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UPFRONT
QATAR-BASED KATARA HOSPITALITY has partnered with Accor on a new Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier property in Morocco. The historical palace features 133 rooms and suites, a spa, multiple restaurants and bars, as well as conference rooms and banquet spaces. The hotel is located in the heart of the upscale residential Boubana area, and is a short distance from the city centre and the Corniche, as well as a 20-minute drive from the airport. The palace showcases Arab-Andalusian architecture, combining ancient and modern design that pay tribute to Moroccan traditions.
HOTEL AND PRIVATE members’ brand, The Ned, is the latest in a series of high-end properties opening in Qatar ahead of the World Cup. The 90-room property features seven restaurants including Cecconi’s and Electric Diner, as well as a health club and spa, fitness centre and a 30-metre outdoor pool. The Ned Doha is housed within a building originally designed by Lebanese architect William Sednaoui, which was previously home to the former Ministry of the Interior. The property also features a collection of over 150 works of art curated by the co-founders of Mathqaf, a platform for art and culture from West Asia and North Africa.
New Jumeirah resort coming to Bahrain
JUMEIRAH GROUP, a member of Dubai Holding, will open a new resort in Bahrain this month. e Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort and Spa will feature 196 rooms and suites, as well as a sprawling 11-bedroom Gulf Summer House located directly on the beach. e property includes eight signature dining options. Its leisure and recreation facilities meanwhile include Jumeirah’s Talise Spa, a femaleonly spa facility, couple treatment rooms, an indoor pool, gym, tennis courts and a 36-seater cinema too.
The Ned debuts in Doha
BUSINESS TRAVELLERS REVEAL THE PROS OF TRAVEL FOR WORK 30%
say the main benefit is meeting new people
27%
say it provides an opportunity to do new and more enriching work
26%
say it o ers informal time with colleagues to build relationships
25%
say it provides an opportunity to take part in higher profile work
24%
say it raises their profile in the organisation
24%
say it allows them to do work they might not otherwise have done
21%
say it provides an opportunity to spend individual facetime with important people in an organisation
Source: World Travel Protection survey conducted by Opinium, May 2022
ETIHAD AIRWAYS has partnered with Armani/Casa on a collection which has been designed by Giorgio Armani. Starting December 2022, the products from the new Etihad and Armani/Casa collaboration known as ‘ e Constellation Collection’ and inspired by the stars will debut across select aircra from the UAE national carrier’s eet. e Constellation Collection includes a new dining service which features ceramics, glassware, cutlery and serving ware, as well as premium textiles for a revamped in ight experience in its business class cabins. Sustainability is front and centre with the new collection. Etihad says that the material used has reduced equipment weight by up to 10 per cent, resulting in less fuel burn and fewer emissions by its aircra .
NEW CEO APPOINTED AT ETIHAD
Antonoaldo Neves has been appointed as the group chief executive o icer of Etihad Aviation Group, replacing Tony Douglas who served in that role since January 2018. Neves was formerly the CEO and board member of TAP, the national airline of Portugal. Prior to TAP, he was the president of Azul Airlines in Brazil, and led the company to an IPO on the NYSE. Last month, the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic A airs transferred full ownership of Etihad Aviation Group to ADQ, the Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company.
Salamair becomes first carrier to connect Czech Republic with Oman
SALAMAIR WILL BECOME the first carrier to operate direct scheduled flights between Oman and Prague when it commences services on the route this month. Starting November 4, the carrier will operate one weekly direct flight each from two cities in Oman – Muscat and Salalah – to Prague. Its non-stop flight to Prague departs every Friday from Muscat and every Wednesday from Salalah. The Czech Republic is the carrier’s second destination in Europe. The airline commenced operations in 2017 and currently operates a fleet of A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
Ennismore to open two new hotels in Saudi Arabia’s Neom
HOTEL DEVELOPMENT, the Neom hospitality division, has inked a deal with Ennismore as its inaugural hotel partner. e deal will see two of Ennismore’s brands – 25 Hours Hotels and Morgans Originals – open properties in Trojena, Neom’s mountain tourism destination that features a ski village. e 25 Hours property has an in-house cinema, a farm-to-table restaurant, a bike workshop with co-working spaces, as well as a roo op restaurant with a pool. e Morgans Originals hotel will meanwhile feature four dining outlets, a 2,000 sqm spa and bathhouse, in addition to an architecturally striking ski slope roof.
EMIRATES: INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PICKS
There are 45 Academy Award-winning films, 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment, over 1,500 movies and 1,500 hours of TV to choose from. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss
ELIZABETH: A PORTRAIT IN PARTS This documentary chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch who passed away in September. She was also the longest-serving female head of state in history.
ELVIS The Baz Luhrmanndirected biographical musical drama is a must-watch for fans of The King of Rock and Roll. Also on the IFE in Emirates are six films starring Elvis.
THE BEATLES AND INDIA The documentary uses rare archival footage. photographs, eyewitness accounts and expert commentary to explain the creative influence of the Asian country on the British band.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK Over three-andhalf-decades since the original release, Tom Cruise makes a roaring comeback in this adrenalin-fuelled blockbuster. The movie is believed to have grossed over US$1.45 billion at the box o ice.
WTTC ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS FOR UPCOMING GLOBAL SUMMIT IN RIYADH
THE WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM
COUNCIL (WTTC) will organise the 22nd edition of its Global Summit from November 28-December 1 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh. Held under the theme of ‘Travel for a Better Future’, the speakers at the event include Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International; Paul Gri iths, CEO, Dubai International Airports; Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton; and Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, among others. Government o icials addressing the gathering include Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy; Ahmed Al Khateeb, the kingdom’s Minister of Tourism, and Princess Haifa Al Saud, its Vice Minister of Tourism.
Germany records surge in GCC citizen visits over H1 2022
THE GERMAN NATIONAL
TOURIST BOARD has said that the country recorded a staggering 318 per cent increase in overnight stays from GCC nationals in the rst six months of 2022. e six GCC countries include UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. GCC nationals accounted for over 335,000 stays in H1 2022, compared to just under 81,000 in 2021. Even though this year’s numbers are impressive, Germany has yet to recover to its pre-pandemic gures. e latest 2022 numbers are still 36.7 per cent lower compared to the corresponding period of 2019.
Emirates agrees codeshare with Batik Air
EMIRATES has activated a codeshare with Batik Air, a member carrier of the Lion Air Group. e codeshare will allow its passengers access to 25 Indonesian points on a single ticket and with one baggage policy. Emirates has placed its code on eight routes operated by Batik Air via Jakarta to Balikpapan, Denpasar, Medan, Manado, Padang, Surakarta, Surabaya and Makassar. In addition, via an interline agreement, Emirates customers can also access 17 more domestic Indonesian points via Jakarta and Denpasar, to cities such as Praya, Semarang and Sorong, among others. Emirates currently has codeshare agreements with 26 airline partners and two rail companies, as well as 110 interline partnerships worldwide.
