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UPFRONT
UAE introduces new working week
THE UAE INTRODUCED
ETIHAD LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST AIRLINE GREEN LOYALTY PROGRAMME
ETIHAD GUEST, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has introduced a series of sustainability-focused initiatives to reward members for making ‘green’ choices and providing options to reduce their own carbon footprint.
Conscious Choices supports Etihad’s overarching sustainability ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to halve 2019 emissions by 2035.
Travellers wishing to fly and spend more consciously and sustainably can now earn Tier Miles and other rewards for making sustainable choices such as carrying less baggage on board. They can also o set their flights’ carbon emissions using Etihad Guest Miles.
When they are not flying, members can earn Tier Miles by o setting everyday emissions such as driving, with options ranging from one month to one year’s worth of o sets, as well as emissions such as cooling your home or cooking your dinner for a month up to a year; donating miles to a green cause; and by purchasing sustainable products from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop in partnership with Collinson and CarbonClick. Members can also choose to ’go green’, by opting for a digital membership card instead of a physical one. a new four-and-a-half-day working week for federal government entities on January 1, 2022, as well as new working hours.
The new working week runs from Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 3.30pm, and on Friday from 7.30am to 12pm.
The UAE has become the first nation worldwide to introduce a national working week shorter than the global five-day week, o icial news agency WAM reported.
The move aims to boost work-life balance and enhance social wellbeing.
EXPO 2020 DUBAI VISITS EXCEED 6.3 MILLION
THE NUMBER OF VISITS to Expo 2020 Dubai crossed 6.35 million in the period up to December 13, 2021, following the mega event’s opening on October 1.
Visitor numbers were boosted by music concerts, sporting events and National Day celebrations, an Expo statement said.
Popular programmes included a concert by Alicia Keys at the Al Wasl Plaza on December 10, where she also unveiled her new release, Keys; a performance by Indian singer Neha Kakkar on December 12; and another by popular Filipino artists Sponge Cola and Matthaios, as well as the Expo World Choir, which featured singers and musicians from 142 nationalities.
Expo hosted 10,461 events in its rst two months with more than a quarter (28 per cent) of November visitors coming from outside the UAE. Top international visitor countries included India, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. e event has given Dubai arrivals gures a boost, with the latest data from Dubai Tourism revealing the destination received 4.88 million visitors between January and October 2021. e top ve source markets for the 10-month period were India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UK and USA respectively.
Visitors stayed 4.6 nights on average, up from 4.1 in 2020.
DUBAI TOURISM
ELECTRIC MOBILITY SPECIALIST FENIX has launched an on-demand shared electric bike service in the UAE and Qatar. The service has initially launched in Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island and Al Hamra communities in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA). In Qatar, FENIX has entered into an exclusive micro-mobility partnership with the ASPIRE Zone in Doha to provide visitors with a safe, convenient and e icient means of transport across the sports complex via its FENIX e-bikes. The e-bikes join a growing portfolio of mobility o erings provided by FENIX, including shared e-scooters and the region’s first private e-scooter subscription service MyFENIX.
Each purpose-built FENIX e-bike is equipped with an advanced pedal-assist motor system, a functional basket and illuminous front and rear lights. The bikes have a range of 75 km on a single battery charge and are equipped with fast wireless charging smartphone holders for easy access to directions while riding, and built-in NFC readers for potential tap-to-pay integrations in the future.
FENIX e-bikes and e-scooters cost AED 1/QAR 1 per minute to ride and are the first in the region with a No Unlock Fee. fenix.life
NEOM and Volocopter to create world’s first bespoke public eVTOL system
NEOM, THE SMART and sustainable regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia and Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility, have established a joint venture (JV) company to design, implement, and operate the world’s rst bespoke public vertical mobility system in NEOM.
Air taxi and vertical logistics services will be fully integrated with the overall multi-modal and zero-emission public transit system in NEOM. e JV will be the sole operator of initial public transit routes across NEOM, while enabling an open eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-O and Landing) ecosystem for vertical mobility services including logistics, emergency response, and tourism.
