SINGAPORE: Eric Piatti Appointed GM At Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore

Eric Piatti has been appointed as General Manager of the Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore, the first Dusit-branded property within the country, scheduled to open in Q1 2019.

Mr Piatti is responsible for overseeing the pre-opening and ongoing operations of the new 198-room resort, which is located within the Laguna National Golf & Country Club and has the distinction of being the only resort in Singapore to offer direct access to a golf club.

Mr Piatti brings to his role more than 30 years of senior management experience at luxury hotels in the USA, Switzerland, Japan, China, India, Egypt and Thailand.

Prior to joining Dusit International, Mr Piatti spent five years as General Manager of Swissôtel Nai Lert Park, Bangkok, Thailand.

During his career he has also served as General Manager of Swissôtel Beijing, China during the Olympic Games and Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers, Cairo, Egypt.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore represents a key milestone in Dusit’s global expansion and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this stunning resort and introduce Dusit’s Thai-inspired, gracious hospitality to the country, said Mr Piatti.

Ideally positioned to meet the needs of golfing enthusiasts, leisure travellers, and MICE clientele, the resort has vast potential, and my team and I look forward to making it a huge success.

Mr Piatti holds a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.

His mother tongue is French, and he is fluent in English, German and Italian.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Air Arabia Offers Tickets At So Low Cost

Sharjah-based Air Arabia is offering flight tickets from Sharjah to Beirut for as low as Dh450.

The Indian residents can fly to From Sharjah to Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram for Dh530 and Dh560 respectively.

Other Air Arabia flights to destinations to India are as follows

- From Sharjah to Coimbatore for Dh1010

- To Kochi for Dh700

- To Amman in Jordan for Dh830

- To Alexandria in Egypt for Dh658

Just in case you are not planning to take a holiday or visit your family in any of these destinations, then flydubai has fabulous offers to be availed for other destinations.

The airline is offering irresistible ticket prices to fabulous holiday destinations such as Georgia, Italy and Durbovnik.

The ticket prices are as follows

- Dubai to Batuni in Georgia for Dh900

- To Catania in Italy for Dh1,500

- To Durbovnik in Croatia for Dh1,200


Tourism Observer

GULF CRISIS: Both The Coalition Against Qatar And Qatar At Stalemate,Gulf Diplomats In US For Talks

Top Gulf diplomats were in Washington Tuesday as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to help resolve the stubborn Qatar crisis, amid concerns that Saudi Arabia's unyielding stance could foil the effort.

With a one-week Saudi deadline looming for Qatar to meet its demands, Tillerson had talks with Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

He quickly followed that with a meeting with Kuwait Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah, whose country has taken on the official role of mediator.

And he was planning to meet in a working dinner late Tuesday with the Kuwaitis and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has offered to help resolve the row.

But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, also in Washington, was unbudging over the three-week-old squabble, which has left Qatar, a US ally, isolated under a trade and diplomatic embargo set by its Gulf Arab neighbors.

Our demands on Qatar are non-negotiable. It's now up to Qatar to end its support for extremism and terrorism, Jubeir said via Twitter.

With the support of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, the Saudis announced on June 5 they were suspending all ties with Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups,a claim Doha denies.

They closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border, a vital route for its food imports.

Last week Riyadh laid down a list of 13 demands for Qatar, included the closure of Al-Jazeera, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate.

The United Arab Emirates warned that Qatar should take the demands seriously or face "divorce" from its Gulf neighbors.

The dispute between two groups of allies, Turkey and Iraq have backed Qatar has laid down a hefty challenge for Tillerson, a seasoned oil executive but new to statecraft.

While initially stepping back from what it viewed as a regional spat that would sort itself out, Washington has accepted that it will have to take an active role in resolving what has the makings of a foreign policy disaster for the young government of President Donald Trump.

Washington has close economic and security ties with both sides of the quarrel.

Qatar is home to the largest US base in the region, Al-Udeid. Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. And the US and Saudi militaries work closely together as well.

Kuwait is the official arbitrator for seeking a settlement, and after meeting al-Sabah, Tillerson pledged his support for its lead in talks.

During their meeting they reaffirmed the need for all parties to exercise restraint to allow for productive diplomatic discussions, according to spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

But the US will be central to finding compromises that would do little damage but allow each side to claim a win, said Hussein Ibish, a scholar on Gulf affairs at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

It's an all-out struggle of wills, he said.

The way out for both sides is a kind of an American mediation which is face-saving for everybody.

