24 minute read
24 HOURS IN JEDDAH
Jeddah Set aside some time to explore this Red Sea city during your next business trip; you won’t be disappointed
Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s oldest city; a lively, cosmopolitan centre that is home to stunning architecture, pristine beaches and world-class cuisine. If you are lucky enough to nd yourself in this historic mercantile hub, take some time out to discover how an ancient port has evolved into one of the region’s most popular ‘hidden’ gems.
1 Awaken your taste buds with Arabic co ee Jeddah is known for its café culture and there are numerous places to grab a cup of co ee around the city – from a thimble-sized cup of aromatic Arabic co ee to an international-style latte with a local twist. Situated in Old Jeddah, Café Magad (@cafe_ magad) blends modern speciality co ee with a traditional Arabic brew, while Medd Café (meddco ee.com/ en), the rst café of its kind in Jeddah, sources its beans from international organic fair-trade farms. 2 Wander through Jeddah’s Old Town Spend the morning exploring the narrow streets of Jeddah’s historic old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known as ‘the Bridge of the Red Sea’, Jeddah has welcomed traders and pilgrims for centuries and has been the o cial seaport for the Holy City of Makkah since 647CE. e best way to explore the old city is on foot. Start at the eastern edge of Al Balad (old town) by Makkah Gate. e city walls have been reconstructed to give you a sense of how this medieval city’s ancient walls once looked. Notice the beautiful architecture of the houses, built using coral from the Red Sea. e Matbouli House Museum is an example of a traditional Hijazi merchant’s home, minimally refurbished and converted into a museum containing wood lattice balconies and old artefacts.
Continue walking and you will uncover Souq Al Alawi, which runs o Al Dahab St. Here, in Saudi Arabia’s 2
LEFT: Makkah Gate largest market, you can nd all manner of goods, from Arabian jewellery and Islamic art to local street food. Make sure not to accept the rst price given to you as bargaining here is a must!
In the centre of the Souq is Naseef House, once the home of King Abdul Aziz, the rst monarch and founder of Saudi Arabia and today, a museum and cultural centre. Look out for the huge tree to the le of the door – up until 1920, this was the only tree in the whole of Jeddah.
Tours of Jeddah’s historic old town can be taken independently or through Deira Tours (deira. com.sa) or Palms Land Tours (palmslandtours.com). 3 Try a tasty seafood lunch As a coastal city, Jeddah is known for its seafood. Check out Miami-style Blue Ocean for seafood platters and, in the north of the city, Al Qalzam Fisheries. For something quick to go, you could try ‘Khubz’ atbread (Arabic for ‘bread’) at Shukri bakery in the old town.
Or, if you’re keen to sample a Saudi fast-food favourite, try Al Baik’s (albaik.com/en) fried chicken – Al Baik has more than 40 branches in Jeddah.
4 Visit Jeddah’s floating mosque Located on the Red Sea coast, this beautiful mosque is one of Jeddah’s most popular attractions. Al Rahma, also known as ‘the oating mosque’, appears to be hovering above the water. Constructed in 1985 it blends traditional Islamic and modern architecture and uses state-of-the-art technology, including a digital display informing visitors of the day’s prayer times. e mosque is open 24 hours a day to Muslims and non-Muslims, but visitors should note that prayer times, held ve times daily, are busy. Men and women are asked to pray separately and to dress modestly when entering the mosque. 5 Check out the world’s largest flagpole Situated in the centre of King Abdullah Square is Jeddah’s agpole. Erected in 2014, it has since become a major landmark of the city and was o cially approved by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest agpole.
Be sure to pass by to see Saudi Arabia’s national ag uttering 171 metres in the sky.
6 Embark on a gastro journey When it comes to dinner, Jeddah has a wealth of upscale restaurants for ne dining. Try authentic Lebanese food at Byblos with views of Jeddah Corniche. Opt for a selection of appetisers including hummus, muhammara (a spicy walnut and red pepper dip) and kibbeh (a Levantine dish made of bulgur wheat and nely ground lean beef, lamb, goat, or camel meat with Middle Eastern spices).
