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Middle East Travel and Tourism

Middle East Travel and Tourism

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Egypt’s North Coast is finally being discovered by the rest of the world as its ancient roots are being rediscovered nearby

Today, we often forget just how diverse the Mediterranean region was ethnically, linguistically, and culturally in ancient times. At the height of its territorial expansion during the New Kingdom, the Egyptian empire reached as far north was modern-day Turkey and as far south as modern-day Ethiopia, …

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Ras Al Khaimah aims to break out of the shadows of its more famous neighboring emirates

Superlative labels like the country's tallest, the world's longest, and the region's first are often used to describe ambitious new projects in the two largest and most famous cities of the United Arab Emirates - Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But the country's fourth largest emirate and fifth most populous …

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Saudi’s new Boutique Group to transform historic royal residences into ultra-luxury hotels

It has been home to kings and has hosted presidents, shahs, and princes. And now, thanks to the revitalization efforts of Saudi hospitality company Boutique Group, Riyadh's Red Palace hopes to one day also host you as a guest following its transformation into an ultra-luxury hotel. Originally …

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“Great Transfiguration” project to turn Mount Sinai into an extended-stay destination

The area around Mount Sinai, known to locals as Jebel Mousa or the Mountain of Moses, is arguably the holiest and most well-known place outside of Jerusalem to the billions of followers of the world's three largest religions - Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Nestled deep in the mountainous desert …

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AirArabia becomes the latest airline to offer off-site airport check-in in downtown Dubai

Air Arabia has opened a new off-site flight check-in office in downtown Dubai to allow those flying with the low-cost carrier to check their luggage and pick up boarding passes up to 24 hours prior to their scheduled departure. The airline already operates 11 similar locations throughout the UAE, …

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Pioneering milestone in Saudi hospitality as the kingdom welcomes its first female opening GM

As Saudi Arabia drives forward into the future by leaps and bounds across all sectors of its economy and all strata of society, its hotel industry joined in yet another celebration of firsts in the kingdom with the launch of Accor's new Novotel Riyadh Sahafa, led by Hessa AlMazroa as its opening …

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Middle East Travel & Tourism announces the release of The Best Hotels of Egypt for 2024

Egypt’s hotel scene has undergone significant changes over the past two years since the last “Best Hotels of Egypt” list was published. As is very often the case in Egypt, changes in leadership, ownership, occupancy trends, budget priorities, staffing levels, and so on can drastically impact the …

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Sharing Experiences in Immersive Spacial 3D

This new technology adds a whole new set of tools and capabilities for travel industry marketers. With a recording quality and viewing experience that is light years ahead of anything else on the market, immersive spacial 3D has incredible stand-out potential for destination marketing and tourism promotion across the region and around the world. - John Navarre, Editor-in-Chief of Middle East Travel & Tourism

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What are all these new entities popping up all over Saudi Arabia? Are they regions, projects, mega-projects, or something else? And how do they all relate to one another?

Unravelling the Confusing Web of Saudi Arabia’s New Tourism Mega-Projects

As the world begins to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia is  attempting to rapidly and wisely diversify itself away from its traditional oil-based economy to one in which a newly established tourism industry can be a significant driver of investment, employment, and economic sustainability.  Largely centred around the kingdom’s 1,760 kilometers (1,100 miles) of warm and closely accessible Red Sea coastline, the variety, diversity, and sheer number of new destination announcements has been dizzying. But with the peak of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan still …

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When you want to diversify your economy, you want to work on all sectors, including tourism. If you want to have tourism, you need to develop your culture, entertainment, and sports sectors, as you need to create a calendar for events."
- Mohamed bin Salman, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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