December 13, 2018

Master developer Nakheel and Spain’s RIU Hotels & Resorts’ AED670 million ($182 million) 800-room beachfront resort and water park is taking shape at Deira Islands, with all accommodation floors almost complete and roofing work under way.

Façade and installation work at the nine-storey property – the first international hospitality joint venture for Nakheel and the first all-inclusive 4-star family beach resort in Dubai – will begin early next year, Nakheel said in a statement.

The developer said that inside the property, floor tiling"...

December 13, 2018

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) on Wednesday said all preparations were complete to launch phase 2 of the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme from Sunday, December 16. The scheme would cover 12 air, land and sea ports across the UAE.

The first phase went into effect on November 18, 2018, covering the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah international airports.

The second phase will cover Al Ain International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport; as well as 2 sea ports: Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi and Port Rashid in Dubai; and 4 land ports: Al Ghuwaifat Border Post in Abu Dhabi, Hili Border Port and Al Madheef Border Crossing in Al Ain, and Dubai's Hatta Border"...

December 12, 2018

Meydan One, the lifestyle and retail destination currently under development as part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City in Dubai, has announced that the project is on track for its launch in early 2020.

Sixty percent of structural work has been completed at Meydan One, which will integrate indoor and outdoor spaces featuring key attractions such a 1km ski slope, a heritage village, beach and water park, hotels and hotel apartments, as well as the largest dancing water fountain in the world.

Fahad Kazim, vice president – Meydan Malls, Meydan Group, said:"...

December 12, 2018

The UAE is seeing an average of 3,800 transactions per day under its recently launched Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, it has been announced.

The Federal Tax Authority said the average total amount of refunds processed every day has so far totalled AED925,187 ($251,868).

It added that the number of retail stores linked to the scheme’s electronic system has increased to 6,903.

The scheme, which was launched last month, initially issues and processes VAT refund claims for eligible tourists"...

December 12, 2018

Meydan One, a pioneering, next-generation lifestyle and retail destination, has announced that the project is on track for its launch in early 2020 with 60 per cent of structural work already completed.

The Meydan One project is Dubai’s latest centrepiece development aimed at enhancing the Emirate’s mall landscape through a wholly reimagined approach that combines retail, hospitality, entertainment and leisure experiences.

A sprawling, next-generation destination, Meydan One offers immersive lifestyle experiences,"...

December 11, 2018

Dubai Duty Free estimates airport sales in 2019 will remain little changed from this year as airlines reduce flights they operate when one of two runways at Dubai International Airport closes for upgrades.

The Dubai airport retail operator is on track to ring in $2bn in sales this year, driven by spending from Chinese travellers on branded watches and cosmetics, Colm McLoughlin, chief executive of Dubai Duty Free, told The National. This year perfumes were the biggest-selling product, accounting for a third of revenues, followed by liquor with 10 per cent and tobacco and cigarettes at 10 per cent.

“We"...

December 11, 2018

(WAM) -- Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has unveiled a third-party research report on the digital maturity of hotels in the emirate, with the objective of further improving the competitiveness of the travel and tourism industry.

The report was commissioned by Dubai Tourism as part of its on-going commitment to facilitate and promote disruptive technology as set out by the government’s 10x Initiative, with research carried out by leading management consultancy InsightsOut, specialists in the hospitality and service industries.

Findings"...

December 11, 2018

(AETOS Wire) -- On October 25, 2018, the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands declared that Changshu was put on the list of the first “International Wetland Cities” in the world, in recognition of its success in the protection of wetland ecology. The award is arguably the most influential on a global scale—supreme and unchallenged. It was against this backdrop that the project of Changshu Shanghu International Health Demonstration Zone was commenced.

Covering an area of about 40 million square meters, Changshu Shanghu, a national"...

December 10, 2018

The Dubai tourism industry maintained its steady growth in the first nine months of this year, driven by traditional source markets India, Saudi Arabia and the UK.

According to Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Russia, China and Germany witnessed strong double-digit growth as the number of visitors reached 11.58 million compared to 11.57 million in the same period last year. Though the growth was small, it was steady considering the geopolitical situation and overall economic slowdown in some parts of the region, as well as the stronger dirham against Asian markets.

Tourists"...

December 9, 2018

Rove Hotels, a joint venture between leading UAE developers Meraas and Emaar Properties, has launched its new 564-key property within City Walk, the urban lifestyle destination developed by Meraas.

Located next to Dubai Arena, the Rove City Walk will complement the hospitality offering at the urban liffestyle hub, said a statement from Meraas.

A contemporary midscale hotel brand, Rove Hotels currently has five operational hotels in key locations in Dubai – Rove Downtown, Rove City Centre, Rove Healthcare City, Rove Trade Centre and Rove Dubai Marina.

Rove Hotels has been designed for the new generation traveller who recognises value, stays connected through technology and gravitates"...