NEOM has placed a con rmed order of 15 Volocopter aircra to commence initial ight operations within the next two to three years. eVTOLs are a crucial component of NEOM’s mobility mission, enabling transportation of people and goods without extensive surface infrastructure.
FLIGHT COMPENSATION company Colibra has launched ‘Fly Now, Pay if Okay’ in the UAE. The service allows passengers to book flights that they only pay for if their flight arrives on time. Tickets are available to book through the app, which can be downloaded from the AppStore and Google Play, and are only available for flights that depart and arrive within 30 days. Colibra has revealed it is looking to launch a similar service for hotel stays. colibra.io
INTERCONTINENTAL RAS AL KHAIMAH RESORT & SPA is preparing to open in Q1 2022. Located on the Hayat Island shoreline in Mina Al Arab, the beachfront resort o ers 351 rooms with overwater views, including private pool villas. Facilities will include six new culinary outlets, a spa, kids and teens clubs, and Club InterContinental, a resort within a resort housed in an exclusive building o ering personalised service, separate check-in area and access to a private pool. Meeting venues include a spacious ballroom and venues with the sea as a backdrop.
Novotel and Adagio open in Dubai’s JVT
NOVOTEL JUMEIRAH VILLAGE TRIANGLE and Adagio Aparthotel Jumeirah Village Triangle have opened their doors. e properties are 30 minutes from Dubai International and 20 minutes from Expo 2020 Dubai. Novotel JVT features 375 rooms and suites, three dining outlets, a swimming pool, fully equipped gym, and La Mar Spa.
Located adjacent to Novotel, Adagio Aparthotel JVT features 171 fully furnished and serviced accommodation, with Studio, Deluxe Studio, One Bedroom and Deluxe One Bedroom apartments, as well as Triplex and Duplex apartments with their own private swimming pools. All accommodation features a fully equipped kitchen and complimentary Wi-Fi. Housekeeping services are provided, and dry cleaning can also be arranged. ere’s also a ladies-only swimming pool and gym. Guests can pick up a grab and go breakfast at the Hub and have access to all the facilities at the Novotel property. HYATT WILL DEBUT its luxury lifestyle Andaz brand in Qatar in Q3 2022, just in time for the FIFA World Cup tournament. e 318-guestroom Andaz Doha, located in West Bay, will boast sea views and four innovative food and beverage outlets.
Hyatt plans its rst Andaz-branded hotel in Qatar
The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, located in The Pearl, Qatar will open this year (2022), hot o the heels of St Regis properties in Dubai and Cairo, which opened in 2021.
Quirky 25hours brand comes to Dubai
THE MIDDLE EAST’S first 25hours Hotel has opened in Dubai. 25hours Hotel One Central overlooks the Museum of the Future, is just minutes from Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and offers 434 rooms and suites.
Each room blends nomadic and contemporary design and quirky elements such as hammocks, double rainfall showers, roll-top baths, Schindelhauer bicycles, analogue telephones, UE Boom Bluetooth speakers and much more.
Room themes include the Bedouin Room, the Glamping Room, the Farmstay Suite, the extra-large Artist Village Suite and the Hakawati Suite with a Sheikh ‘triple-king’ bed, a double bathtub, dancefloor, private bar, private terrace, photo booth and more.
Dining venues span the Nomad Day Bar, in partnership with Dubaibased Nightjar Coffee Roasters; Tandoor Tina, for playfully combined British and Northern Indian cuisine; the popular Monkey Pool Bar; and the soon-to-open Ernst – a traditional Bavarian biergarten and wirtshaus. Business travellers will appreciate the fully kitted-out coworking spaces, meeting rooms, event spaces, open pantry and coffee bar at The Gallery on the first floor. Other creative spaces include a trade-in desk where guests can exchange their personal items for a night’s stay, a pottery studio, games room and a podcast studio.
