The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Tourism has signed a series of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with leading global hotel brands to launch the “Hospitality Ambassadors” programme, an initiative aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s hospitality workforce through international on-the-job training (OJT).
UAE national airline Etihad Airways has announced that it has signed a new code-share agreement with leading African airline Fastjet Zimbabwe. Under this, Etihad passengers can book onward travel across Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, as well as to Johannesburg, South Africa, on a single ticket.
Makkah Construction and Development Company has awarded Saudi-based group Roots Innovative Industrial a key contract to deliver room renovation works at its prime property - Makkah Hotel and Towers. The entire work will be executed in phases within a 19-month period.
The UAE has created yet another global aviation milestone with the certification of world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport in Dubai.
Vatel Bahrain has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hilton Bahrain City Centre Hotel & Residences to strengthen collaboration in hospitality education and workforce development.
Minor Hotels has reported a strong rebound in Middle East travel demand, with room-night bookings rising 143% in the final full week of June as traveller confidence returned. Most new reservations were for the third quarter across its 26 regional properties.
Saudi Arabia is looking for private investors to fund a $135 million ferris wheel in Madinah, as the kingdom pushes to expand attractions for pilgrims and domestic travellers beyond its holy sites, said a report. The project, Hijaz Eye, would be built on a 33,700 sq m plot, roughly the size of five football pitches.
The Business of Events (TBOE) Global Destination Report 2026 finds business events competitiveness increasingly shaped by economic impact, connectivity and policy support, with destinations facing resource constraints, geopolitical pressures and the need for stronger impact measurement.
EGYPTAIR has become the first airline in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to deploy the latest IATA NDC 24.4 standard in production, in partnership with TPConnects Technologies.
Sheraton Kuwait Hotel has marked its 60th anniversary, celebrating six decades as a landmark in Kuwait’s hospitality sector. Opened in 1966, the hotel was the first Sheraton property outside the US, the first international hotel in Kuwait, and the first Marriott International-managed hotel in the Middle East and Africa.
