UAE: Jumeirah Group Celebrates Success At The Business Traveller Middle East Awards

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi has been voted ‘Overall Best Business Hotel in the Middle East’ at the Business Traveller awards in Dubai.

The hotel was also named Best Business Hotel – Abu Dhabi and Jumeirah Emirates Towers was named ‘Best Business Hotel, Dubai.

The award-winning events facilities at the stunning Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, include an extensive Conference Centre with 13 meeting rooms and the grand Mezzoon Ballroom.

The stunning view of the Arabian Gulf seen from the spacious pre-function areas promises to leave a lasting impression.

The hotel is set on the beach and comprises 382 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites. The three swimming pools are complemented by the Talise Spa and a fully equipped gym.

Famed for its soaring atrium, which is renowned as one of Dubai’s favourite business spots, Jumeirah Emirates Towers offers 400 rooms, a large ballroom, the Biz Hub, and outdoor venues for events in addition to eight meeting suites and 11 dining and nightlife venues.

Views overlook Dubai’s financial district and the property’s central location is just a five-minute drive from the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) and the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).

The Business Traveller Middle East celebrates the best in business travel across the Middle East. The awards showcase the region’s favourite companies at the forefront of business travel from airlines and hotels to car rentals and online platforms as voted for by the public.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Rove To Open New 366-Room Rove La Mer Resort In La Mer Dubai

Rove La Mer Resort
Rove Hotels has announced it is adding another property to its Dubai portfolio, this one in the La Mer beachfront precinct.

While not scheduled to open until 2020, the 366-room Rove La Mer Resort is set to offer tourists access to the developing beachfront neighbourhood, which is home to more than 100 shops, restaurants and cafes.

It will also offer views of the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline.

The hotel’s dining offering will include all-day dining restaurant The Daily, along with a lobby lounge, outdoor terrace and beachside food-and-beverage options.

The resort a joint venture between Meraas and Emaar Properties PJSC – will boast a 24-hour boutique convenience store, outdoor pool, sundecks, a 24-hour gym and an all-day self-service laundromat.

The 366-room Rove La Mer Hotel will gives tourists access to the beachfront hub on the 2.5-kilometre stretch of beach. Rove Hotels

La Mer is an ideal fit to the brand values that Rove Hotels celebrates, with a focus on offering exceptional lifestyle experiences in a trendy environment, says Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group.

The positive buzz of La Mer and the popularity it has gained among the young and young at heart make Rove La Mer Resort ideally positioned to meet the needs of the new generation of travellers who explore without boundaries and seek culturally inspiring experiences.

Rove La Mer Resort will join the five other existing properties in the emirate – Rove Downtown, Rove City Centre, Rove Healthcare City, Rove Trade Centre and Rove Dubai Marina.

Tourism Observer

GERMANY: More Gulf Medical Tourists Head To Berlin

Berlin wants to attract 10,000 additional tourists from the Arabian Gulf this year, as the city targets travellers seeking medical treatment.

Burkhard Kieker, the chief executive of visitBerlin, the tourism board of the German capital, was in Abu Dhabi to meet government health officials and representatives of local private hospitals to promote the city as a medical tourism destination.

Europe has been suffering due to the security situation for the past one year but we see a strong recovery in the number of tourists from the Gulf, Mr Kieker says.

Last year, Berlin received 50,000 tourists from the Arabian Gulf, of which about 12,000 were medical tourists, making it the second-most popular German city after Munich.

This year, Mr Kieker expects the number of tourists from the Arabian Gulf to grow by 20 per cent and the number of medical tourists to increase by about 30 per cent.

We expect an increase in medical tourists because leading families from the region come to Berlin, it is a city where you can feel safe, it has a large Muslim population, it has great shopping and has around 28 five-star hotels, Mr Kieker said.

There has been heavy investment in the hospitals and clinics, and an increase in Arabic-speaking staff.

The changes in insurance policies in Abu Dhabi that make it more expensive for some Emiratis to seek treatment abroad did not impact the patient numbers to Berlin, according to Mr Kieker.