If you are still hungry, try fatteh, a traditional Lebanese dish of baked yoghurt, tahini and chickpeas with the addition of eggplant or ground beef.
For the best of international cuisine, check out Nozomi (nozomiksa.com), a Japanese restaurant with tapas-style sharing dishes. No trip to Nozomi is complete without tasting the baked black cod. e desserts are as equally delicious and indulgent!
If a more casual dining experience suits you better, it is worth exploring one of Jeddah’s 150-plus food trucks. Just o Prince Sultan Road, you’ll
ABOVE: Jeddah’s beautiful waterfront
BELOW: Start your day with traditional Arabian co ee 7
nd Al Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Road, an area informally known as ‘Food Truck Park’. Choose from Middle Eastern favourites at BS House, devour the burgers at Gus’s Food truck or taste the chicken satay skewers at Sateology. 7 End your day at the corniche ere’s no better place to walk o dinner than on the corniche, which is also home to the highest fountain in the world, King Fahd’s Fountain.
Another option is to rent a bike and cycle along the 4.2km coastal
1
stretch. is is the perfect spot to relax a er a busy day, taking in the sunset and soaking up the bustling atmosphere. 8 Getting around e best way to get around the city is with Uber or Careem, but if you’re venturing further a eld, private drivers can be organised through your hotel concierge or at the airport. 9 A longer trip? Scuba Diving: Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea is known for its world-class dive sites. Top spots in the city include Sharm Obhur, the famous 1978 shipwreck at Abu-Tair and, approximately two hours from Jeddah, Abu Faramish. Golf: If you have half a day to spare, why not take a trip to the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and tee o at one of the top golf courses in the Middle East (royalgreens.net). It’s an hour-and-ahalf by road from central Jeddah.
For more ideas and information on other destinations across Saudi Arabia, take a look at VisitSaudi.com
AN URBAN LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF DREAMS
Citadines Metro Central Dubai
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When the world went into lockdown, with offices and venues closing their doors and business travel virtually grinding to a halt, the meetings and events industry took a huge hit.
The working population and businesses adapted quickly, thanks to video conferencing technology, leaving hotels and venues wondering how they would fit into the ‘new normal’ given the effectiveness of these online solutions.
Zoom emerged as the pandemic’s global success story; for the quarter ending April 2020, the USheadquartered video communications specialist reported a massive 169 per cent year-on-year revenue hike to reach US$328.2 million, while daily meeting participants peaked at more than 300 million during the period, up from 10 million in 2019.
Zoom’s measurement of “annualised meeting minutes” jumped 20-fold, from 100 billion at the end of January to more than two trillion in April.
“We were humbled by the accelerated adoption of the Zoom platform around the globe in Q1,” says Eric S. Yuan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zoom.
“The COVID-19 crisis has driven higher demand for distributed, face-toface interactions and collaboration using Zoom. Use cases have grown rapidly as people integrated Zoom into their work, learning and personal lives.”
Despite restrictions on work, travel and events easing in many countries around the world, Zoom and similar platforms have become integrated into every facet of life and are now commonplace for meetings, conferences and more, even mega sporting events.
Most recently, Formula 1 and Zoom Video Communications announced a new digital partnership to deliver the first ever virtual Paddock Club.
Guests who join the Virtual Paddock Club through Zoom access a bespoke hospitality experience including live updates and insights from paddock legends, with more features planned.
Camp Nujum at Qasr Al Sarab by Anantara, Abu Dhabi
Hybrid is the ‘new black’ With virtual tools proving their worth as a viable alternative to face-to-face interaction, where does that leave the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector?
According to Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, the MICE market is one of the “biggest challenges” facing the hospitality industry given the post-COVID-19 recovery will be “mainly driven by a rebound in domestic travel”.
“ e meetings that will take place in person will need to have a very strong reason to happen. ey will likely be limited to domestic events and have virtual alternatives as a replacement until there is a vaccine or other cure,” he says. Tim Cordon, “Small and local Radisson Hotel Group safe meetings will be the way the event “A lasting trend of industry rebuilds and COVID-19 will be the makes its comeback: increasing popularity of internal meetings, hybrid events” small workshops and seminars held locally with attendees from the near vicinity and the same geographic area.” Cordon says while most face-to-face events will resume when possible, “a lasting trend of COVID-19 will be the increasing popularity of hybrid events”, blending live and online participation. “Hybrid is the new black,” he declares, adding: “Perhaps the biggest shi the hospitality industry has seen over the past few months is the ‘pivot’ from in-person events to virtual ones.”
