Fuelled by their rapid expansion, Middle East carriers posted the strongest growth in passenger traffic in the world last year at 17.8%, according to a new report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Middle East:
Thursday, February 03 - 2011 at 16:07
French hotel group Accor has revealed plans to open 18 new hotels across the Middle East over the next three years, raising its total to 54 in the region. Many of the new properties will be in the economy or mid-market segment as the company aims to target budget-minded travellers.
US-based Hawker Beechcraft believes the private aviation sector in the Middle East will see strong growth over the next two years as the region's economy recovers from the downturn. The company expects much of its business in the region to come from it special mission aircraft.
Although world-class golf courses and sunny weather are in abundance in the UAE, golf tourists represent a surprisingly small portion of visitors to the country. However, as hotels face increasing competition for guests in the wake of the economic downturn, golf tourism is seen as a promising sector that offers great opportunities for the UAE's hotel industry.
United Arab Emirates:
Tuesday, January 18 - 2011 at 11:02
As part of an aggressive growth strategy in the Middle East, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel group says it plans to more than double its hotel volume in the region between now and 2012. The first of these new properties will be the company's long-awaited hotel in Dubai's financial district, which opens its doors this week.
United Arab Emirates:
Wednesday, January 12 - 2011 at 09:59
Abu Dhabi's tourism authority has released new data showing that the emirate is on track to exceed its 2010 target for hotel guests, but a large influx of new hotel supply in the emirate has led to a decline in revenues and occupancies.
United Arab Emirates:
Sunday, December 05 - 2010 at 15:57
Hotel investment activity is gaining pace worldwide, but remains relatively sluggish in the Middle East due to market uncertainty and lack of strategic investors, according to Jones Lang Lasalle Hotels.
Middle East:
Thursday, November 18 - 2010 at 14:19
After more than seven years of conflict, post-war Iraq is looking to boost its economy by attracting more visitors to its historic and religious sites. The country's tourism push has sparked interest from a growing number of hotels and airlines which are looking to capitalise on the opportunities offered by this emerging destination.
Airports in the Middle East are investing in technology to reduce bottlenecks for travellers and speed the turnaround time for check-in and boarding aircraft, according to travel industry IT provider SITA. While airports in the region trail the rest of the world in terms of the roll out of this new technology, they are gaining ground fast.
Over the next two years Movenpick Hotels & Resorts will open five hotels in Dubai, adding many more rooms to an already crowded market that has seen revenues fall sharply due to oversupply. However, the Swiss hotel chain says its properties in the emirate are still seeing 'very decent profit margins', led by a rebound in the business sector, and it remains upbeat about the emirate's long-term prospects.
The International Air Transport Association says Mena carriers will record higher profits this year, but warns that profits will be lower in 2011 as capacity outstrips demand.
Hotels are rapidly developing new technology in order to keep pace with the evolution of smart phones, home entertainment systems, and other high-tech gadgets. Following is a look at some of the exciting new technology that is becoming more commonplace in hotels across the world.
Occupancies and revenues in Abu Dhabi hotels fell sharply in first half of 2010, largely due to oversupply in the market. With many new hotel projects in the pipeline, hotels in the emirate are likely to face continued challenges in the months to come as attractions slowly come online, according to a new report by Euromonitor International.
United Arab Emirates:
Sunday, October 17 - 2010 at 15:37
After experiencing a sharp decline in the wake of the downturn the business jet market in the Middle East is seeing a recovery in recent months, led by rising demand in the corporate sector.
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BlackBerry's signature messaging app BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) will be available to download in the App Store for iPhone and via Google Play for Android...
TAV Construction, one of the top three airport construction companies in the world, won the design and construction tender for the King Khaled Airport...
Qatar is an oil-rich peninsula jutting out into the Gulf between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The majority of the country consists of sand dunes and salt flats.