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Milad reflects on the World Business Travel Forum third edition.

Business travellers have a new way to move around the GCC region: taking the train. Green, fast and comfortable, ambitious rail projects are taking shape in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar that are likely to see many journeys being switched from road and air.   In the UAE, Etihad Rail (no relation to Etihad Airways) opened to freight in 2023, and at an unspecified date later this year the company will launch its first passenger services. Running all the way f

Some companies spend as much on meetings and events as they do on regular corporate travel. Yet very often there are no controls on meetings even though there may be strict rules and processes for individual business trips.   One of the main reasons there is less management of meetings is that it is harder. But it’s not impossible, and even if you don’t introduce a full strategic meetings programme there are still steps you can take to control spend and compliance for your or

Premier Inn Middle East has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Equitativa Real Estate, an international holding company providing real estate funding and investment management capabilities, marking an important step in the brand’s next phase of growth across the GCC. The MoU outlines plans to develop six to eight Premier Inn hotels, delivering approximately 3,500 keys across key locations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Representing an investment of around AED 2 bil

Qatar Airways, the operator of the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet, has become the first carrier globally to enable Boeing 787-8 with Starlink. The airline has also equipped its entire Airbus A350 fleet within record-breaking eight months in December 2025. To date, Qatar Airways is operating three Dreamliners with the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, bringing the total of its Starlink-connected widebody aircraft to nearly 120. Marking the fastest and most

Oman Air, the Sultanate of Oman's full-service national airline, has strengthened its multi-year partnership with Travelport, a leading multi-source content provider powering travel bookings for suppliers worldwide, with the addition of New Distribution Capability (NDC) content distribution. This enhanced agreement marks a significant milestone as Travelport becomes the first modern travel retailer to secure an NDC distribution agreement with Oman Air, demonstrating the airli

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has announced the launch of the first-ever nonstop flights between the UAE and Calgary, creating a new strategic air link between the Middle East and Western Canada. Launching on 3 November 2026, the route marks another step in Etihad’s global expansion and supports Abu Dhabi’s long-term ambitions to drive international trade, tourism and investment. The new service directly links two globally recognised centres of energy, inno

flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, has launched five routes from Madinah, its newest operational base in the Kingdom. The introduction of scheduled flights to Sabiha Gökçen in Istanbul and four domestic cities of Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan and Tabuk, takes the number of flyadeal destinations from Madinah’s Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport up from three to eight. Until now, flyadeal had served Dammam, Riyadh and the Egyptian capital Cairo from the Holy ci

Do the deal Airlines are less willing than in the past to give discounted fares to corporate clients, and the size of those discounts has in many cases shrunk. But there are still good deals to be negotiated, especially if your company flies in first, business and premium economy classes, and on long-haul routes.   Step 1 – Find the data As always, you can only manage what you can measure – and airlines will respond much better to buyers who demonstrate detailed knowledge of

Taking a business trip can be difficult for any traveller. But if you use a wheelchair, or are blind, or in some other way among the estimated one in six of the world population with a significant disability according to the World Health Organization, those challenges multiply exponentially.   Facing the same problems as other people, like delays and missed connections, is hard enough. But disabled travellers often encounter additional hazards. To take just one example, the U

Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has announced the launch of direct flights to Kigali, Rwanda, marking a significant step in strengthening air connectivity between Oman and the African continent. The new route was announced during a formal signing ceremony hosted by His Excellency Saeed Al Mawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology in Muscat, during the official visit of Hon. Amb. Uwihanganye Jean de Dieu, Rwanda Minister

Oman Air has announced the launch of direct flights between Muscat and Singapore, commencing 2 July 2026. The new service marks the airline’s latest link to Southeast Asia, increasing accessibility between the two regions. Guests will now be able to fly direct from Muscat to Singapore four days a week - Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - and experience the vibrant multicultural heritage, award-winning food scene and innovative attractions that the city-state is known

Raffles is preparing to open a new ultra-luxury hotel on Jeddah’s Corniche, adding a high-profile coastal address to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving hospitality landscape. Set overlooking the Red Sea, the impending arrival of Raffles Jeddah comes at a time when Jeddah is positioning itself as a cultural and lifestyle hub, alongside its long-established role as a commercial gateway. The property is intended to blend Raffles’ heritage of personalised service with design and pro

Abu Dhabi, UAE  – Leveraging its existing collaboration with CarbonClick*, Etihad Airways has introduced a new enhancement to its Etihad for Business (EYB) platform, enabling corporate clients to redeem EYB credits for carbon-offsets directly through the Etihad for Business portal. Javier Alija, Vice President Global Sales & Distribution at Etihad Airways, said:  “This enhancement provides our corporate clients with a practical tool to assist in achieving their voluntary envi

Pegasus Airlines has taken a major step toward its international growth goals with the agreement to acquire Czech Airlines, one of the world’s oldest airline brands and its subsidiary Smartwings, the leading leisure carrier based in the Czech Republic. The strategic investment aims to strengthen the company’s presence in Europe and support its continued global expansion. The total transaction value is 154 million euros which encompasses both companies and related receivables.

Q: When did you join Air France-KLM and what is your role there?                       A: I joined seven years ago, having spent almost my entire career in the airline business. My role is to ensure Air France-KLM continues to grow strongly in the market. I lead the sales strategy, oversee pricing and revenue performance, and focus heavily on delivering a great customer experience. I work with an incredibly passionate and committed team, and we collaborate closely with our pa

An essential component of your travel programme Introducing corporate payments for travel has huge benefits for many different stakeholders within a company. Your travellers will have a much more convenient way to pay, your finance department can retain funds for longer and improve compliance, and as travel manager you will open up a new source of detailed management information about your organisation’s travel spend.   But how do you make sure you end up with the best-fittin

Emirates will continue rolling out its retrofitted Boeing 777 and new A350 aircraft to key destinations across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, bringing Premium Economy and its latest onboard products to more cities across its network. The airline will deploy its A350 on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, adding an extra frequency and offering customers greater connectivity alongside an elevated onboard experience.  Add

Business travel is always a fast-changing sector and 2026 will be no exception. Here are our predictions for the big issues set to cross travel managers’ desks over the next 12 months.   The Middle East will lead fast-rising hotel rates Average daily hotel rates will rise 4.9 per cent globally in 2026, according to a Travel Market Report  published by BCD Travel. The steepest increases will be in the Middle East, the report says: up 8.2 per cent. The only region where rates w

Geneva  – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released new estimates for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production showing that: In 2025, SAF output is expected to reach 1.9 million tonnes (Mt) (2.4 billion liters), double the 1 Mt produced in 2024. However, in 2026, SAF production growth is projected to slow down and reach 2.4 Mt. SAF production in 2025 represents only 0.6% of total jet fuel consumption, increasing to 0.8% the following year. At current price