There has been a rise in the number of self-pay patients to Berlin because they do not want to wait in a line, although the majority of the patients are still government sponsored, he said.

Emiratis and Gulf medical tourists typically seek oncology, urology, cardiology, diabetology and trauma care treatment.

An average Emirati patient can stay anywhere between two weeks and three months,said Nizar Maarouf, the vice director of Vivantes International Medicine, a Berlin-based healthcare group with nine hospitals.

Berlin has about 80 clinics and hospitals such as the Vivantes hospital group and Charite Berlin.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the top countries in the Arabian Gulf region to send medical tourists to Germany, including Berlin.

Etihad flies to Berlin twice daily from Abu Dhabi.

Qatar Airways also connects the UAE capital to Berlin. Emirates is yet to get landing rights in Berlin.

Terrorist attacks in Europe have hurt its tourism sector.

In its annual report, Emirates cited these terror attacks as among the reasons for soft demand to Europe from the region.

OMAN: Ever Been To Oman? Listen To This

The former capital of Oman offers cooler weather, architectural sites to die for and a valley that's surprisingly green

THE CAPITAL of the Sultanate of Oman between 1932 and 1970, the coastal city of Salalah is a popular holiday destination during the khareef season, when the normally arid mountain ranges and pastureland take on a refreshing green hue.

The sky is brushed with grey and blue streaks by the Indian Ocean monsoon from June until September, making the summer here considerably cooler than in other parts of the Arabian Gulf.

The average mean temperature in Oman in summer is 44 degrees Celsius but in Salalah, it’s a balmy 35 degrees. While we don’t get a lot of rain, we are blessed with the monsoon from June to September, and the cooler climate draws tourists from Yemen, the Emirates and India, the local guide says.

Spread over the southern Omani coast, Salalah is the country’s second largest city after Muscat and the capital of Dhofar Governorate, where Sultan Qaboos bin Said was born and grew up.

Located 925 kilometres from Muscat, Oman Air’s flight takes just one hour and 15 minutes to arrive in Salalah and I take full advantage of my luxury business class seat and in-flight facilities to make the most of my journey.

Rich in nature and cultural interest, Salalah has a backdrop of lush mountains, white beaches, and a charming old town to explore.

It is also famous for high-quality Arabian frankincense used for creating essential oils for massage treatments, incense and wedding products representing fortune and the beginning of good life.

Salalah was the leading dried sardine exporter but now people tend to prefer king fish. Today, we export frankincense, frankincense oil and other merchandise to India.

I join a city tour the next morning and a local guide leads us to the well-preserved Taqah Castle in the heart of old town.

Built in the 19th century, it originally served as a private stronghold for Sheikh Ali bi Timman Al-Ma’s ashani and in 1984 was converted into the official residence and administrative centre for local governors (Walis).

The walls are fashioned from solid blocks of Taqah stone, a local limestone composed of fossilised shells and corals was used widely in ancient constructions.

Inside the complex the atmosphere is intimate, just like a real home and the principal rooms are furnished with refined handicrafts.

The food store on the ground floor displays large quantities of dried fish, grain, dates and other vital supplies and offers an interesting reflection of how people lived in bygone days.

A well in the courtyard ensured an abundant supply of fresh water for drinking and an outdoor oven provided for the well-ventilated roasting of meat and daily cooking.

The living room in the well-preserved Taqah Castle is decorated with beautiful hand-embroidered cushions and draperies

The luxury family suite on the upper floor is designed as a living room, where family members enjoyed light meals and shared news during the day.

Adjoining the living room is a reception area, where the wali would hold private discussions with special guests.

Colourful and elegant, each room is adorned with locally made cotta pottery, porcelain plates and bowls obtained through trade with China, India, Europe and Zanzibar, as well as beautiful hand-embroidered cushions and draperies.

Leaving the castle, we head to the Wadi Darbat valley, passing camels and donkeys making the most of the pastureland.

Reaching the top of hill, visitors are spoiled with a picturesque panorama of a turquoise crystal lake. Boat rides on the lake are offered with prices starting at OMR 3 (Bt260) for a 30-minute paddleboat for two and OMR 5 (Bt442) on a motorboat.

