Dead Sea, Jordan -- Almost 2 million people visited Jordan in first quarter of 2023, an 87.2 percent increase compared to the first third of 2022, the Tourism Minister of Jordan, Makram Qaisi said Monday. He said that the "tourism sector has begun to recover and grow at a high...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai has given a boost to its beach tourism by opening three new beaches for night swimming in Jumeirah 2, Jumeirah 3 and Umm Suqeim 1. The 800-metre-long night-swimming beaches feature lighting systems, which enable residents and tourists to swim around the clock, and electronic screens that...

GCC countries are investing in infrastructure and programs to become leading tourist destinations. With strategic locations, excellent connectivity, iconic attractions like the tallest building, and a commitment to eco-friendly tourism, they are poised for success in attracting visitors from around the world.

MADRID, SPAIN -  The World Tourism Barometer published its second report of the year, which showed that international tourism is making a strong comeback to pre-pandemic levels. During the first quarter of 2023, twice as many people traveled internationally than in the same period of 2022, with a total of...

The deal would mean Messi potentially joins his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league. There was no confirmation from Messi's current club Paris Saint-Germain, who noted simply that he was under contract until June 30 when contacted by AFP.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia is launching tourism projects worth SAR 1.5 billion ($400 million) in the targeted destinations around the kingdom.  The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has sponsored ‘The Collective’ initiative launched by Kerten Hospitality, a hotel investment firm, to establish its projects under one umbrella.  The announcement...

Unlike other companies that use vertical-launch rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a carrier aircraft that takes off from a runway, gains high altitude, and drops a rocket-powered plane that soars into space before gliding back to Earth.

DUBAI, UAE -  The private sector and financial institutions in the Middle East should enhance reporting by including information about how they both impact and depend upon nature and natural capital, says a report.    The report titled 'Nurturing Natural Capital: The Middle East Imperative' was released by the World Government...

Muscat, Oman -- Pakistan and Oman have agreed to boost air travel between the two countries' airports, reports said. The agreement came after a series of meetings in the Pakistani capital held by officials from both nations. An Omani delegation, led by Naif Ali Al Abri, Chairman of the Civil...

Sharjah, UAE-- Sharjah showcased its technology-enabled approach to the tourism industry at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, highlighting the future of tourism in the region and beyond. Sharjah pavilion at the event demonstrated cutting-edge technologies and groundbreaking concepts, offering a compelling glimpse into the emirate's tourist destinations. Run by...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Looking to boost tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the Jordan Tourism Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2023. The MoU will unlock the...

SHARJAH, UAE -  Over 3.8 million passengers traveled through Sharjah Airport in the first quarter of 2023, recording a 28.01 per cent increase over the same period in 2022. The airport is expected to achieve even higher growth rates by the end of 2023.   The aircraft movement for the...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The emirate of Abu Dhabi is looking to draw some 24 million visitors by the end of 2023, six million more than it succeeded to attract last year. Ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2023, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced...

DUBAI, UAE - The 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will open Monday at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), local media reports said. The event, on May 1-4, will see global travel, tourism, and hospitality experts come together to explore how their industry is ‘Working Towards Net Zero’.For ATM...

Akbar al-Baker, head of Qatar's tourism agency and Qatar Airways, said hotel occupancy in the months after a World Cup is "always low". Along with the departed football crowds, thousands of foreign workers left the Gulf state after Lionel Messi lifted the coveted trophy on December 18. Many of those...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is likely to display the diversity of the Emirate's destination, offering sustainability platforms and highlighting new initiatives designed to boost the tourism industry during the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market(ATM), local media reports said. This year’s ATM, from May...

More than 10,500 Emiratis have joined the private sector since the beginning of 2023, bringing the total number of Emiratis employed in the private sector to over 66,000.

Dubai, UAE - The passengers of Dubai Metro surpassed two billion since its inauguration on September 9, 2009, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said.The metro's Red Line transported 1.342 billion commuters while the Green Line served 673.531 million commuters. Additionally, the Dubai Metro maintained a punctuality rate of 99.7%,...

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar expects a big boost in hotel occupancy rates by at least 80 percent during the Eid holidays in the country. The boost is expected in the wake of the launch of the Haya platform in its new look, which allows 4 types of visas for visitors, and...

The emirate still remains at the top of the list of places to visit in the region because of the sheer diversity of products it has to offer and the infrastructure it has built.

Dubai, UAE – Jordan’s tourism revenue increased by 88.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 to reach 1.18 billion Jordanian dinars ($1.66 billion) as nearly 1.5 million tourists visited the country. The Central Bank of Jordan said the tourism income during March grew by 49 percent year on year...

DOHA, QATAR - Qatar expects more than five million people to visit the Gulf state in 2023 despite a post-World Cup lull, its tourism chief said on Sunday. Akbar Al-Baker, head of Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism, admitted that hotels had fallen quiet after the World Cup final on December 19....

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE led the Arab region in terms of investments in Egypt, Jamal bin Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the UAE International Investors Council (UAEIIC) said. It totaled $28 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2023, compared to $20 billion during the same...