The United States has cautioned that some of the demands would be difficult for Qatar to accept, asking the Saudis for a clear list of grievances that are reasonable and actionable.

Nauert said that talks would continue through the week, but added the Saudi demands remained challenging for Qatar.

Some of them will be difficult for Qatar to incorporate and to try to adhere to, she said.

We continue to call on those countries to work together and work this out.

QATAR: Gulf Crisis Affecting Qatar Tourism

The boycott imposed on Qatar by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt is squeezing the country’s tourism sector and Doha’s hotels, which would normally be full in the Eid Al Fitr holiday, have seen steep falls in their occupancy rates.

Average occupancy was around 57 per cent at the start of the Eid festival on Sunday.

We’re usually packed with Saudis and Bahrainis but not this year, a staff member at a five-star hotel said.

The aviation analyst Will Horton estimated Hamad International Airport, one of the Middle East’s busiest, would handle 76 per cent as many flights in early July compared with the same period last year, a loss of about 27,000 passengers a day.

Visitors from the rest of the GCC usually account for almost half of all visitors to Qatar and the decision to cut diplomatic and transport ties on June 5 hit traffic hard.

Doha in early July, assuming the restrictions remain, will have less capacity than a year ago - a confronting figure for a region where every month sets year-on-year records, said Mr Horton, senior analyst at Australia’s CAPA Center for Aviation.

Hundreds of weekly flights to and from Qatar have already been cancelled because of the dispute. Hamad airport will lose fees paid by airlines and passengers, as well as terminal revenue from duty free shops and restaurants.

Air links suspended by the four Arab states represented around 25 per cent of flights by state-owned Qatar Airways, one of the region’s big three carriers.

Elsewhere in the tourist sector, hotels, restaurants and other facilities have had to find new sources of services and goods, in some cases, at higher cost, due to the boycott, said Rashid Aboobacker, a senior director at TRI Consulting in Dubai.

A substantial drop in visitor arrivals is likely to force hotel and real estate developers to re-evaluate their strategies and priorities, potentially causing delays to some of the ongoing tourism projects, he said.

Developing business and leisure tourism is part of Qatar’s drive to develop its economy away from reliance on oil and gas revenue.

Doha aims to raise the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP to 5.2 pe rcent by 2030 from around 4.1 per cent now, while raising the number of people employed by nearly 70 per cent to 127,900.

QATAR: Qatar Diplomatic Crisis And Its Effects

The 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis occurred as a result of several countries abruptly cutting off diplomatic relations with Qatar.

These countries included Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. The severing of relations included withdrawing ambassadors, and imposing trade and travel bans.

Saudi Arabia and other countries have criticized Al Jazeera and Qatar's relations with Iran, and accused Qatar of funding terrorist organizations. Qatar denied that it supports terrorism, given that it has assisted the United States in the War on Terror and the ongoing military intervention against ISIL.

Saudi Arabia's actions were verbally supported by United States President Donald Trump. Many countries in the region, including Turkey, Russia and Iran, called for the crisis to be resolved through peaceful negotiations.

Qatar has had differences with other Arab governments on a number of issues: it broadcasts Al Jazeera; it is accused of maintaining good relations with Iran; and it has supported the Muslim Brotherhood in the past.Qatar is an American ally, hosting the largest American base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base.

The countries withdrawing diplomatic relations accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, of interfering with their internal affairs and of maintaining relations with Iran.Qatar denies allegations that it supported terrorism, and pointed out that it has been contributing to the U.S.-led fight against ISIL.

Qatar maintains relatively good relations with Iran. Qatar and Iran share ownership of South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field,by far the world's largest natural gas field, with significant geostrategic influence.

In April 2017, after a 12-year freeze, Qatar lifted a self-imposed ban on developing the gas field with Iran,which would require cooperation between the two countries.According to Jim Krane, energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute, Qatar used to be a kind of Saudi vassal state, but it used the autonomy that its gas wealth created to carve out an independent role for itself.

Above all, gas prompted Qatar to promote a regional policy of engagement with Shiite Iran to secure the source of its wealth.Since he took power in 1995, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani believed Qatar could find security only by transforming itself from a Saudi appendage to a rival of Saudi Arabia.

The crisis has turned into a proxy battle between partners and adversaries of Iran and Qatar invests billions of dollars in the U.S. and Europe and then recycles the profits to support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and groups linked to al Qaeda.

Qatar hosts the American military base from which the U.S. directs its regional war against extremism, yet it also owns media networks responsible for inciting many of the same extremists.

Qatar has tried to cultivate good relations with countries and organizations that are at odds with each other.To establish a massive base for the US military on its territory, while at the same time flirting with Iran; to fight terror, but fund the Islamic State and the Al-Nusra Front in Syria.

But Qatar failed to understand that the new regional power, now more than ever, is Saudi Arabia.

Qatar also used its contacts to help negotiate peaceful exchanges of hostages for the safe evacuation of civilians from areas affected by the Syrian Civil War.However, Qatar also sent its forces to fight against alleged Iranian-backed militias in the current Yemeni Civil War and has supported rebels fighting the Iranian-allied government of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War.

Qatar has supported the Muslim Brotherhood in the past.Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies see the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat, as it ideologically opposes hereditary rule.The government of Egypt has long viewed the Muslim Brotherhood as "enemy number one".

In 2011, during the Arab Spring, Qatar supported the Egyptian protesters agitating for change, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood. By contrast, Saudi Arabia supported Hosni Mubarak and currently supports Abd El-Fattah El-Sisi since the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état.

Qatar has been accused of sponsoring terrorism.Some countries have faulted Qatar for funding rebel groups in Syria, including al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front,although the Saudis have done the same.Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been involved in the CIA–led Timber Sycamore covert operation to train and arm Syrian rebels.

Qatar has hosted officials from the Afghan Taliban and Hamas. Qatar defends this move by saying it is trying to act as an intermediary in regional conflicts.For example, Qatar hosted talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in 2016.

On 27 May 2017, the newly-reelected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held a phone call with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.Rouhani told Qatar's emir, the countries of the region need more cooperation and consultations to resolve the crisis in the region and we are ready to cooperate in this field.

Former US Defense Secretary and ex-CIA chief Robert Gates stated in May 2017 that he does not know instances in which Qatar aggressively goes after (terror finance) networks of Hamas, Taliban, Al-Qaeda,and that My attitudes toward Al-Udeid and any other facility is that the United States military doesn’t have any irreplaceable facility.

Qatar hosts the largest American base in the Middle East, the Al Udeid Air Base, which has been used by the United States in its campaigns in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

In 2002, Saudi Arabia removed their ambassador from Qatar over Al Jazeera's alleged critical stance towards Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic relations were re-established in 2008, after assurances that Al Jazeera would limit its coverage of Saudi Arabia.

In March 2014, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates removed their ambassadors from Qatar, citing interference with their internal affairs, but the situations were eventually defused after Qatar forced Brotherhood members to leave the country eight months later.

In February 2015, Egypt–Qatar relations deteriorated after the Egyptian Air Force conducted airstrikes on suspected ISIL positions in neighboring Libya following the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians.The airstrikes were condemned by Al Jazeera, who broadcast images of civilian casualties.

Additionally, Qatar's foreign ministry expressed reservations over the airstrikes. This prompted Tariq Adel, Egypt's Arab League delegate, to accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Egyptian citizens also launched an online campaign denouncing the Qatari government.

The Gulf Cooperation Council rejected Egypt's accusations and its secretary general regarded the statements to be false.Shortly after, Qatar recalled its ambassador to Egypt for "consultations".

The exact reasons for the diplomatic break-offs are unclear, but contemporary news coverage primarily attributes this to several events in April and May 2017.

In April 2017, Qatar was involved in a deal with both Sunni and Shi'ite militants in Iraq and Syria. The deal had two goals. The immediate goal was to secure the return of 26 Qatari hostages including Qatari royals who had been kidnapped by Shi'ite militants while falcon hunting in Southern Iraq and kept in captivity for more than 16 months.

The second goal was to get both Sunni and Shi'ite militants in Syria to allow humanitarian aid to pass through and allow the safe evacuation of civilians.This deal allowed the evacuation of at least 2,000 civilians from the Syrian village of Madaya alone.

What outraged Saudi Arabia and the UAE is the amount of money Qatar had to pay to secure the deal. According to the Financial Times Qatar paid $700 million to Iranian-backed Shi'a militias in Iraq, $120-140 million to Tahrir al-Sham, and $80 million to Ahrar al-Sham.

As part of the Riyadh Summit in late May 2017, many world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump visited the region. Trump gave strong support for Saudi Arabia's efforts in fighting against states and groups allied with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, leading to an arms deal between the countries. Trump's support may have induced other Sunni states to fall in line with Saudi Arabia to take a stance against Qatar.

The Qatar News Agency website and other government media platforms were allegedly hacked in May 2017. According to Qatar-based Al Jazeera, hackers posted fake remarks on the official Qatar News Agency attributed to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that expressed support for Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel.

The emir was quoted as saying: Iran represents a regional and Islamic power that cannot be ignored and it is unwise to face up against it. It is a big power in the stabilization of the region.Qatar reported that the statements were false and did not know their origin.

Despite this, the remarks were widely publicized in the various Arab news media, including UAE-based Sky News Arabia and Al Arabiya.On 3 June 2017, the Twitter account of Bahraini foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was hacked.

Initially alleged Intelligence gathered by the US security agencies indicated that Russian hackers were behind the intrusion first reported by the Qataris. However, a U.S. official briefed on the inquiry told the New York Times that it was unclear whether the hackers were state-sponsored and The Guardian diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour reported that it is believed that the Russian government was not involved in the hacks; instead, freelance hackers were paid to undertake the work on behalf of some other state or individual.

A U.S. diplomat said that Russia and its ally Iran stood to benefit from sowing discord among U.S. allies in the region, particularly if they made it more difficult for the United States to use Qatar as a major base.The FBI sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the hacking incident.

Later New York Times reported that the hacking incidents may be part of long running cyberwar between Qatar and other Gulf countries that was only revealed to the public during the recent incidents and they noted how Saudi and UAE media picked up the statement made by the hacked media in less than 20 minutes and began interviewing many well-prepared commentators against Qatar.

In May 2017, the email account of the UAE's ambassador to the U.S., Yousef Al-Otaiba, was hacked. The emails were seen as "embarrassing",because they allegedly showed links between the UAE and a pro-Israeli group, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The story was covered by Al Jazeera and HuffPost Arabi, both of which are funded by Qatar. Arab countries saw the media coverage of the alleged email hack as a provocation by Qatar, and deepened the rift between the two sides.

On 9 June, Al Jazeera's media network was the victim of a cyber attack across all its platforms.

A variety of diplomatic actions were taken. Saudi Arabia and the UAE notified ports and shipping agents not to receive Qatari vessels or ships owned by Qatari companies or individuals.Saudi Arabia closed the border with Qatar.Iran offered to send food shipments to Qatar.

Saudi Arabia restricted its airspace to Qatar Airways. Instead, Qatar has rerouted flights to Africa and Europe via Iran.Saudi Arabia's central bank advised banks not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals.

Qatar verbally criticized the ban. The Foreign Ministry of Qatar criticized the ban, arguing that it undermined Qatar's sovereignty.The foreign minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said that Saudi statements regarding Qatar were contradictory: on one hand, Saudi Arabia claimed Qatar was supporting Iran, on the other hand, it claimed Qatar was funding Sunni extremists fighting against Iran.

All GCC countries involved in the announcement ordered their citizens out of Qatar.Three Gulf states,Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries.The foreign ministries of Bahrain and Egypt gave Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave their countries.Qatar was expelled from the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.Kuwait and Oman remained neutral.

Kuwaiti mediators in Riyadh were presented with a list of Saudi demands to Qatar. These included cutting off all links with Iran and expelling resident members of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, curbs on the freedom of al-Jazeera, to stop “interfering” in foreign countries’ affairs and to cease any funding or support for terrorist organisations.

As of 10 June 2017, eight sovereign governments have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

- Bahrain

- Comoros

- Egypt

- Maldives

- Mauritania

- Saudi Arabia

- United Arab Emirates

- Yemen

The Tobruk-based government of Libya claimed to have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar despite having no diplomatic representation in that country.The government of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland announced on 10 June 2017 that it has cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt.

As of 12 June 2017, six countries have downgraded diplomatic ties with Qatar without fully cutting relations.

- Chad

- Djibouti

- Eritrea

- Jordan

- Niger

- Senegal

Multiple countries and the United Nations called for the resolution of the diplomatic crisis through dialogue:

- Algeria

- Guinea

- India

- Indonesia

- Iran

- Morocco

- Russia

- Somalia

- Sudan

- Tunisia

- Turkey

- Pakistan

- United Kingdom

Germany's foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed support for Qatar and criticized the severing of ties.He accused US President Donald Trump of stirring up conflict in the Middle East.

India said that it viewed the crisis as an internal matter of the Gulf Cooperation Council and was primarily concerned with the Indian expatriates in the region.

Indonesia foreign minister said the diplomatic disconnection by Arab countries against qatar is very influential on Indonesia. And Indonesia asks the state to break the ties with qatar to negotiate. Indonesian President Joko Widodo wants Indonesia to have a role in resolving the conflict in middle East, Jokowi admitted still finding out the point of the real problem before determining what steps can be done by Indonesia.

On June 10, 2017 Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo called the president of Turkey and amir Qatar to find a way to resolve the conflict considering Indonesia itself is an Islamic country and this conflict occurred in Ramadhan.

Israel said that the crisis opened up opportunities for cooperation in the fight against terrorism, claiming that the Arab countries that cut off their diplomatic relations with Qatar did not do so because of Israel or the Palestinian issue, but because of their fear of radical Islamic terrorism.

Reports that Mauritius had cut ties with Qatar were refuted by the Mauritian government.A report in the Saudi Gazette incorrectly stated that Mauritius had broken off ties with Qatar and that Mauritius' Vice Prime-Minister had issued a communiqué pledging his country's support for Saudi Arabia.

This prompted further erroneous reports by other outlets. However, Mauritian Vice Prime Minister Showkutally Soodhun in an interview with Le Défi Media Group of Mauritius refuted claims that he had issued any such communiqué, and Mauritius' Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that Mauritius continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Qatar.

Pakistan stated that it had no plans to cut diplomatic relations with Qatar.Member of the Parliament passed a resolution in National Assembly of Pakistan urging all countries to show restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.Federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources said that Pakistan will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.

A six-member Qatari delegation headed by a special envoy of the Qatari Emir visited Pakistan and asked Pakistan to play a positive role in resolving the diplomatic crisis. Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan would do all it can to help resolve the crisis and called on the Muslim world to play a role in ending hostilities.TRT in a report said that Pakistan would deploy 20,000 troops in Qatar but the Foreign Office denied media report.

The Philippines suspended the deployment of migrant workers to Qatar on 6 June.However, on 7 June, they allowed the deployment of the returning workers and those with Overseas Employment Certificate, but still suspended the deployment of new workers. The suspension was later fully lifted on 15 June.

United States President Donald Trump claimed credit for engineering the diplomatic crisis in a series of tweets.On 6 June, Trump began by tweeting: "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!"

An hour and a half later, he remarked on Twitter that it was "good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!

This was in contrast to attempts by the Pentagon and State department to remain neutral. The Pentagon praised Qatar for hosting the Al Udeid Air Base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security." U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, sent a similar message.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State had taken a neutral stance and called for dialogue.Qatar hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the forward operating base of United States Central Command that plays a commanding role in US airstrikes in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

A Pentagon spokesperson claimed the diplomatic crisis would not affect the US military posture in Qatar.On 8 June, President Donald Trump, during a phone call with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, offered as a mediator in the conflict with a White House meeting between the parties if necessary.

The offer was declined, and Qatari official stated, The emir has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade.

On 9 June, Trump once put the blame on Qatar, calling the blockade hard but necessary while claiming that Qatar had been funding terrorism at a very high level and described the country as having an extremist ideology in terms of funding.

This statement was in conflict with Secretary of State Tillerson's comments on the same day, which called on Gulf states to ease up the blockade.

In 13 June 2017 after meeting with Tillerson in Washington, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated that there was no blockade and what we have done is we have denied them use of our airspace, and this is our sovereign right and that the King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief would send food or medical aid to Qatar if needed.

On 7 June, the Turkish parliament passed, with 240 votes in favor and 98 against, a legislative act first drafted in May allowing Turkish troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar.In 13 June 2017 during a speech, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the isolation of Qatar as inhumane and against Islamic values and that victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose.

Gabon's foreign ministry also made a statement condemning Qatar for failing to respect international commitments and agreements on counter-terrorism.

On 8 June, Egypt's deputy U.N. Ambassador Ihab Moustafa called for the United Nations Security Council to launch an investigation into accusations that Qatar paid up to $1 billion to a terrorist group active in Iraq to free 26 Qatari hostages, including members of its royal family, which would violate U.N. resolutions.

The Qataris were kidnapped 16 December 2015 from a desert camp for falcon hunters in southern Iraq. The hostages were released eighteen months later in April 2017. Qatari diplomats responded to the Egyptian calls for an investigation by reaffirming their commitment to the U.N. resolutions towards eliminating the financing of terrorism.

Eritrea refused a request by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to cut relations with Qatar, citing its strong ties with the brother people of Qatar.On 12 June, however, they issuing a statement calling the isolation of Qatar one initiative among many in the right direction that envisages full realization of regional security and stability while not breaking off relations themselves.

The United Kingdom's foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, stated that Qatar needs to do more to stop the funding of extremist groups but also urged Gulf states to ease the blockade.

In June 2017, the government of Qatar hired American attorney and politician John Ashcroft to lobby on its behalf and rebut international allegations of supporting terror.

Amnesty International condemned the crisis and accused Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the (UAE) are toying with people's lives. James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Global Issues Programme, claimed These drastic measures are already having a brutal effect, splitting children from parents and husbands from wives.

People from across the region not only from Qatar, but also from the states implementing these measures risk losing jobs and having their education disrupted.

All the states involved in this dispute must ensure their actions do not lead to human rights violations. Amnesty International received reports from victims unable to visit their family members, students being standed and workers being unable to return to their jobs in opposing nations.

Norwegian Refugee Council expressed fears that the crisis would affect reconstruction in Palestine as Qatar is a major source of humanitarian and infrastructure aid to Palestine.

On 6 June 2017, Emirates Post of UAE, halted postal services to Qatar.

Nearly 80 percent of Qatar's food requirements come from Gulf Arab neighbors, with only 1 percent being produced domestically and even imports from outside the Gulf states usually crossing the now closed land border with Saudi Arabia.Immediately after the cutting of relations, local reports indicated residents swarmed grocery stores in hopes of stockpiling food.

Many food delivery trucks were idled along the Saudi-Qatari border. On 8 June 2017 Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said, We're not worried about a food shortage, we're fine. We can live forever like this, we are well prepared.

Qatar has been in talks with both Turkey and Iran to secure supply of water and food. On 11 June 2017 Iran sent four cargo planes with fruit and vegetables and promised to continue the supply.Turkey has pledged food and water supplies to go along with their troop deployment at their Turkish military base in Qatar.

Large airlines based in these countries, including Emirates, suspended flight service to Qatar.Gulf Air,EgyptAir,FlyDubai, Air Arabia, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Etihad Airways and Royal Air Maroc suspended their flights to and from Qatar.Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are also banning overflights by aircraft registered in Qatar.

Instead Qatar has rerouted flights to Africa and Europe via Iran.

Qatar Airways in response also suspended their flight operations to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain.

Pakistan International Airlines sent special flights to bring back over 200 Pakistani pilgrims stuck at Doha airport.Over 550 Pakistani pilgrims in Doha were subsequently flown to Muscat.

Private jet travel is also being impacted by the crisis. Business aviation officials said private flights between Qatar and the countries that cut diplomatic ties now need to make a technical stop in a third country.

Aircraft registered in Qatar cannot fly to the countries that cut diplomatic ties and vice versa. While business jet operators can request a nonstop routing, two officials said requests so far have been turned down necessitating a stop in a third country.

Due to the blockade of Qatar Airways from the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Oman Air has taken up a significant role transporting travelers from and to Doha, mostly through Iranian airspace, while still allowing Qatar passport holders to book flights.

The travel embargo has had a significant impact on foreign nationals living and working in Qatar, with about 100'000 Egyptians and citizens from other countries stranded there, unable to book direct flights or obtain travel documents for their return.

Per request from Qatar, the blockade is currently under review by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN-agency seeking consensus-based solutions for the resolution of the crisis.

The United Arab Emirates banned Qatar-flagged ships from calling at Fujairah. It also banned vessels from Qatar from the port and vessels at the port from sailing directly to Qatar.Similar restrictions were put in place at Jebel Ali. Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also banned Qatar-flagged ships from their ports.

On June 8,2017 shipping giant Maersk was unable to transport in or out of Qatar entirely. Due to Qatar's shallow ports, large cargo ships are required to dock at Jebel Ali or other nearby ports where a feeder service transports the goods into Qatar.

In response, Maersk and also Swiss-based MSC vessels for Qatar were rerouted to Salalah and Sohar in Oman.Particularly smaller shipments of perishable and frozen foods have taken that route.

On June 12, 2017, Chinese shipping company COSCO announced suspension of services to and from Qatar. Taiwan's Evergreen Marine and Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line have already suspended services.

Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the Attorney-General of the United Arab Emirates announced on 7 June that publishing expressions of sympathy towards Qatar through social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form is considered illegal under UAE's Federal Penal Code and the Federal law on Combating Information Technology Crimes.

Violators of this offense face between 3 to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 500,000 emirati dirhams ($136,000) or both.Bahrain also issued a similar statement with penalty up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE all blocked access to Qatari news agencies, including one of the most popular Arab news outlets, Qatar-based Al Jazeera.Saudi Arabia shut down the local office of Al Jazeera Media Network.The BBC speculated that changes to Al-Jazeera would be a necessary part of any peaceful resolution.

The International Monetary Fund said it was too soon to judge the economic impact of the diplomatic crisis.Standard & Poor's downgraded Qatar's debt by one notch from AA to AA- as the Qatari riyal fell to an 11-year low.Qatar's stock market dropped 7.3% on the first day of the crisis, and reached a 9.7% drop by 8 June.

As per S&P Global Ratings, banks in Qatar are strong enough to survive pull out of all Gulf country deposits.

Qatar is a global leader in liquefied natural gas production. Despite the severing of ties, Qatari natural gas continues to flow to the UAE and Oman through Abu Dhabi based Dolphin Energy's pipeline. The pipeline meets about 30-40 percent of UAE's energy needs.

Shipping constraints from the crisis have also rerouted multiple shipments of oil and gas to and from the Gulf, which has caused reverberations in many local energy markets. On 8 June 2017 United Kingdom, with nearly a third of all imported gas arriving from Qatar, gas futures spiked nearly 4 percent.

We pray that this crisis is sorted out soon and amicably.

QATAR: Qatar Versus Gulf Diplomatic Rift Will Hurt Aviation In Middle East

A diplomatic rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors may cost them billions of dollars by slowing trade and investment and making it more expensive for the region to borrow money as it grapples with low oil prices.

With an estimated $335 billion of assets in its sovereign wealth fund, Qatar looks able to avoid an economic crisis over the decision Monday by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to cut air, sea and land transport links.

The tiny state’s newly expanded port facilities mean it can continue liquefied natural gas exports that earned it a trade surplus of $2.7 billion in April, and import by sea goods that used to come over its land border with Saudi Arabia, now closed.

But parts of Qatar’s economy could suffer badly if the dispute, over Riyadh’s allegations that Doha has been supporting terrorism, drags on for months – a prospect that helped to push the Qatari stock market down more than 7 percent Monday.

Fast-growing Qatar Airways, at the center of the tiny state’s effort to become a tourism hub, is likely to face losses from being barred some of the Middle East’s biggest hubs.

Qatar’s government has been borrowing at home and abroad to help finance some $200 billion of infrastructure spending as it prepares to host the World Cup soccer tournament in 2022. A drop in Qatari bond prices Monday suggested that borrowing would become more expensive – possibly slowing some projects.

Bonds of other countries in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council barely moved Monday, but some foreign bankers said the whole region could end up paying more to borrow if diplomatic tensions persisted.

If this dispute goes on for a while, the ramifications could be huge, said an international banker based in the Gulf, declining to be named because of political sensitivities.

Asset managers will not differentiate between Qatar and the rest of the GCC, and international managers will take their hands off any credit from the GCC. If Qatar is seen as a terror-financing or compliance issue, then asset managers will be cautious.

Because they all rely heavily on oil and gas exports, the GCC states have only weak trade and investment ties with each other, which will limit the economic fallout of their dispute. The UAE is Qatar’s biggest trading partner from the GCC but only its fifth-largest globally.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries traditionally account for only about 5 to 10 percent of trading on the Qatari stock market, according to exchange data, suggesting even a total pullout would not sink the market.

Nevertheless, Qatar will face higher costs in some areas. Saudi Arabia and the UAE provided $309 million of Qatar’s $1.05 billion of food imports in 2015. Much of them, especially dairy products, came over the Saudi land border; Doha will have to make other arrangements for them.

Construction costs in Qatar could also rise, fueling inflation across the economy, because aluminum and other building materials can no longer be imported by land.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar for eight months in 2014 over Doha’s alleged support of Islamist groups, but that had minimal market or economic impact because it did not involve a ban on transport links. Trade and investment went on much as before.

This time, Saudi Arabia has promised to begin legal procedures for immediate understandings with brotherly and friendly countries and international companies to apply the same procedures as soon as possible.

It is not clear that Riyadh will be able to persuade more countries to cut links with Doha.

But it could try to force foreign companies to make a choice between doing business with Qatar and obtaining access to its own, much larger market, which it is opening up as part of economic reforms.