People living outside the area have 10 to 20 camels and let them graze on the land.

They will come to see their camels once or twice a week and feed them with sardines. Most villagers raise camels for meat. Camel meat has low fat and people always give it to the guests as a gift.

We use camel milk to make cheese too. During the Khareef season, the mountain is very green and potatoes taste sweeter. You will see plenty of healthy looking cows because they can feed on the grass to eat.

The government also has a project to provide water and electricity for houses on the mountains at no charge.

We return to the old town and continue for another 20 minutes to Marneef Cave and Al Mugsayl Beach, a much-loved picnic spot for local folks and tourists.

The cave is formed from eroded limestone and the beach entertains travellers with three stunning blowholes, from which the water shoots up as high as 28 metres.

Back in town we visit the Al Baleed Archaeological Park, the Unesco World Heritage Site, which is home to the ruins of the ancient city on the Indian Ocean and the Museum of Frankincense.

The complex has several rooms in different sizes and a water basin linked to a range of drainage channels that date back to 750-950 AD.

The Al Baleed Castle occupies 5,000 square meters and is built with large stones showcasing the craftsmanship in the Iron Age. Another impressive building is the Al Balled Mosque. B

uilt in 850 AD, it boasted 144 columns parallel to the qibia wall, mostly octagonal or cylindrical, with square bases and crowns decorated with floral ornaments.

UAE: Thousands Of Visitors Expected In Dubai In A Few Weeks To Come

Thousands of tourists from the GCC, Europe and other major markets are expected to flock to Dubai over the next few weeks, as the city has just unveiled a number of mega attractions and the emirate’s social events calendar is fast filling up.

Dubai has recently launched several key projects, including the 1.5-million-square-foot IMG Worlds of Adventure and the much bigger leisure destination, the 25-million-square-foot Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is home to three theme parks and one water park.

Just more than a week earlier, Dubai witnessed the grand opening of the 3.2-kilometre Dubai Water Canal, which links the Dubai Creek to the Arabian Gulf.

With so many exciting things now on offer, hotels in the city are seeing a growing number of tourist arrivals, with occupancy levels rising to as much as 80 per cent. Towards the end of the year, many hoteliers are expecting higher or full occupancy.

Industry sources said the huge influx of visitors will surely give a much-needed boost to the tourism industry after a slow summer and sluggish demand from key markets. Visitor numbers from big-spending markets like Russia had earlier declined, owing to the decline in oil prices and strengthening of the US dollar, but this trend is starting to change.

“With new developments on the tourism front, where Dubai has seen three new attractions opening in a span of just three months, Dubai is sure to win hearts of tourists and it is going to pull in a huge number probably exceeding earlier years,” said Moussa El Hayek, COO of Al Bustan Centre and Residence.

“This is the best season for the travellers to visit Dubai, hence the excitement surely is in the air,” he added.

El Hayek said they’re expecting a huge number of guests from Russia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“This year, we have seen a steady flow of tourists from Russia. Currently, we are enjoying a decent share of 80 per cent occupancy level. We plan to increase it by at least 20 per cent over the next few weeks.”

“The trends surely are positive and we see an upward booking curve.”

Dubai’s hotel occupancy had earlier dropped, averaging 84.7 per cent in the first three months of the year, down from 85.6 per cent in the same period of 2015. The decline was partly due to the size of new hotel supply, which outpaced demand growth for the same period. As of October this year, Dubai recorded more than 19,000 rooms in 67 hotels still under construction, according to STR data.

A spokesperson for Millennium Plaza Hotel in Dubai said that over the next few weeks, they are expecting to see a “good mix” of travellers from the GCC, Far East and Europe. “We have also seen a rise of travellers from the Americas. Our occupancy level fluctuates between the high 80s to the high 90s, with a few days at 100 per cent,” the hotel said.

“This trend will continue toward the end of the year. Hopefully, we expect to be in line or a bit higher in occupancy compared to 2015.”

