Mövenpick Plans Dubai Media City Hotel

Th 251-room property will be located opposite Dubai Media City’s new Dhs4.5 billion innovation hub.

Qatar Undertaking Projects Worth $8.48bn To Boost Tourism – Report

Over $2.5 billion worth of contracts were awarded in Qatar’s hotel and tourism sector last year.

St Regis To Open First Polo Resort In Dubai

The resort will have 136 rooms, residential villas, a polo academy, a polo club and a riding school.

Dubai’s Dnata Buys Majority Stake In UK-Based Holiday Firm

The company did not disclose the value of the deal or the exact size of the stake it purchased.

Egypt No Longer Sees Full Tourism Recovery In 2015

Tourism accounts for 11.3 per cent of Egypt’s economy and 19.3 per cent of its foreign currency revenues.

UAE Ranked Third In Global Muslim Travel Index

The Emirates was the top destination for Muslim tourists in the Middle East, which had five countries among the top 10 in the global list.

UAE Among Most Popular Global MICE Destinations In 2014 – Study

New visa exemptions and more routes from Emirates helped the country become a popular incentive destination.

Abu Dhabi Reports 48% Rise In Cruise Tourists

The emirate’s 2014/2015 cruise season has 94 confirmed vessel calls, up from 75 in the previous season.

Developer Damac Reveals Plans to Create A Rainforest In Dubai

The rainforest, to be created within a dome, will be located in Damac’s Akoya Oxygen project.

Dubai’s Ruler Launches New Projects Featuring Snow Fountain, Vertical Gardens

The new projects will be developed by the Wasl Asset Management Group across Dubai.

Dubai’s Jumeirah Group Says To Almost Double Hotel Portfolio By 2018

The group plans to open 20 hotels by 2018, its chief executive said.

Jumeirah Signs First Venu Hotel For Meraas’ Bluewaters Island Project

The hotel will have close to 300 rooms and is slated for completion in 2017.

Sheikh Mohammed Approves Renovation Of Dubai’s Historical District

Work on the project is slated to be completed by 2018, officials said.

Abu Dhabi Launches New Water Taxi Service To Eastern Mangroves

The weekend Abra service will run from Souk Qaryat Al Beri to Eastern Mangroves, with stops at three five-star hotels.

Dubai’s Al Maha Ranks Among TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Hotels For 2015

The desert resort ranked eighth among the world’s top 25 hotels as decided by TripAdvisor’s annual Travellers’ Choice awards.

Ajman’s R Hotels Gets Dhs204m Funding For Palm Project

The company’s Dhs500 million hotel project on Palm Jumeirah is set to open in Q4 2016.

Dubai Parks And Resorts Begins Work On DreamWorks Zone

The company said that work on the steel structure, in which the animation zone is located, has started.

New Dubai Mid-Market Brand Rove Plans 10 Hotels By 2020

Developed by Emaar Hospitality and Meraas, the brand targets young tech-savvy travellers.

Emaar Opens New Boutique Hotel Manzil Downtown Dubai

The hotel will have 155 standard king rooms, 56 twin rooms and eight Burj View suites, decorated in an Arabian cultural style.

Rotana Opens Bahrain Hotel

Design-led hotel targets business and leisure guests as more five-star supply beckons

Saudi’s Jabal Omar Signs SAR4bn Loan Refinancing For Mecca Project

It did not give the details of the previous loan but said it was signed with six banks in June 2012.

Anantara Opens New Luxury Island Resort In Doha

Banana Island Resort Doha is the group’s first property in Qatar.

Dubai’s Hotel Occupancy Rates Fall In October

Average occupancy fell by 0.3 per cent in October compared to the same period last year, a new survey showed.

Expat Residents Should Be Allowed Visa-Free Travel Across GCC – Official

The move will boost the GCC’s tourism industry, helping sectors such as aviation and hospitality.

Dur Hospitality Inks Deal With IHG To Operate Hotels In Saudi Arabia

As per the deal, a number of Holiday Inn & Suites branded hotels will be developed across the Kingdom over the next five years, IHG said in a statement.

Concrete Work On Abu Dhabi’s Louvre Museum Almost Complete

The museum, anticipated to be ready by December 2015, will encompass 9,200 square metres of art galleries.

Dubai Steps In To Redress Its ‘Unhealthy’ Luxury-Hotel Imbalance

Wasl Asset Management plans to open four three-star hotels in the emirate next year.

Dubai Parks And Resorts Tumbles On Bourse Debut As Oil Prices Drop

The company building Dubai’s mega theme park complex saw its share prices fall nine per cent on Wednesday.

Majority Of Oman’s Shura Council Votes To Ban Alcohol In Country

If enforced, it will become illegal to consume and trade alcohol across the sultanate.

Dur Hospitality To Tap Bank Loans As Riyadh Developer Expands

Dur Hospitality has been expanding across Saudi Arabia as the local economy picks up pace.