Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2008 announces this year's winners

Voted for by readers of Business Traveller magazine, these awards cover a range of essential categories, including favourite airlines, airports, hotels, golf courses and car rental companies and are an important recognition of achievement, awarding exceptional levels of quality and service.

The gala dinner event, which is traditionally staged on the eve of Arabian Travel Market, attracted more than 400 international and regional guests, all eager to discover who had been voted as the best in the region by the magazine's discerning readers. The Godolphin Ballroom at Jumeirah's Emirates Towers provided a sophisticated and glamorous setting for the event where guests listened to an informative and humorous address by Martyn Lewis, were entertained by a live musicians including a performance by songstress Therese Neaimé.

The awards, hosted by the publisher of Business Traveller Middle East, Motivate Publishing, were sponsored by FEDEX and supported by global travel company Radius. The record number of votes received for this year's event were independently counted and verified by Jacobson's Direct Marketing Services.

"The Business Traveller Middle East Awards continue to be the benchmark for excellence in the region's travel and hospitality industry" said Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Publishing and publisher of Business Traveller Middle East. "The winners were all clearly thrilled by this recognition of their achievements and I congratulate them all."

It was a successful night for Emirates, which scooped four awards, including Best Airline received by Emirates' President Tim Clark, and Best Frequent Flyer programme. The Best European Airline Award went to British Airways and Singapore Airlines retained its title of Best Asian Airline, as well as airline with the Best Business Class.

Dubai International Airport was feted as Best Airport in the Middle East and Best Airport in the Middle East for Duty Free Shopping. Avis was named Best Car Rental Company in the Middle East and the InterContinental Group celebrated as it picked up the award for the Best Hotel Chain in the Middle East. Despite anticipating a long week ahead of them with the Arabian Travel Market beginning the next morning, the audience stayed to celebrate the success of all the evening's winners, who were as follows:

Airlines

Best cabin staff:
1. Etihad Airways
2. Qatar Airways
3. Emirates

Best airline frequent flyer programme:
1. Emirates Skywards
2. British Airways Executive Club
3. Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan

Best regional airline:
1. Emirates
2. Etihad Airways
3. Qatar Airways

Best Asian airline:
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Thai Airways International
3. Cathay Pacific

Best European airline:
1. British Airways
2. Lufthansa
3. Air France

Airline with best economy class:
1. Etihad Airways
2. Emirates
3. Qatar Airways

Airline with best business class:
1. Emirates
2. British Airways
3. Etihad Airways

Airline with best first class:
1. Singapore Airlines
2. British Airways
3. Emirates

Best airline:
1. Emirates
2. Etihad Airways
3. Qatar Airways

Airports

Best airport in the Middle East:
1. Dubai International Airport
2. Abu Dhabi International Airport
3. Bahrain International Airport

Best airport in the Middle East for duty free shopping:
1. Dubai International Airport
2. Bahrain International Airport
3. Abu Dhabi International Airport

Best airport in the world:
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Dubai International Airport
3. Heathrow International Airport

Car Rental

Best car rental company in the Middle East:
1. Avis
2. Hertz
3. Budget

Golf Course

Best golf course in the Middle East:
1. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
2. Emirates Golf Club
3. Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Business Hotels

Best business hotel in Abu Dhabi:
1. Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers
2. Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
3. InterContinental Abu Dhabi

Best business hotel in Amman:
1. Grand Hyatt Amman
2. Sheraton Amman Al Nabila Hotel & Towers
3. InterContinental Amman

Best business hotel in Manama:
1. The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa
2. Sheraton Bahrain Hotel
3. InterContinental Regency Bahrain

Best business hotel in Beirut:
1. InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut
2. Sheraton Coral Beach Hotel & Resort
3. Gefinor Rotana Hotel

Best business hotel in Cairo:
1. InterContinental Citystars Cairo
2. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
3. Conrad Cairo

Best business hotel in Doha:
1. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
2. InterContinental Doha
3. Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel

Best business hotel in Dubai:
1. Jumeirah Emirates Towers
2. Grosvenor House
3. Fairmont Dubai

Best business hotel in Jeddah:
1. InterContinental Jeddah
2. Sheraton Jeddah Hotel
3. Jeddah Hilton Hotel

Best business hotel in Kuwait City:
1. JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City
2. Sheraton Kuwait Hotel & Towers
3. Holiday Inn Kuwait Downtown

Best business hotel in Muscat:
1. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa
2. Grand Hyatt Muscat
3. Radisson SAS Hotel, Muscat

Best business hotel in Riyadh:
1. InterContinental Riyadh
2. Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers
3. Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh

Best business hotel in the Middle East:
1. Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai
2. Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, Abu Dhabi
3. InterContinental Citystars Cairo

Hotel Chains - Middle East

Best leisure/resort hotel in the Middle East:
1. Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
2. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat
3. Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah

Best hotel loyalty programme:
1. InterContinental Priority Club
2. Rotana Rewards
3. Starwood Preferred Guest

Best hotel chain:
1. InterContinental
2. Rotana
3. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts