A YEAR IN REVIEW

2021 >

May

Atm Goes Hybrid

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) stages its first hybrid show, with the live event, running from May 8 to 11, attracting more than 21,600 attendees from 110 countries and the virtual event (May 17 and 18) registering 30,790 profiles and hosting almost 20,000 face-to-face meetings.

SAUDIA/ETIHAD DEAL

Etihad Airways and SAUDIA launch a new reciprocal loyalty agreement, expanding on the existing codeshare deal between the two airlines. It means members of the Etihad Guest and ALFURSAN programmes can now earn and redeem miles on flights across both carriers’ networks.

St Regis Opens On The Palm

The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm opens with 264 rooms and 26 suites, two infinity swimming pools, four restaurants, bars, and lounges, and the signature 24-hour St. Regis Butler Service.

June

SAUDIA’S SEAT+ SERVICE

SAUDIA introduces Seat+, a new service enabling guests to buy one or more adjacent seats on their flights at nominal prices to enjoy increased space and greater comfort in the economy class cabin. It launches on flights to Washington, New York, London, and Frankfurt, with more destinations planned.

NEOM’S CORAL GARDEN

NEOM Company and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announce a joint project to establish the world's largest coral garden at Shushah Island in the Red Sea area of NEOM, in northwest Saudi Arabia. The project is a tangible demonstration of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to protect 95% of nature within NEOM.

JAZEERA AIRWAYS HEADS TO LHR

Jazeera Airways launches a weekly service (every Friday) between Kuwait and London Heathrow. It’s the first low-cost carrier from the Gulf to operate a direct service from the region to the UK capital. The route is being operated by an Airbus A320neo.

July

Emirates Ramps Up Network

The opening of travel corridors between the UAE and multiple destinations leads to Emirates boosting its network, with the carrier operating more than 280 weekly flights from Dubai across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian Ocean from July 1.

Ireland Welcomes Back Gulf Visitors

The Republic of Ireland rolls out the EU’s new Digital COVID Certificate, which is extended to vaccinated visitors from outside of the EU, including the GCC countries. This means all travellers with approved vaccinations can now visit Ireland without the need for a test or quarantining.

Qatar Reopens To Global Travellers

Qatar reopens its borders to international travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A new streamlined set of measures designed to make travelling to Qatar as easy as possible, while maintaining the necessary precautions to continue to protect against the spread of COVID-19, are implemented in July 2021.

August

Gulf Countries Moved From Uk Red List

The UAE, Qatar and Bahrain are finally moved from the UK’s red list to its amber list. The new rules, which eliminate the need for all travellers from these countries to complete a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine on arrival to the UK, are announced on August 4 by the UK’s Secretary of State of Transport, Grant Shapps.

Hotel Roll Out In Qatar

Qatar will open at least 22 new hotels by the end of 2021, bringing 5,646 rooms to market, according to the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. Another 17 projects with 5,677 rooms are planned for completion by the end of 2022, it says, with developers fast-tracking projects in time for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in November 2022.

Cathay Premium Economy To Dubai

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific rolls out is Premium Economy product on the airline’s A350-900, which serves the Dubai-Hong Kong route.