“A lot of factors will boost visitor numbers- meetings, exhibitions, short breaks, the opening of various theme parks and various air connection routes via Dubai.”

UAE: Dubai Reports Record Medical Tourists But Only 40% Are From Outside UAE

Dubai reports record medical tourist numbers but only 40% are from outside the UAE and high expatriate numbers cause confusion.

Dubai is on track to achieve its target of attracting half a million medical tourists this year, five years ahead of schedule, but only 40% of these are from outside the UAE, and there is still major confusion between international patients and medical tourists.

According to figures provided by the main 16 medical tourism hospitals, in the first six months of 2015, Dubai attracted 256,097 medical tourists from within and outside the United Arab Emirates. Layla Al Marzouqi at Dubai Health Authority (DHA) suggests that numbers will rise; “We expect that number to double when we collect data from across all the 30 hospitals and other facilities at the end of the year. “Only 30 hospitals are licensed for medical tourism."

For the 16 hospitals alone, 33% of patients were Asian, 27% European, 23% from within the UAE and other Arab/Gulf countries, and 17% from Africa. Historically, hospitals have only recorded patents as either Dubai citizens or international patients, and not split the latter category into expatriates living in Dubai, expatriates living elsewhere in the UAE, and genuine medical tourists. Europe. Pakistani and Indian expatriates make up more than 37 % of the total population of three emirates Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, according to 2014 statistics from Euromonitor. The five most populous nationalities in the three emirates are Indian (25 %), Pakistani (12 %), Emirati (9%), Bangladeshi (7%), and Filipino (5%). This would explain why there are high Asian numbers in the Dubai figures.

Only 40% of medical tourists are actually from abroad; 60% are from within the UAE according to Linda Abdullah Ali, the DHA head of medical tourism. She adds "Dubai aims to grow the number of medical tourists by around 12 % annually to reach more than 500,000 and generate Dh2.6 billion in revenue by 2020."

The majority of clinics and small hospitals in Dubai only deal with locals which is where figures can get confusing when talking of international patients as Dubai has 1.2 million expatriates within a population of only 4.8 million. Across the UAE 84% of the working population is expatriate; some professionals but mostly low paid domestic and manual workers. In the figures for the 16 hospitals it is not clear if they refer to where the person was based or their nationality. If it is the latter then the actual figures of true medical tourists could be hugely overstated. Historically, hospitals have only recorded patents as either Dubai citizens or international patients, and not split the latter category into expatriates living in Dubai, expatriates living elsewhere in the UAE, and genuine medical tourists.

Many expatriates working in Dubai are from Asia and Europe. So until the DHA can remove the vagueness of whether their figures are international patients including expatriates working within the UAE, or true medical tourists who only go to Dubai for treatment, and ensure that the hospitals have a uniform recording system to differentiate between the two categories-the quoted figures must be treated with caution.

Of Dubai’s 2,900 medical facilities hospitals, clinics and day-care surgery centres, 26 hospitals are private and four are state-run. At least 10 private hospitals are expected to open in the next two years.

Countries in the Arabian Gulf, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Africa are the main source markets for Dubai’s medical tourism industry as prices are relatively high compared to Asian competitors mean it has been unable to attract any real interest from the UK, USA or Western Europe. Cosmetic surgery and wellness treatments are the most popular services, orthopaedic surgeries are the top revenue generators. Infertility treatment and bariatric surgery are also popular.

The success comes at a huge cost to the government and the private sector. The huge amount of time and money spent is because it has to succeed, as it is part of the diversification strategy to increase the non-oil sector. With oil prices still falling and likely to stay low for several years, many Gulf economies will struggle if they cannot successfully diversify.

Some hospitals are designed like hotels with valet parking, VIP rooms, gourmet food and beverage cafes and restaurants. Hospitals are placing emphasis on hospitality and partnerships with leading international health care institutions has proved to be a value added factor. Beyond the infrastructure, the focus is on operational efficiency using state of the art IT systems and high customer care.

Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020 aims to welcome 20 million tourists per year by 2020. There were 13.2 million international overnight visitors in 2014 alone, and 2015 numbers should reach 14 million.