#tourism

Saudi Arabia welcomes 60 million visitors in H1 2024

Saudi Arabia welcomes 60 million visitors in H1 2024

Saudi Arabia witnessed a 22.9 per cent increase in visitor spending in Q1 2024 compared to the previous year

Diriyah awards $2bn contract for mixed-use district

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah awards $2bn contract for mixed-use district

The contract was awarded to a joint venture to build educational institutions, cultural venues, offices and a luxury hotel

Egypt’s $50bn FDI boosts tourism, residential construction

Egypt’s $50bn FDI sparks growth in tourism, housing construction

The value of residential projects in Egypt totalled around $36bn in Q1 2024, ranking the country third after Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Travelling to Europe this summer? Use Uber's new boat services

Visiting Europe this summer? Try Uber’s new boat services

Tourists will be able to use the Uber app to access new nautical experiences in Ibiza, Venice, Athens, Paris, Corfu and Santorini

Staycations rise, visitors staying longer in Middle East, reveals travel report

Staycations rise, visitors staying longer in Middle East, reveals travel report

The emphasis on regional travel, unique experiences and budget-friendly options like cruises are set to shape the future of tourism in 2024 and beyond

GCC’s non-oil sector sees robust growth despite production cuts

GCC’s non-oil sector sees robust growth despite production cuts, ICAEW says

The overall GCC budget position is projected to remain somewhat in surplus this year, driven by robust financial standings and favourable credit ratings

Egypt: AD Ports, Red Sea Port Authority ink cruise terminals deal to boost tourism

The agreement, which includes a total investment of $4.7m over the next 15 years, aims to make the terminals operational by 2025

Cathay Pacific to connect Hong Kong with Riyadh

Cathay Pacific to launch flights connecting Hong Kong with Riyadh

The new service is expected to offer more travel options while promoting business, trade and tourism opportunities

Turkey-Kuwait-X

Kuwait’s Sheikh Meshal tours Turkey in first non-Arab state visit

The visit underscored the importance of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Kuwait and laid the groundwork for enhanced cooperation in various fields

DET, Emirates join forces to promote Dubai’s hub status

DET, Emirates partner to jointly promote Dubai’s tourism hub status

The two entities will promote the city’s business-friendly policies and processes, ultra-modern infrastructure, and innovation-led economy

Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways offer free stopover stays programme image DCT Abu Dhabi

Etihad, DCT Abu Dhabi to offer free stopover stays in emirate

ravellers can choose from a selection of hotels across the city for one or two nights as part of their online booking on the airline’s website

Emirates Airline expands retrofit program to 191 aircraft

Dubai’s Emirates Airline expands retrofit programme to 191 aircraft

The airline’s original plan was to have 67 A380s and 53 777s undergo full refurbishment

Dubai airport passenger numbers to exceed 90 million in 2024

Dubai airport passenger numbers to exceed 90 million in 2024

The city’s main airport registered a 31.7 per cent increase in passenger traffic in 2023 to 86.9 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels

cyber incidents are a rising concern for travel, leisure and hospitality industry reveals Allianz GettyImages-1269232851

Cyber incidents pose key threat for travel, hospitality sectors, shows survey

The findings of the Allianz Risk Barometer are based on insights from 3,000 risk management professionals and leaders

Trending destinations for Middle East travellers in 2024; see list

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India and UAE remain the top travel destinations in 2024, revealed Wego, the online travel marketplace and travel app

NEOM, Saudi Red Sea Authority sign marine tourism MoU

NEOM, Saudi Red Sea Authority to formulate marine tourism regulations

The partnership seeks to implement and activate joint initiatives to advance research, deliver innovation and enhance the visitor experience

Etihad significantly expands codeshare with Air France-KLM (Image: Supplied by Etihad)

Air France KLM adds flights to North Africa amid Middle East tensions

Airlines have suspended hundreds of flights to and from Tel Aviv, as well as some to Lebanon and Jordan since the outset of the war

How Red Sea Global is delivering Saudi tourism

Red Sea Global’s CEO shares how the firm is delivering on Saudi’s tourism agenda

John Pagano tells Gulf Business how “nature and the environment”, the most valuable assets on the company’s balance sheet, differentiate RSG from other destinations

China Southern inaugurates flights from Beijing to Riyadh

China Southern launches new flights connecting Beijing with Riyadh

The new routes reinforce Saudi Arabia’s commitment to boost the growth of the travel and aviation sectors

Egypt’s finance minister says cutting inflation is priority

Egypt’s finance minister says cutting inflation is priority

Inflation dipped to 33.3 per cent in March from a record 38.0 per cent in September

Dubai sees strong overnight visitor numbers in Jan and Feb GettyImages-1417041621

Dubai receives 3.67 million overnight visitors in Jan-Feb

Dubai recorded 1.77 million international visitors in January, and 1.9 million in February, according to DET figures

Travel, tourism global contribution to hit record $11.1tn in 2024: WTTC

Travel, tourism global contribution to hit record $11.1tn in 2024: WTTC

In 2023, the travel and tourism sector accounted for 9.1 per cent share of the global GDP with a workforce of nearly 330 million

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP expands over 9% in 2023

The emirate’s GDP in 2023, reached Dhs1.14tn, marking its best performance in ten years

Abu Dhabi extends 10 per cent tourism tax waiver to boost events Image-courtesy-WAM

Abu Dhabi extends 10% tax waiver to boost events tourism

While enjoying the fee waiver, event organisers are mandated to secure event licenses through the Abu Dhabi Events Licensing System

EFG HERMES - gcc economy - sector

EFG Hermes reveals five must watch sectors for 2024

Following the theme of its conference, EFG Hermes highlights opportunities available in frontier emerging markets

Oman to invest $31bn in tourism sector by 2040. Getty Images by Emran Omar

Oman to invest $31bn in tourism sector by 2040

In 2023, Oman received four million visitors, up from 2.9 million in 2022, a year-on-year rise of almost 38 per cent

Emaar’s Dubai Mall welcomes 105 million visitors in 2023

Dubai Mall becomes most visited place in 2023, with 105 million visitors

The latest figures from Emaar Malls shows that a record 20 million people visited the mall in the first two months of this year alone

ADNEC Group contribute Dhs7.4bn to the local economy

ADNEC Group’s economic contribution in 2023 tops Dhs7.4bn

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition and Al Ain Convention Centre welcomed 1.78 million visitors, up 123 per cent from 802,000 visitors in 2022

Dubai hosted 17 million international visitors in 2023

Dubai welcomed 17 million international visitors in 2023

The tourism sector’s performance closely parallels Dubai’s 3.3 per cent GDP growth in the first nine months of 2023

WATCH: Messi shatters stereotypes in Saudi Tourism’s newest campaign

The campaign shines the spotlight on Saudi’s open and welcoming culture and the importance of inspiring young Saudi women to reach their full potential