how many hotels we add, but that every addition strengthens the portfolio, works for our owners and stays true to the experience our guests expect from Rotana. We know this region deeply, and we are taking that experience into new markets with the same care and discipline.”

In the UAE, Rotana opened Bloom Arjaan by Rotana on Saadiyat Island in August, adding 217 serviced apartments, while Rotana Ras Al Khaimah – The Mangroves, a 258-key hotel overlooking the emirate’s mangroves and Arabian Gulf, is scheduled to open later this year.

In Saudi Arabia, the company earlier launched Edge Riyadh – Al Rabie, a 71-room property in the capital, and signed an agreement for The Residences by Rotana at Thakher, Makkah. The 240-apartment branded residence development, located 1.5 kilometres from the Grand Mosque, is designed to serve pilgrims, business travellers and long-stay guests.

Beyond the Middle East, Rotana also entered Georgia with the signing of its first ski resort in Gudauri. The dual-property development will feature around 400 keys with ski-in, ski-out access, marking the company’s expansion into mountain hospitality.

Rotana said its asset-light growth strategy continues to focus on management agreements while selectively pursuing conversions and franchise opportunities. The company is also investing in guest experience through Rotana DISCOVERY, AI-powered guest services and a strategic data and artificial intelligence partnership with Microsoft.

Eddy Tannous, chief operating officer of Rotana, said: “This year’s progress shows the breadth of opportunity in front of Rotana. Each addition to our portfolio is deliberate and built around a strong local partnership. As the hospitality industry continues to demonstrate its resilience, we remain confident in the opportunities ahead and will keep growing with purpose, market by market.”

LNG demand from China, India and Pakistan is likely to rebound from multi-year lows once the Middle East supply crunch ends and new supplies emerge, industry executives say, reversing a pick-up in coal and oil to replace gas during the US-Iran conflict.

Shell, the world’s biggest LNG trader, estimates the world has lost about 36 million tonnes of LNG from the Middle East so far this year, President for Integrated Gas Cederic Cremers said.

Asia’s spot prices have surged to nearly $30 per million British thermal units from a pre-war range around $10 per MMBtu, as the region competes for alternative supplies.

Sky-high prices are “definitely impacting” demand in India, GAIL chairman Deepak Gupta said at the Gastech conference in Bangkok, where “a lot of sectors… are price sensitive”.

“There are many industries which switch over to different fuels in case gas is not viable for them,” said Gupta, who heads India’s top natural gas distributor by market share.

Both GAIL and PetroChina, China’s top LNG importer, have deployed their trading teams to source alternative cargoes to replace Qatari and Emirati supplies.

The CEO of India’s top gas importer Petronet LNG said consumers are seeking price stability.

“Affordability is a major challenge,” said Akshay Kumar Singh. “There is no doubt there is demand, only it is price-sensitive demand.”

In neighbouring Pakistan, the CEO of importer Pakistan LNG also expects more demand if the price is right. “That could happen with additional volumes coming online,” said Masood Nabi.

While solar buildouts have helped Pakistan cope with power cuts in recent years, there is still gas demand from other sectors as well as households, he added.

Demand destruction not permanent

GAIL’s Gupta said India had had to limit gas consumption initially, but resumed supplies to almost 90 per cent to 95 per cent as it ramped up its capability to buy LNG from elsewhere.

ExxonMobil, GAIL and PetroChina executives expect consumption to rebound once prices fall.

“We are hoping that all this is very short-term, and in the coming days, in mid-term and long-term, things will become normal,” Gupta said, adding that there may be about 150 million to 200 million tons of LNG coming online in the next four to five years.

PetroChina International CEO Luo Yizhou expects demand from gas-fired power plants to rebound once LNG prices return to a “normal” range of $7 to $9 per MMBtu, citing strong growth in electricity consumption.

Exxon expects substantial LNG demand growth in China over the long term, with extensive import infrastructure built along the country’s east coast, its vice president for global LNG marketing Andrew Barry told Reuters on the conference sidelines.

The company remains confident in the diversification of its LNG portfolio, which includes interests in the US, Mozambique, Qatar, Papua New Guinea and Australia. It continues to look at new opportunities with a focus on cost of supply.

“We still have an extremely bullish demand forecast out through to 2050,” Barry said.

The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed operational weapons in Earth orbit, marking a significant shift in military space policy as Washington seeks to strengthen deterrence against increasingly sophisticated space capabilities developed by China and Russia.

Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the US Space Force now possesses “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending American and allied forces against hostile actions. The disclosure represents the Pentagon’s clearest public confirmation to date that it has operational weapons deployed in space, Financial Times stated.

“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist. This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said during his keynote address, according to ABC News. He declined to reveal the type, number or technical characteristics of the systems, saying the wording of the announcement had been carefully considered and that further details would undermine their deterrent value.

Following the announcement, a US Space Force spokesperson said the capabilities could be employed for both offensive and defensive purposes and form part of the military’s broader “space control” mission, which includes disrupting, degrading or, if necessary, destroying adversary space capabilities. Officials stressed that US operations remain consistent with international law, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not ban conventional space weapons.

The Pentagon did not specify whether the newly acknowledged systems are kinetic weapons capable of physically intercepting satellites or non-kinetic technologies such as electronic warfare payloads designed to jam or disrupt enemy spacecraft. Defence analysts suggested the latter is more likely, noting that non-destructive capabilities reduce the risk of creating hazardous orbital debris.

The announcement comes amid intensifying competition in space, where the US has repeatedly accused China and Russia of developing anti-satellite weapons, conducting close-proximity satellite manoeuvres and testing systems capable of threatening critical military and commercial satellites. Washington has argued that greater transparency about its own capabilities strengthens deterrence and reduces the risk of miscalculation by potential adversaries.

Emirates Skywards members can earn double Skywards Miles on eligible Emirates and flydubai flights under a limited-time offer running through September, with qualifying travel available until the end of November.

Members must register for the promotion and book an eligible Emirates or flydubai flight between September 15 and 30, 2026. Qualifying travel must be completed by 30 November, with members receiving 100 per cent bonus Skywards Miles on top of the Miles they would normally earn.

Read more- First look: Inside Etihad Airways’ A330 cabins and First Class expansion

The promotion covers eligible flights across the two airlines’ networks and includes multiple cabin classes. On Emirates, eligible fares in Economy Class, Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class qualify. On flydubai, the offer applies to eligible Economy Class and Business Class fares.

How the offer works

To qualify, existing Emirates Skywards members must register for the promotion between September 15 and 30 and purchase an eligible ticket during the same period. The flight must be completed between 15 September and 30 November 2026.

Customers who are not already members can join Emirates Skywards during the promotional period, register for the offer and earn Miles on qualifying flights.

An Emirates media report said the promotion applies to eligible Emirates ‘Special,’ ‘Saver,’ ‘Flex’ and ‘Flex Plus’ fares across Economy Class, Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class. On flydubai, eligible ‘Lite,’ ‘Value’ and ‘Flex’ Economy Class fares, along with Business Class fares, are included.

Members can register through Emirates and flydubai’s digital channels. Eligible tickets can be purchased through online and offline sales channels, including travel agents.

Miles can be used for flights and upgrades

The bonus Miles can be used toward future rewards under the Emirates Skywards programme. Members can redeem Miles for flight rewards and upgrades on Emirates and flydubai, as well as selected rewards offered through the programme’s global partners.

The promotion comes as Emirates and flydubai continue to operate an integrated network from Dubai, connecting passengers with destinations across six continents. For Skywards members, flights operated by either airline can contribute to their Miles balance when the fare and other eligibility requirements are met.

The double-Miles offer is subject to the programme’s terms and conditions. Registration and booking are open from September 15 through September 30 2026, while eligible travel must be completed by November 30, 2026.

Emirates has secured regulatory approval to launch long-awaited daily passenger services between Dubai and Berlin, ending more than two decades of efforts to gain access to the German capital and marking a significant expansion of the airline’s European network.

The approval was announced during the state visit of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Germany, where the UAE also pledged to invest €40bn ($46.8bn) in Germany across sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure, energy and advanced industry. The expanded aviation rights formed part of a broader package of bilateral agreements aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

Read: UAE announces $46.6bn investment in Germany across AI, energy and industry

The new agreement allows Emirates to operate daily services between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), making Berlin the airline’s fifth destination in Germany after Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. The carrier has sought access to Berlin since the early 2000s but had repeatedly faced opposition from Germany’s aviation policy and incumbent airlines, particularly Lufthansa, over traffic rights under the bilateral air services agreement.

The Berlin route is expected to strengthen connectivity between the UAE and Germany by supporting business travel, tourism and cargo flows. For Emirates, the additional destination expands its footprint in one of Europe’s largest outbound travel markets while providing passengers with greater access to its global network via Dubai.