INTERCONTINENTAL RAS AL KHAIMAH RESORT & SPA WILL OPEN SOON WITH 351 ROOMS
INTERCONTINENTAL RAS AL KHAIMAH RESORT
& SPA will open in Q1 2022, a beachfront resort offering 351 rooms with overwater views, including private pool villas, and six dining outlets. For an exclusive experience, Club InterContinental, a resort within a resort, is housed in an exclusive building offering personalised service, separate check in area, access to a private pool, and special privileges. Meeting venues include a spacious ballroom and venues with sea views.
HYATT CENTRIC MAKES ITS MIDDLE EAST DEBUT
THE MIDDLE EAST’S first property under the boutique lifestyle brand, Hyatt Centric, has opened in Dubai. Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai, pitched as a new social hub in the city’s La Mer district, is just 20 minutes from Dubai International, and features 173 rooms and suites, casual dining venues, an outdoor pool, spa, and a 24-hour fitness centre.
Hilton reveals regional line-up of 2022 openings
HILTON WILL OPEN six new properties across three brands in the Middle East over the next 12 months.
They include the 221-room Hampton by Hilton Doha Old Town in Qatar; the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait (pictured) featuring Japanese restaurant concept ROKA; Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah with a prime beachfront location; Hilton Bahrain, a 348-room property with studios and apartments; the Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi in the Maadi diplomatic district with meeting and event space; and the Conrad Rabat Arzana in Morocco with event space including a grand ballroom.
KEMPINSKI TO MANAGE WORLD’S FIRST FLOATING SEA PALACE RESORT IN DUBAI
LUXURY HOTEL GROUP Kempinski is to manage what it claims will be the world’s first floating sea palace resort, located in Dubai.
Kempinski Floating Palace, anchored next to the popular stretch of beach on the emirate’s Jumeirah Beach Road, will open in 2023 with 256 rooms, suites and villas.
It will also feature a floating helipad next to an impressive yacht parking deck for up to 16 yachts, enabling discerning guests to arrive in style.
The main building of this floating palace, structured in four parts, is connected in the middle by a glass pyramid, home to exclusive gourmet restaurants, bars, a spa, pools, boutiques and banquet areas and o ers the possibility for even larger yachts to sail in and out at the centre of the hotel.
Some of the 12 two-storey luxury villas, connected by pontoons, are for sale, but also for rent by hotel guests, and benefit from all the services o ered at the hotel. Not only will they feature a roof terrace and infinity pool and indoor and outdoor living rooms, but each doubles up as a luxury houseboat with all the technical features of a smart home.
Cruising at a maximum speed of six nautical miles, the villas are equipped with solar panels and are designed to be environmentally friendly. There are two-, three- and four-bedroom options available.
Four Seasons to enhance three iconic Middle East hotels
FOUR SEASONS is upgrading and expanding three of its ultra-luxurious Middle East properties this year.
Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh Resort in Egypt is doubling in size, adding 115 additional rooms and suites, ve restaurants, a dive centre, recreational facilities, and a conference centre for 2,000 guests, to be completed soon.
In Turkey, the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet (pictured) will unveil its full renovation in April. e historic landmark will re-emerge with a remodelled courtyard, elevated dining concepts and public areas, renovated guest rooms, and a newly added wellness area including a traditional Turkish hammam.
At Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre a hotel-wide transformation is underway, which includes enhancements to the lobby, reception, lobby lounge, rooms and suites, as well as the Royal and Kingdom Suites. Highlights include a Pierre Hermé patisserie and new restaurant under the patronage of Chef Daniel Boulud.
WOW VENUE
SLS DUBAI OPENS SKY-HIGH NIGHTCLUB ON 75TH FLOOR
Luxury lifestyle hotel SLS Dubai, located in Business Bay, has launched Privilege Nightclub. Located on the 75th Floor, it is one of the highest nightclubs in the world, taking the UAE party scene to new heights. DJs will spin the best beats to keep the vibe alive into the night while guests party next to infinity pools and 360-degree views of Dubai. Special nights range from Hip Hop and R&B on Fridays to ‘Saturdays on the 75th’, with DJ Slim taking guests through his unmissable set. Dining is part of the experience too, with menu highlights including Wagyu Short Rib Bao, the Crispy Tuna Taco, Lobster Thermidor or a Tru le Burger.
