News in Brief

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

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.

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

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

Committed to rewarding loyalty at every stage of the travel journey, today Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced exciting changes to its award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program. Debuting this January, Hilton will introduce its most elite tier yet - Diamond Reserve – with new elevated benefits, including a Confirmable Upgrade Reward that can be instantly redeemed at the time of booking, guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, and exclusive customer service support. What’s more, Hilton Hon

The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship today announced that Canada has lifted the visa requirement for citizens of Qatar. This change took effect this morning at 5:30 a.m. EST.    Introducing visa-free travel for Qatari citizens makes it faster and easier for travellers to visit Canada for business or leisure. This milestone underscores the strength of our bilateral cooperation, and helps boost growth in tourism, business, and inve

UTRECHT, The Netherlands, November 20, 2025  – BCD Travel has released its next Travel Market Report dedicated to a 2026 Outlook on key risks and solutions, updates on the state of air travel pricing, hotel room rates and car rentals, and a summary of important sustainability trends. Key highlights from the report for corporate travel programs to consider include: Risks and mitigation strategies In 2026, as the global effects of tariffs continue to unfold, Oxford Economics b

Marriott International has reached a new development benchmark in Saudi Arabia, announcing a combined total of 100 open and pipeline hotels across the kingdom following the just-announced signing of a 1,100-room Courtyard by Marriott in Makkah. The agreement was signed with a fund managed by SEDCO Capital. Set within Masar, a major urban development led by Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction, the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel is expected to open in 2030. The hotel

Emirates' retrofit programme enters its next phase, with 60 A380s and 51 Boeing 777s lined up to receive the airline’s latest cabin innovations. Starting from August 2026, the airline will introduce a host of new onboard products, alongside a next-generation, fully immersive in-flight entertainment system and upgraded Wi-Fi connectivity with Starlink on these aircraft as part of its extensive fleet modernisation efforts. Emirates Engineering, working with partners Airbus, Saf

Business at Flight Centre Travel Group's corporate brands was "strong" in the first quarter of its fiscal year, which ran through to 30 September. In its annual general meeting on Wednesday, Flight Centre Travel Group CEO Graham Turner said total transaction value for the group's corporate business was up 7 per cent year over year, as FCM is "securing a pipeline of account wins totalling almost A$400 million [€226 million]" and "Asia [is] returning to modest profitability." S

Starting from November 2025, all Economy Class fares on UAE-based carrier flydubai will now include complimentary meals and inflight entertainment. The change marks a significant step in the airline’s ongoing investment in enhancing the customer experience. The update represents a major evolution in flydubai’s business model, which is aimed at offering passengers greater comfort and convenience across every flight. The airline’s recent investments have extended beyond onboard

American Express Global Business Travel is investing more in its ambitions in the small and midsize client segment. The company last week launched Toolbox, a digital platform that puts a "freemium"-model consulting service in the hands of SME travel buyers.  It’s targeted to companies in which the person who manages travel may have a broad remit and is not fully focused on the category. “A lot of times, travel is a small component of what they do,” said Amex GBT VP of consult