Milou van Zweeden, Events, Sales & Meetings Manager at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara in Abu Dhabi, agrees that hybrid meetings will dominate in the near future.
“Some people will use the hotel [venues] in person and others will attend the meeting [online] from overseas,” she says. “By leveraging the latest technology we can ensure meetings are easily accessible. [For example], QR codes will also be available to help guests register and manage event experiences.” e resort, which recently received the Go Safe health and safety certi cation programme endorsed by the Abu Dhabi Government, plans to
make the most of its outdoor venues, including Camp Nujum (Camp of the Stars), providing a tent and majlis setup in the desert valley.
“We are also o ering buyouts for our Royal Pavilion private villas or the entire resort,” adds van Zweeden.
Although Abu Dhabi had not given the MICE industry the go ahead to resume operations at time of press, sister property, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel, which is located in the city, was witnessing demand for “social events, weddings, corporate trainings and budget and sales meetings with local focus due to travel restrictions”, according to Group and Events Manager, Lamiaa Fatihi.
Similarly, Rove Hotels, part of Emaar Hospitality Group (EHG), has received “more interest in hosting
THIS SPREAD: Hotel groups including Rove (below) and Radisson (left) are adapting ‘whitespaces’ to create social hubs
G R O U P S C A N M O V I E S TAY C AT I O N AT ROVE DOWNTOWN
For an incentive or corporate bonding experience with a Hollywood edge, but close to home, Rove Downtown Dubai has the answer. The property is renting out a private floor with a private cinema where groups of up to 20 guests can enjoy a movie staycation. Available until the end of August, the booking includes 10 ‘Rover Rooms’ with breakfast included, a private movie screening in the Reel Cinema, popcorn and soft drinks, all from AED 2,999 (US$780). Additional rooms are available at AED 195 ($52) per night with the option to upgrade to brews, grapes and cocktails.
Paul Bridger, Rove Hotels
ABOVE: The Rove Podcast Studio
BELOW: Hilton EventReady with CleanStay
smaller training sessions, workshops and brainstorming sessions,” reveals Corporate Director of Operations Paul Bridger. e team is also noticing tremendous traction on temporary o ce spaces where employees can continue working remotely in their own private space [at the hotel],” he adds.
Customisable spaces are core to the Rove hospitality model and this has paid dividends during the pandemic with clients using a variety of venues – from meeting rooms to guest rooms – to work or stage meetings and hybrid events.
Many of Rove’s meeting rooms have been repurposed, notes Bridger, with standout examples including “the new self-service Rove Podcast Studio at Rove Downtown Dubai, which gives budding and established digital content creators the chance to utilise a dedicated room setup”.
“We are de nitely going down the route of hybrid events, so we have implemented smooth and fuss-free videoconferencing technology [at our hotels],” he adds. e brand has also teamed up with Letswork to launch its guest rooms as private hotel o ces.
Day passes are bookable via the Letswork app giving guests access to specially tted-out rooms at Rove properties to use as their o ce from 6am to 10pm.
Unlimited tea, water and co ee and high-speed Wi-Fi are part of the package.
Mix and match Hybrid meeting requests have challenged the events teams at InterContinental Hotels Group
(IHG) to think outside the box, according to Head of Operations MEA, David Todd.
“It’s de nitely the time to get creative and we expect to receive some unusual requests,” he says. “As an example, a nancial institution requested that for one of its smaller meetings, the speakers and delegates be seated in separate rooms. As a solution, the hotel split the speakers into di erent hotel rooms with an AV set up in each and a reduced number of delegates in the main room with the presentations broadcast on the main screen. Initially, the organiser was apprehensive about the information ow, however, the event proceeded smoothly and the technology support was commended.”
