Qatar to invest $30bn in Egypt’s Alam El Roum, a Mediterranean development with 250,000 jobs, 7.2km beach and 4,500 hotel rooms
Travel & Hospitality
Latest in Travel & Hospitality
Emirates Tourism Council
UAE unveils major 2026 tourism projects and data platform as visitor revenues hit $517m
UAE approves 2026 tourism projects, a national data platform, and the sixth ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign after $517m revenues
Nigeria
EXCLUSIVE: New 10,000-capacity venue coming to the UAE as part of Nigeria’s tourism push
The cultural landmark aims to showcase Africa’s talent across music, art, food and design
air travel
Air travel goes digital: IATA says passengers want full smartphone journeys
IATA 2025 Global Passenger Survey shows rising smartphone and biometric use, with 78% of travellers seeking fully digital air travel
Biometric technology
Smarter travel systems to unlock $401bn for global economy, create 14 million jobs by 2035: Report
Among the key recommendations are full digitalisation of visas and travel authorisations, the integration of digital identities and the use of biometric systems to accelerate border processing
abu dhabi airport
Etihad launches 4 new routes to Tunis, Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Hong Kong in record year
Etihad Airways expands network with new routes to Tunis, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Hong Kong, strengthening Abu Dhabi as aviation hub
Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab unveils private island experience in Dubai’s World Islands
Experiences start at AED30,000
Bahrain
Saudi and Bahraini tourism ministers look to boost cooperation
Ministers from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain meet at the Gateway Gulf 2025 forum to explore joint initiatives for strengthening regional tourism ties
biometric
Dubai goes ‘passport-free’: Emirates invests $23.1m in 200 biometric cameras
Dubai Airport passengers can now travel ‘passport-free’ as Emirates installs 200 biometric cameras in $23.1m DXB upgrade
flyadeal
Saudi Arabia’s most punctual airports and airlines revealed
Saudi Arabia’s GACA report names Riyadh, Dammam and AlUla among the most punctual airports, as flyadeal leads airlines for punctuality
Aviation
Saudia launches first fully internet-enabled flight with free high-speed WiFi for all passengers
Saudia Airlines launches its first fully internet-enabled flight with free WiFi reaching 300 Mbps, marking major digital transformation
cruise industry
EXCLUSIVE: Global cruise lines steering clear of Saudi ports until late 2027 amid Red Sea tensions – Cruise Saudi CEO
Despite a slowdown in foreign cruise calls, domestic demand remains strong and Cruise Saudi is already in talks with global operators for the 2027–28 season, CEO Lars Clasen says
Future Investment Initiative
Saudi Arabia to invite 197 nations to Expo 2030 Riyadh, expects 42 million visitors
Expo 2030 CEO says the event is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs and boost economic growth
Emirates
How Emirates is turning to AI to shake up in-flight turbulence risk
Emirates deploys AI, machine learning, and real-time data from IATA and Lufthansa to reduce turbulence and enhance safety
Dnata
dnata, Visa unveil exclusive benefits for GCC’s wealthy travellers
Eligible cardholders will gain access to value-added benefits including upgrades, preferred rates and bespoke experiences offered by select hotel partners
Abu Dhabi Airports
Abu Dhabi Airports reports double-digit passenger growth
Between July 1 and September 30 2025, the airports welcomed 8.49 million passengers, a 10.1% increase compared with the same period in 2024
Africa
UAE to help bolster tourism and key sectors in more than 20 African nations
Joint ministerial statement identifies five key pillars to boost collaborative efforts: tourism, investment, sustainability, aviation and innovation