UAE minister said that the emirates will continue its efforts to build partnerships with strategic global markets under the country’s comprehensive economic partnerships program.

Mummies of dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses were also exhumed by a team of US archaeologists from New York University.

Doha, Qatar--Doha port received on Thursday the cruise ship MSC World Europa carrying 5,613 tourists and a crew of 2,121. They will be joined later by 555 tourists from Doha to a new itinerary to a number of tourist stops in the region. The cruise sector in Qatar has contributed...

The Kingdom is making significant investments in new economic sectors, including mining, tourism, and information technology, particularly the electronic games sector.

“Trade has had an indelible impact on our soft power. Located at a strategic global crossroads, the UAE is one of the world’s most connected countries and acts as a vital bridge for many nation’s products on key East-West, North-South trade routes. This role is reflected in the value of...

Sports, social and marketing events, including various global activities and competitions, are likely to bring in more Saudi tourists, Qatar Tourism's data suggest.

The bilateral ties between the two countries were further strengthened after the inauguration of the UAE Embassy in the Azeri capital, Baku, in 2011, and have witnessed advancement due to the mutual keenness of their leaderships, he adds during an interview with Emirates News Agency.

Property markets benefit as an increased demand for tourists and the rise in government spending on infrastructure projects drive the post-pandemic recovery in the region.

This week's Saudi Tour is the first of three stage races in the Arabian Peninsula in February, with competitions also scheduled in Oman and UAE. Organizers of the tour said they are planning to create a women's Saudi Tour, with the UAE Tour offering one this year.

Suliman Farajat, chairman of the PDTRA, stated that tourism in the red-rose city swiftly rebounded from the Covid pandemic impact in 2022.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -  First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohsen Al-Mandalawi said that the tourism sector in Iraq has all the ingredients for success. Al-Mandalawi made the statement while meeting with the Association of Travel and Tourism Companies in Iraq, a statement issues by the  media office of the First Deputy...

Cairo, Egypt---Egyptian archaeologists said Tuesday they had discovered an 1,800-year-old "complete residential city from the Roman-era" in the heart of the southern city of Luxor. The city, dating to the second and third centuries, is the "oldest and most important city found on the eastern bank of Luxor," according to...

Petra, Jordan--King Abdullah on Sunday highlighted the importance of further developing the city of Petra, and diversifying its tourism product. During a visit to Petra, King Abdullah said developing tourism services in the "golden triangle" of Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba, will have a positive impact on Petra and Jordan...

Around 1,700 people make a living from Petra as tour guides, trinket sellers or by taking visitors through the site on donkeys, horses, camels or electric buggies.

Face and iris recognition technology vary by country in the region, and expecting it to be implemented in many airports around the world in a short time is unrealistic, says an expert.

GCC countries witnessed the launch of massive economic and development projects in various sectors last year as part of their strategy to diversify their economies.

Baghdad, Iraq--The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani has stressed the need for economic reform and supporting the sectors of agriculture, industry, tourism and trade. The prime minister highlighted the need to fortify Iraq, in order for it not to be a passage for smuggling hard currency and money...

In a statement, it said that "foreigners heading to the south of the country" who have tours booked with licenced local companies could obtain visas "on arrival at airports and land borders, instead of going through normal visa procedures". It also boasts 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) of Mediterranean coastline and...

With a giant evergreen tree, colorful balloons in the streets and selfies in the Church of the Nativity, Christmas tourism has returned to Bethlehem after two years of Covid-linked curbs.

Mikati said the economy had grown by nearly two percent in 2022 after two straight years of severe recession that saw Gross Domestic Product fall by 25.9 percent in 2020 and by 10.5 percent in 2021.

DUBAI, UAE -   MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)    Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer has launched the construction work for the Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project. The  US$12 million (AED 46 million) project was recently awarded to DEWA and is part of the company's social and investment responsibility...

Rabat, Morocco - UAE and Morocco discussed ways of boosting their cooperation and investment opportunities in industry, economy, investments, culture, and tourism. The discussion occurred between Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Aziz Akhannouch, Prime Minister of Morocco, in Morocco. The visit is a...

In its Q3 review, the apex bank attributed the upward review to the robust performance of some non-oil sectors, including tourism, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.

Sharjah, UAE--- Sharjah has witnessed a 68 percent increase in female entrepreneurs recently and as the market grows and expands, it will continue cultivating an environment that is inclusive and supportive, said Maryam Bin Al Shaikh, Director of the Sharjah Business Women Council. She was speaking on the opening day...

Dubai’s hotel inventory in October 2022 comprised 144,737 rooms at 790 hotel establishments compared with 122,185 rooms available at the end of October 2019.

ABU DHABI, UAE - The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) said that the registration of insured individuals in the private sector with the authority is the first step towards receiving benefits as part of GPSSA’s social insurance system. This is in addition to benefits provided by the NAFIS...

French fashion house Dior debuted its latest collection Saturday at the Giza pyramids, after Italian designer Stefano Ricci held a show at Luxor's Temple of Hatshepsut in Oct.