Emirates has announced a series of new and renewed partnerships spanning tourism, travel technology, cruise travel, sports, business communities and financial services, as the airline seeks to broaden its customer base and develop more targeted offerings for different traveller segments.

The airline has signed an agreement with Mozambique’s National Agency for Tourism Development and Investment (ANDITUR) to support international tourism to the country. The partners will explore joint opportunities to promote Mozambique in key markets, including through airline partnerships across Africa to improve connectivity. The destination offers more than 2,500 kilometres of coastline, alongside cultural experiences, gastronomy and urban attractions.

Emirates has also partnered with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to strengthen cooperation and support inbound tourism. Kenya is already a consistently strong destination on Emirates’ African network, and the agreement will focus on attracting visitors from both established and emerging international markets.

In China, Emirates and Alibaba Fliggy, one of the country’s major online travel agencies, signed an MoU to deepen their strategic partnership. The collaboration will include co-branded marketing, customer engagement initiatives and potential integration between Emirates Skywards and Fliggy’s membership ecosystem, with the aim of increasing visibility and personalising travel offerings for Chinese consumers.

The airline has also expanded its long-standing relationship with MSC Cruises through a new MoU covering fly-cruise distribution, air-sea product integration, crew travel and loyalty initiatives. The partners will develop through-fares, open-jaw itineraries and tailored products for MSC Grand Voyages and repositioning cruises.

The agreement will also examine opportunities to extend the Port Rashid model in Dubai to additional cruise ports, including terminal check-in, through-baggage services, coordinated transfers and disruption management. Emirates will additionally become a preferred carrier for MSC crew travel, offering dedicated fares, enhanced baggage allowances and specialised servicing.

Emirates has signed agreements with the Finnish Business Council (FBC) and Vietnamese Business Council (VNBC) to strengthen engagement with business communities in the UAE. The FBC partnership comes ahead of the launch of Emirates’ direct Dubai-Helsinki service on 1 October, while the VNBC agreement follows plans to add services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from this winter.

Members of both councils will receive exclusive Emirates benefits, while the organisations will facilitate engagement between the airline and their respective business networks.

In sports tourism, Emirates has partnered with Cutting Edge, a travel management company specialising in international sporting events, to create bespoke packages for fans. The partnership will combine Emirates’ network of nearly 140 destinations with Cutting Edge’s access to major cricket, football, motorsport, golf and tennis events.

Emirates Holidays, the airline’s tour operating arm, has also signed an MoU with the Spain Tourism Office to promote Spain to travellers across the Middle East. Planned initiatives include integrated marketing campaigns, seasonal promotions and holiday packages combining Emirates flights with accommodation, local experiences and additional benefits.

Meanwhile, Emirates Skywards and Emirates Islamic have renewed their strategic partnership, extending an 18-year relationship focused on product innovation and enhanced benefits for co-branded cardholders. The partnership now covers three Emirates Skywards co-branded cards, including the Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Card, as well as a co-branded savings account, salary transfer proposition and Miles exchange product.

The 2026 agreement will continue to focus on developing personalised benefits and experiences for Emirates Skywards co-brand cardholders, strengthening the offering available to Emirates Islamic customers. -TradeArabia News Service