Todd says the MICE sector needs re-thinking in the short term as larger meetings in most Middle East destinations have been cancelled or postponed.
“At IHG we have already started to look at whitespace areas of the hotel that can be used for impromptu meetings for smaller gatherings or social hubs that can incorporate the new guidelines but allow for more exibility,” he explains.
ABOVE: Social distancing ballroom set up at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus
BELOW: Radisson Blu Deira Creek; the group has introduced a 10-step protocol for meeting and event spaces
David Todd, IHG
DUBAI BALLROOM REIMAGINED AS A SPORTS ZONE
Hotel ballrooms have become somewhat obsolete during the pandemic with glittering events, weddings, gala dinners and the like taking a back seat. It has led creative hoteliers to re-think these spaces, with Dubai’s Grand Plaza Mövenpick Media City transforming its ballroom into a sports zone. As the Formula One season got underway and the UEFA Champions League and Europa League drew to an exciting conclusion last month (August), the property launched Grand Garden M’City – a sports fan zone experience with two 220-inch screens showcasing all the sporting action. Hosting up to 120 guests, the stadium-style venue serves freshly baked pizza, cheesy nachos, calamari and a wide selection of beverages to keep sports enthusiasts going during essential viewing. Grand Garden M’City follows strict health and safety regulations with measures in place including a digital menu available through a QR code and social distancing between tables. All sta wear gloves and face masks.
“Technology will now play an even more important role as virtual hybrid meetings evolve and those with more creative AV solutions can certainly use it to their advantage as the Guy Ngata, competition grows in Coca-Cola Arena this area.”
“There is no doubt
Dubai goes live that the event industry Just as Dubai was one is going to look a lot of the rst regional di erent in the medium destinations to open term” its doors to tourism, so it has taken the lead in re-invigorating its MICE industry and last month (August), the government released a directive allowing live indoor and outdoor meetings and events to resume in the city.
Concerts, conferences, exhibitions, seminars, training sessions, banquets, product launches, weddings and more are now permitted in the emirate, although venues must implement strict health and safety measures, including sanitisation, thermal screening, social distancing seating
plans and capacity limits, to name a few.
Venues were quick to react, with the Festive Arena at InterContinental Dubai Festival City hosting Dubai’s rst ‘live’ concert since the start of the pandemic.
“While the arena’s physical capacity is more than 5,000 people, this time the venue was kitted out with booths that could be booked for small groups. e concert was also livestreamed on the day to allow for greater attendance,” explains Todd.
“ ere are already more discussions for concerts later this year, at the same venue with a similar setup.”
Meanwhile, Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, located in City Walk o ers versatile indoor spaces that can safely accommodate corporate and private events of all shapes and sizes, says CEO Guy Ngata.
“ anks to the unique layout of the main bowl in the arena, which can be changed due to the built-in automatic drape reduction and retractable seating systems, any layout is possible across a oor area covering 3,870sq metres,” he notes.
“ is adaptability means social distancing guidelines and preventative measures can be adhered to at all times for gatherings of between 50 and 3,000 people while providing creative oor plans and experiences.”
Coca-Cola Arena also o ers multiple rooms outside of the main
bowl that can be utilised by smaller groups.
“There is no doubt the event industry is going to look a lot different in the medium term as organisers and venues adapt to new procedures, protocols and etiquette and we will all need to work together to bring back to life this thriving sector of Dubai,” says Ngata.
“We are talking to many event organisers locally and internationally and we are very pleased to see a confidence in the market to return to some degree of event activity, certainly around conferences and networking events. Many dates that were scheduled across Dubai in Q1 and Q2 are now looking at how
ABOVE: Dubai’s CocaCola Arena offers versatile indoor spaces they can proceed in Q4 with new objectives and needs and we are very happy to have those conversations.”
Coca-Cola Arena is a VenueShield protected venue.
VenueShield is a new environmental hygiene protocol with a comprehensive, best-in-class programme deployed across all of the arenas, stadia and theatres globally managed by Coca-Cola Arena’s management company, ASM Global.
