A YEAR IN REVIEW

2022

January

Wynn Resorts In Mena First

Wynn Resorts reveals plans to make its debut in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with a multi-purpose 1,000-room integrated resort on Al Marjan Island. Scheduled to open in 2026, the luxury development marks the largest-of-its-kind foreign direct investment in Ras Al Khaimah and will be the first in the UAE to offer gaming.

Qatar Airways Turns 25

Qatar Airways marks its 25th anniversary with several initiatives including a global flights sale and special retro livery painted onto one of its B777 aircraft. The airline started operations in early 1994 but considers 2022 to be its 25th birthday as the carrier was relaunched in 1997 under the mandate of His Highness The Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Atm Date Change

ATM announces a date change for its 2022 event to fall in line with the UAE’s new Monday-Friday working week, launched on January 1, 2022. The revised dates – Monday May 9 to Thursday May 12 – also complement business activity in international markets, most of which run from Monday to Friday.

February

DXB STILL WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT

Dubai International airport (DXB) retains its title as the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger numbers for the eighth consecutive year. The airport saw 29.1 million passengers in 2021, a yearon-year growth of 12.7%, exceeding forecasts by more than half a million passengers. 2022 traffic could reach 55.1 million says Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

Dubai Leads Hotel Recovery

Dubai and Miami led the major global markets in hotel profit recovery for 2021, according to STR's full-year P&L data. Miami’s gross operating profit per available room beat pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 14 percentage points, while Dubai achieved 95% of its 2019 comparable level.

INTRODUCING THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

Dubai opens the architecturally stunning Museum of the Future (MOTF) – a 77-metre-high seven-storey metallic structure featuring displays and attractions ranging from a digital recreation of a tropical rainforest to an exhibit revealing what life could be like inside a huge space station in 2071. UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and Dubai Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, describes the museum as “the most beautiful building on Earth”.

“The museum’s exhibitions will fuel the passion of present and future generations, and spark their intellectual curiosity for science, technology and the knowledge that will help humanity to thrive and prosper in the decades ahead.”

His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, the UAE’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Museum of the Future (MOTF)

March

Expo 2020 Closes Its Doors

After running for 182 days non-stop, EXPO 2020

Dubai, the largest event to ever be staged in the Arab world, closes its doors. The Expo site will now evolve into District 2020, a smart and sustainable city, with 80% of Expo’s build environment repurposed into an integrated mixed-use community.

CIEL IS HALF-WAY THERE

Construction of the world’s tallest hotel tower, Ciel in Dubai Marina, reaches its half-way point, with work on the megastructure continuing beyond its 52nd floor.The property, developed by The First Group, designed by award-winning architectural firm NORR, and being built by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), will be 365 metres tall when completed in Q4 2023.

Uber In Uae Emission Pledge

Uber sets a target of one in four trips requested via the Uber app to be emission-free by 2030 in the UAE. Uber EMEA Head Anabel Diaz says the UAE’s modern infrastructure and ambitious goals around renewable energy, specifically the Net Zero Strategy and Energy Strategy 2050, make it “the ideal candidate and partner in achieving our sustainability goals in this region”.

April

Ain Dubai Stops Turning

Ain Dubai, world’s tallest observation wheel, is closed throughout Eid Al Fitr in April to allow for “enhancements”. The Bluewaters Island attraction, which opened in October last year and stands at more than 250 metres tall – about twice the height of the London Eye – is undergoing improvements to “introduce new and exciting offerings”.

Next Stop Osaka For Expo

As EXPO 2020 Dubai closes its doors after welcoming 24 million visits, Japan gears up to host the next edition of the global event. Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, Japan, will take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the banner of Designing Future Society for Our Lives, aiming to be a laboratory for future society and a place where the world’s knowledge will be brought together and shared to help resolve global issues.

Silver Whisper Heads To Saudi

Cruise Saudi reveals it will welcome Silver Whisper to KSA waters, the second ship operated by luxury cruise line Silversea after Silver Spirit took part in a trial summer season in 2020. Silver Whisper will be the fourth ship to sail the Red Sea as part of its World Cruise 2022, Tale of Tales.

May

ATM 2022 LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

Arabian Travel Market 2022 takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from May 9 to 12, staged under the theme ‘The future of international travel and tourism’. New features for 2022 include ATM Travel Tech, with a dedicated tech stage hosting seminars, debates and presentations.

Qatar World Cup Prep Underway

Qatar’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on November 21, ramp up, with new infrastructure and hotels nearing completion. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which runs until December 18, will mark the first time the world’s biggest football tournament will be hosted in the Middle East.

Dxb Closes Runway For 45 Days

Dubai Airports closes Dubai International’s (DXB) northern runway for a 45-day period between May 9 and June 22, 2022, to carry out complete refurbishment that will ensure “continued safety and efficient operations”. While regular runway maintenance is scheduled on a weekly basis, more extensive upgrades such as the one planned require a complete closure of the runway. The last time this level of work was carried out on the northern runway was in 2014, while the southern runway underwent similar improvements in 2019.