The number of tourists visiting the kingdom rose by 1.4 million to 1.9 million.

Bahrain will permit nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council to enter into the kingdom with just an identity card or a passport, according to the Bahraini Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA). A statement carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said the move follows the decision of GCC countries to...

In spite of high inflation, residents of the GCC countries are seeking newer destinations in Europe and beyond to travel to, Trupt Shah of Musafir.com tells TRENDS.

Desperate to put the coronavirus pandemic behind them, airlines will hold talks on Sunday ahead of a potential summer of chaos with shortages and strikes that could threaten their recovery. While trade is roaring back to life, representatives from the aviation sector meeting for three days in Qatar have a...

A Tunisian court has imposed a travel ban on the speaker of the country's now-dissolved parliament, a court spokeswoman said.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince expects to travel to Turkey next month, a Saudi official told AFP Wednesday. The trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, will also include stops in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not permitted...

They will explore ways to offer travel incentives to SMEs.

The UK Home Office affirmed that “an electronic visa waiver allows the holder to travel to the UK without obtaining a visa provided they complete an online waiver for each visit.

The Chairman of Dubai World Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, inaugurated the 29th edition of the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition Arabian Travel Market (ATM) on 9 May 2022.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) will announce its summer campaign at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), alongside a series of new initiatives and global partnerships. Sharing the best of Abu Dhabi with the world, travel partners and some surprise guests, DCT Abu Dhabi will...

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Friday called on Algerian authorities to lift "arbitrary travel bans" on activists from the diaspora. The watchdogs singled out the cases of three Algerian-Canadians prevented from returning to their homes in Canada between January and April. "Although one of the three was finally...

The firm says results signal travel rebound.

From overseas to the domestic circuit, the tourism industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council is witnessing a welcome resurgence, especially after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The top five most-booked destinations this year so far with dnata Travel include the Maldives, the UAE itself, Turkey, Mauritius, and Oman.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has achieved sixth place on the Best Workplaces List of 2022 – Small & Medium Organizations. The ranking is awarded by the Great Place to Work, the global authority that recognizes high-trust, high-performing workplace cultures. RAKTDA is the category’s highest placed government entity...

The accelerated growth recorded in February 2022 compared to a year ago, is helping passenger demand catch up to 2019 levels.

Thousands have left Russia for Turkey, many paying exorbitant airfares to reach one of the last accessible destinations as Western sanctions tighten.

Arab countries that offer electronic passports include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Algeria, Kuwait, Morocco, Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan. Countries in the region that don't have a microchip in their passports include Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

Israel has announced that all UAE citizens can now travel visa-free to Israel. The move is part of a wider strategy developed by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to tap the UAE as a new market.

A prosecutor in Lebanon has issued travel bans against the heads of the boards of five Lebanese banks as a precautionary measure as she investigates transactions by their banks, according to the media reports.

Iran's foreign minister said Friday he was ready to travel to Vienna if a deal is reached to revive the 2015 nuclear accord, as the US suggested an agreement is possible.

While biometric identity management systems have helped improve the pandemic-like situation to some extent by enabling officials at border gates to verify the identity of passengers at a faster rate, this sector demands frequent innovations.

Air travel recovery was gaining momentum as countries were lifting restrictions, with a sharp 11-percentage-point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Data released by IATA said that in the period around 8 February (seven-day moving average) the number of tickets...

The Police Directorate of Causeway has asked travelers to follow precautionary measures that are mandatory.

The United Arab Emirates has lifted curbs on travel to twelve African countries for citizens fully vaccinated and who have received a booster dose of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urges urged governments to accelerate the relaxation of travel restrictions, saying evidence suggests a minimal impact of travel restrictions on the spread of the virus. IATA called for removing all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine,...

The countries comprise Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports, based on how many countries and territories their holders can travel to without needing a visa.

The business environment in the region will experience a transformation that will have a far-reaching impact on economic trends and social dynamics.

After the progress and setbacks to travel and tourism in 2021, enthusiasts are looking to make the best of 2022.

Kuwait has called on its citizens to avoid travel to several European countries hit hard by the Omicron coronavirus variant. In a series of statements overnight Sunday, the oil-rich Gulf state also urged  Kuwaitis already there to return home because of the surge in cases on the continent. The foreign ministry...

Expenses stood at 9.8 billion dirhams at the end of November 2021, against 9.58 billion dirhams a year earlier and 19.26 billion dirhams during the first eleven months of 2019.

Iranian expats are free to travel to and from the country and the government's plans and decisions should ensure that the travel of the citizens should be trouble-free, President Ebrahim Raisi has said. Raisi was speaking at the newly established Iranian Expatriates Supreme Council. He said the government's efforts are...

From the period running December 22 to January 2, Abu Dhabi Airports estimates an average of 32,000 passengers and 102 flights per day.

UAE citizens are barred from traveling to the four African countries except for the country's emergency treatment cases, official delegations, and scholarships. In addition, the country has introduced new travel requirements for those coming on direct flights from Uganda and Ghana. These include having a negative COVID-19 test obtained within...

Dubai airport, one of the world's busiest travel hubs, is fully operational for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in March 2020, officials said Monday. The opening of sections closed as the Covid-19 crisis took hold comes as the United Arab Emirates records a rise of infections amid...

Etihad Airways has announced a new travel solution aimed at corporate and frequent travelers booking from the UAE, said local media. The newly launched Etihad WorldPass allows the airline’s customers to purchase a travel subscription which offers complete flexibility and ease with rearranging bookings throughout the year, said sources. Etihad...

The United States and several European countries have taken similar steps, banning travel from at least seven southern African countries. South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla told reporters that he felt some of the reactions to the new Covid-19 variant that was found in South Africa were ‘unjustified.’

Aviation giant Emirates expects to return to profitability "in the next 18 months" as the sector bounces back from the Covid pandemic, its president Tim Clark said Tuesday. The Dubai-based carrier said last week it was on the path to recovery as six-month losses dropped by more than half from...

Growing costs and a drop in purchasing power are seen as deterioration of the standard of living Kuwaitis have been accustomed to for years.

Passenger numbers have grown ahead of the holiday season.

Airlines are still deep in the red, with losses expected to extend by another $51.8 billion this year.

The tourism and travel sector in the Middle East is expected to grow 27.1 percent in 2021, a little behind the global average of 30.7 percent.

Mainland China, where Covid-19 first emerged last year, remains closed to overseas tourists, as is Japan.

Among many attractions of Riyadh Season is Combat Field for fans of war and combat games. It simulates the reality of wars through 33 events.

Emirates will restart flights to Saudi Arabia and St. Petersburg in Russia with demand for travel rising as the Covid pandemic restrictions ease in many parts of the world.

Customers can avail the additional baggage allowance for travel booked on emirates.com, Emirates sales offices, via travel agents as well as online travel agents

Tourists will have to do a mandatory RTPCR test on arrival, according to the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.

The sale of tickets, easing of travel restrictions and positive investment projections point to a surge in economic activity in the run-up to the mega event.

Emirates has announced that from October 1 it will undo all changes to employee pay structure that it undertook to save the airline from going under last year when Covid swept through the whole world.