The United Arab Emirates passport allows Emiratis to travel to as many as 179 other countries without the need for a visa, and has been declared the world’s best passport, but UAE residents can also travel stress-free thanks to their visa status. In the first month of 2020, the number of visa-free countries that UAE residents can visit is increasing, with visa on arrival now being offered to UAE residents by Uzbekistan. Anyone holding a…
Six international cruise liners have all arrived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on the same day, with over 60,000 passengers being handled by the Mina Rashid cruise terminal on Sunday. The terminal smoothly processed the arrival of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5, MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica and Pullmantur Cruises’ Horizon. It also handled the maiden calls of Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas and Costa Cruises’ Costa Diadema. The executive director of Mina…
Mafraq Hotel Abu Dhabi is to have its operations taken over by Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA and will be rebranded as Millennium Central Mafraq from 1st January next year. The hotel features as many as 242 apartments and rooms with modern Arabic décor and traditional Arabian hospitality and is the second property to have joined Millennium Central, Millennium Hotels & Resorts’ newest portfolio. Millennium Central was created with the intention of focusing on the…
Yas Island Abu Dhabi, the premier entertainment and leisure destination in the United Arab Emirates, has finished off the year with great success, having swept up as many as 32 awards for its world-class developments, infrastructure projects and attractions. The chairman of Miral, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarek, says that the company is humbled and proud to have international recognition for its excellence as another successful year comes to an end. Ten years after its inception,…
A 15% fall in revenues has been reported by the hotel sector in Dubai for the first 10 months of 2019, even though occupancy levels remained fairly static. EY MENA’s ‘The Middle East Hotel Benchmark Survey’ found that occupancy levels in Dubai were at 73.5% between the months of January and October this year, a slight decrease from the 74% average in the same time period in 2018. Average room rates during those 10 months…
Oyo, the international chain of franchised and leased hotels, living spaces and homes, has been aggressively expanding its portfolio within the United Arab Emirates to reach a record number of 4,461 keys in 310 homes and hotels in just 2019 alone. Oyo Hotels & Homes conducts business in the UAE’s two to four-star hotels sector and has also hosted more than 800 nationalities within its properties in the nation since it launched in October 2018.…
The launch of the very first edition of the cultural programme Hatta Cultural Nights, which features festive activities and events intended to teach the community about the emirate’s rich and valuable cultural fabric, has been announced by Dubai Culture. The event was held in the city of Hatta at Wadi Hatta Park on 26th December, coinciding with the Dubai Shopping Festival’s 25th edition, and will carry on until 11th January next year. The event is…
On Thursday, an announcement was made regarding a new initiative that will showcase the historically significant mosques in Abu Dhabi to tourists. The initiative has been launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi in cooperation with a number of local churches and the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) to be included in the Year of Tolerance. The Mosques Tour Initiative is intended as an introduction to Islamic culture…
The hospitality sector in the United Arab Emirates is getting ready for a large increase in the number of tourists, travellers and other visitors as the Christmas and holiday season gets into full swing and preparations continue for Expo 2020. The holidays have arrived, as has the winter season, and many residents are also planning holidays or staycations. Holiday homes are always popular in the UAE and are experiencing a surge in demand and a…
Dubai Festival City Mall is teaming up with the Lego Group in order to deliver a unique experience to the United Arab Emirates and the whole of the Middle East in the form of the Lego Festival & Imagine Show. The Lego Festival & Imagine Show is expected to launch next year and is the biggest event that Lego has yet organised in a shopping mall. The new partnership will be responsible for launching the…