Measures adopted include advanced hygienic safeguards, thermal cameras at all entrances, hand sanitiser freely available, increased sanitisation and cleaning sweeps before, during and after events and social distancing protocols. Event ready Hotels have also implemented stringent health and safety programmes to protect guests attending face-to-face meetings and events.
Hilton Hotels was one of the first to announce it sector-specific measures, which leverage its partnership with RB, makers of Lysol and Dettol and is an extension of the Hilton CleanStay programme.
Hilton EventReady with CleanStay applies cleanliness protocols to “every touchpoint of the meeting experience”. These include meeting rooms seals and an extensive EventReady Room Checklist.
In addition, a Hilton EventReady Playbook delivers “expert guidance
and curated resources for solutions, such as hybrid meetings that seamlessly combine on-site attendees with those in remote locations, room sets and creative networking”.
“In today’s new normal we know that people planning and attending events of any size are focused on their health and safety,” says Chris Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton. “Hilton EventReady delivers innovative solutions for the entire event experience – from exibility in planning and physical distancing protocols to transparency in cleanliness policies and inspiring catering options.”
Radisson has introduced a 10-step protocol for meeting and event spaces at its hotels, developed in collaboration with partner SGS, a leading inspection, veri cation, testing and certi cation company.
Focal points range from personal belongings, sanitising stations and increased cleaning and disinfecting to physical distancing and food safety.
Cordon says this new commitment to health and safety builds on the established wellness trend, which is more important than ever in 2020.
“From more tness centres to an onus on healthy food options, mindfulness and getting a good sleep, health has been an important factor at events for years and COVID-19 has ampli ed this focus on being bodysmart,” he notes.
IHG’s MICE facilities fall under the IHG Clean Promise programme.
“Additionally, we have had to rethink how we sell large meeting space within government guidelines and how to generate demand as markets recover,” says Todd.
“For this we have created a programme called Mindful Meetings to reassure guests and MICE organisers that in addition to the enhanced cleanliness standards, they can continue to expect a great meeting experience with greater exibility in meeting room setups, as well as terms and conditions.”
Rove Hotels was quick to implement strict safety measures and
BELOW: The Majilis at Anantara Eastern Mangroves o ers flexible set ups as a result, was the rst mid-scale brand in Dubai to receive a Safeguard label from Bureau Veritas, another leading testing, inspection, and certi cation (TIC) services provider.
Anantara’s three Abu Dhabi properties are adhering to strict government protocols, with
mandatory temperature checks on arrival a key focus.
Only guests with a temperature of 37.3 º C or below are permitted to enter a meeting room. If their temperature is higher they are asked to stay in a dedicated hotel isolation room and their case is reported to
the Department of Health’s ‘Estijaba’ service for COVID-19 control.
Temperature checks are standard at Rove too, as are individually packed meals and private catering for meetings delegates.
Most hotels have eliminated bu et stations from the meeting experience, notes Todd, “but in speci c markets or where a greater footfall is expected, we have assisted bu ets in place, which still allow for a safe experience and a greater variety of dishes”.
“We are also looking at the wellbeing o ering in terms of healthier choices being considerate of what our guests are asking for at the moment. We do see this space evolving if the bu et service remains restricted in most markets. As an example, the concept of the Japanese style bento box has been around for quite a while and we are sure there is opportunity to add more variations, depending on what the organiser is looking for.”
ABOVE: A desert wedding set up at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara ‘A N T I - S O C I A L C L U B ’ S E T S NEW UK TREND While many in the hotel and hospitality industry grapple with the challenge of converting their facilities to accommodate complex social distancing requirements, a boutique hotel in South-West England has opened the doors to the UK’s first purpose-designed and built ‘socially distanced’ hotel restaurant.
Nicknamed ‘The Anti-Social Club’, the new dining concept at Cornwall’s St Moritz Hotel & Spa features 16 private dining rooms, providing a unique and exclusive private dining experience for individuals, couples and groups, with a maximum of 96 covers.
Mixing the elements of private members clubs, private dining rooms, cool beach clubs and summer pop-up restaurants, the Anti-Social Club o ers multiple dining times and follows UK government health and safety guidance. Ushering in a new ‘bubble’ dining ethos, each individual dining room can be access from the outside.
