UAE Plans Multiple Entry Visa Permit

The country plans to introduce multiple entry visas for cruise tourists by September this year.

Kingdom Holding Sells $200m Hotel

Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Company will retain its stake in the Fairmont San Francisco Hotel.

Gulf States Warned Off Lebanon

UAE, Bahrain and Qatar have urged their citizens not to travel to Lebanon as Syria unrest spreads.

Oman Eyes 2,000 New Hotel Rooms

The Gulf state will add a plethora of new hotel and resort rooms across the country by 2012-2013.

Dubai Plans New Safari Project

The Dhs150 million project will replace the existing zoo and will also include a butterfly park and golf courses.

Abu Dhabi Eyes The Big Apple

The emirate is planning a massive advertising campaign in New York’s Times Square to attract more US visitors.

Top Hotels To Hire 50,000 In MENA

Five international hotel brands are planning to hire almost 50,000 staff in the region over the next three to five years.

Jeddah Hotels Post 30% Profit Rise In March

Hotels in the Saudi Arabian city saw average occupancy rates of 81 per cent during the month.

Starwood To Open 40 MENA Hotels By 2017

The international hotel operator is planning to add 13,000 new rooms to the region by 2017.

Emirates Scoops Accolades At BTME Awards

The Dubai-based airline bagged four awards at the Business Traveller Middle East (BTME) Awards 2012.

Heathrow’s Arabic Speaker Hiring Spree

The airport is increasing measures to cater to the rising number of visitors from the Gulf.

Dubai Plans To Build Undersea Hotels

Dubai’s Drydocks World has signed an agreement with a Swiss firm to build the new hotels.

Qataris Spend $4,100 Per Day On Travel

Compared to the rest of the world, GCC nationals on average spend 260 per cent more on airfares.

Royal Jet Starts Luxury Travel Services

The Abu Dhabi-based private jet operator has partnered with a UK based travel firm to offer luxurious holiday packages.

Dubai’s Hotels Post 24% Q1 Rise In Revenues

The emirate’s hotels also recorded a nine per cent rise in guest numbers during the first quarter of the year.

RAK Plans $250m Tourism Push In 2012

The emirate is aggressively developing its hospitality sector and aims to attract 2.5 million visitors by 2015.

MENA To See 195m Tourists By 2030

According to UNWTO, tourist arrivals in the region are set to grow seven per cent per year over the next 20 years.

GCC Visitors Flock To Munich

Last year, 80 per cent of the Gulf travellers visited the German city for medical reasons.

Tap Online, Experts Urge Hotels

Regional hotel operators must invest in new technologies to stay ahead, say industry experts.

Arab Spring Impact On UAE “Subtle”

Despite popular belief, the UAE’s hospitality sector did not benefit in a major way from the Arab Spring, said experts.

GCC May Soon Have E-Visa Platform

Jumeriah boss, Gerald Lawless, said the GCC could introduce an electronic visa platform for global visitors.

Kerzner Sells Stake in Dubai’s Atlantis

Istithmar World confirmed it has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the landmark Dubai hotel for $250 million.

Marriott To Hire 12,000 Staff

Company plans 43 more hotels and 100 per cent more jobs in the next five years.

Dubai Gets 12,000 New Hotel Rooms

The emirate will see a flood of new hotels rooms in the next three years said STR Global.

Bahrain Is “Not Syria” Says Circuit Boss

Formula One teams taking part in the Bahrain Grand Prix will not be at risk, circuit chairman Zayed Al Zayani has said.

Saudi’s Al-Tayyar Group Plans 30% IPO

The travel firm had to cancel a similar sale two years ago due to a lack of demand.

Scaling Green Heights

In between climbing mountains and running his eco-friendly travel company, Omar Samra has a chat with Aarti Nagraj.

Global Shoppers Spend $497m During DSF

Interestingly, visitors from Russia were the biggest spenders in the UAE during the Dubai Shopping Festival, according to Visa.

UAE Hotels See 80% Occupancy

The occupancy rate for hotels in February reduced by 2.4 per cent year-on year, according to STR Global.

Accor To Hire 4,000 Staff In ME

The hotel group targets to have 100 hotels either operating or under construction in the region by 2015.