Exclusive video: Inside a Spanish cruise ship homeporting from Dubai

Dubai is hoping to receive 725,000 cruise tourists in the 2018/19 season

Abu Dhabi welcomes more than 10 million visitors in 2018

More than 2.6 million people visited for the emirate’s cultural destinations, including Louvre Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al Hosn

Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan again features in Dubai Tourism ad campaign

The six-part series shows the Bollywood actor on a treasure hunt across the city

Burj Khalifa[2] dubai

Dubai receives 15.92 million international visitors in 2018

Tourist numbers from China rose 12 per cent last year

Saudi Crown Prince launches tourism mega-project in Al Ula

The project’s main resort will be designed by Jean Nouvel – the man behind Louvre Abu Dhabi

Six Flags Dubai theme park put on hold as funding withdrawn

The syndicated financing intended to help pay for the park is no longer available

Dubai World Trade Centre wins bids to host 10 new events from 2019-2022

The new events are expected to welcome around 37,000 delegates and provide an economic boost of roughly Dhs700m

Dubai waives Dhs1,000 fee to boost tourism industry

The PRO card, which cost Dhs1,000 and was subject to an annual renewal fee, was needed for requests for permits and approvals

In pictures: Sheikh Mohammed visits mega Italian cruise ship

The MSC Splendida is docked at Port Rashid in Dubai

Saudi aims to rank among world’s top 10 entertainment destinations

The kingdom plans to host auto races, magic shows and theatrical performances this year

Saudi’s Red Sea project masterplan gets board approval, eyes 2030 completion

The approved master plan will see 22 islands developed offering over 10,000 hotel rooms

Sheikh Mohammed reviews new projects in Hatta

Hatta is in the midst of a 10-year redevelopment plan to become a tourism hub

Over one million expected to visit Saudi’s first ‘global village’ in Jeddah

The festival will run for a month at Jeddah’s waterfront with pavilions from roughly 50 countries

The UAE’s highest ice rink opens at the top of Jebel Jais

The rink is located 1,300 metres above sea level at the peak of the Ras Al Khaimah mountain

Bahrain to develop ‘world’s largest’ underwater theme park

The dive site will have a 70-metre long decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece, the largest aircraft ever to be submerged

Dubai Frame receives one million visitors in its first year

The 150m structure opened in January 2018

Dubai Parks and Resorts records almost 2.8 million visits in 2018

Average occupancy at the Lapita hotel rose to 60 per cent in 2018, compared to 35 per cent in 2017

RTA to operate ferry between Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall

The ferry service will take about 1 hour 20 minutes one-way

Dubai Tourism to return $68m in bank guarantees to local firms

Bank guarantees will be returned to tourism companies in Dubai as the emirate seeks to attract 25 million visitors by 2025

New mega entertainment complex launched in Riyadh

The complex will have facilities for sports activities, picnics, live events as well as F&B options and cinema halls

Tourist numbers up 1.6% in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

The number of tourists coming from Russia rose by 64.8 per cent, with German visitor numbers rising 14.7 per cent

Indians top list of nationalities visiting Dubai

The data relates to tourists who visited Dubai between January-September this year

Weekly direct flight launched between Ras Al Khaimah and Poland’s Wroclaw

Launched by Enter Air – a charter airline of tour operator TUI Poland – the new route will be served every Sunday

Dubai ranked top travel destination for UAE residents

New list by travel site Agoda shows popularity of staycations for residents

Chinese travel to the GCC expected to increase 81% by 2022

A growing number of direct flights and increasing Chinese disposable income are expected to boost the market

Ras Al Khaimah to attempt fireworks world record on NYE

The emirate intends to hold a 12-minute fireworks display at Al Marjan Island

Saudi says mega Red Sea project ‘on track’ to complete phase 1 in 2022

The project is expected to add over $5.86bn to the kingdom’s GDP when complete

Saudi launches project to boost sustainable tourism-related jobs

The Public Investment Fund will set up a company to develop the project

Over 4,500 retailers sign up for UAE’s tourist VAT refund scheme

The scheme will be implemented from Sunday, November 18, 2018, at the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah International Airports

Dubai’s Bluewaters island with world’s largest observation wheel opens

The Dhs8bn project, located across JBR, features residential, hospitality, leisure and entertainment spaces