Cairo-based bankers said Monday that some Egyptian banks had halted dealings with Qatari banks.

It was not clear whether GCC banks would do the same; UAE commercial bankers said they were waiting for guidance from their central bank.

Stock markets in Dubai and several other Gulf centers fell Monday – although not by nearly as much as Qatar – in a sign that investors around the region were worried.

Overall it’s not good. I don’t think that the region has been in such turmoil so close to home.

And I think everyone is speculating how far these steps will go forward, said Mohammed Ali Yasin, chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s NBAD Securities.

Everyone is hoping that there will be intervention by wise people and things will cool down. But what we have seen is a gradual escalation.

QATAR: Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,UAE Cut Ties, Etihad Stops Flights And Qataris Given 2 Weeks To Vacate

Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,and United Arab Emirates have announced sutting ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism, opening up the worst rift in years among some of the most powerful states in the Arab world.

The coordinated move dramatically escalates a dispute over Qatar's support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world's oldest Islamist movement, and adds accusations that Doha even backs the agenda of regional arch-rival Iran.

Announcing the closure of transport ties with Qatar, the three Gulf states gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries.

Qatar was also expelled from a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

Economic disturbances loomed immediately, as Abu Dhabi's state-owned Etihad Airways said it would suspend all flights to and from Doha from Tuesday morning until further notice.

Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of backing militant groups and broadcasting their ideology, in an apparent reference to Qatar's influential state-owned satellite channel al Jazeera.

Qatar embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly, Saudi Arabia said.

The statement accused Qatar of supporting what it described as Iranian-backed militants in its restive and largely Shi'ite Muslim-populated Eastern region of Qatif and in Bahrain.

Qatar had no immediate reaction to the announcements, and Qatari officials could not be reached for comment, but it has denied supporting terrorism or Iran in the past.

The measures are more severe than during a previous eight-month rift in 2014, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE withdrew their ambassadors from Doha, again alleging Qatari support for militant groups.

At that time, travel links were maintained and Qataris were not expelled.

A split between Doha and its closest allies can have repercussions around the Middle East, where Gulf states have used their financial and political power to influence events in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

The diplomatic broadside threatens the international prestige of Qatar, which hosts a large US military base and is set to host the 2022 World Cup.

It has for years presented itself as a mediator and power broker for the region's many disputes.

Qatar's land borders and air space were closed for any length of time it would wreak havoc on the timeline and delivery of the World Cup.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Sydney on Monday that the spat would not affect the fight against Islamist militants and that Washington has encouraged its Gulf allies to resolve their differences.

The announcements come 10 days after President Donald Trump visited Riyadh to call on Muslim countries to stand united against Islamists extremists, and singling out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups.

It seems that the Saudis and Emiratis feel emboldened by the alignment of their regional interests toward Iran and Islamism with the Trump administration, said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Gulf expert at the U.S-based Baker Institute.

Qatar has used its media and political clout to support long-repressed Islamists during the 2011 pro-democracy "Arab Spring" uprisings in several Arab countries.

Muslim Brotherhood parties allied to Doha are now mostly on the backfoot in the region, especially after a 2013 military takeover in Egypt ousted the elected Islamist president.

The former army chief and now president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, along with the new government's allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, blacklist the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, said on its state news agency that Qatar's policy threatens Arab national security and sows the seeds of strife and division within Arab societies according to a deliberate plan aimed at the unity and interests of the Arab nation.

Oil prices rose after the moves against Qatar, which is the biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a major seller of condensate - a low-density liquid fuel and refining product derived from natural gas.

MOROCCO: Tourism Still Stagnant But Government Struggling To Revive It

Morocco's key tourism sector barely grew last year amid security challenges, but operators are hoping Chinese and Russian visitors will boost their fortunes in the coming years.

While political turmoil and jihadist attacks have battered the sector in Egypt and Tunisia, Morocco registered 10 million visitors last year, according to the Moroccan Tourism Observatory. That was a barely perceptible rise of 1.5 percent from 2015, it said.

But hoteliers in the narrow streets of the capital Rabat's old city were cautiously positive. "Last year was better than 2015. And the first two months of 2017 augured an even better year," said Hanane, manager of a local guesthouse.

Tourists are easy to spot wandering through Rabat's old city with its craft stalls, Andalusian-style houses and a 12th-century kasbah overlooking the Atlantic. But while tourism revenues rose 3.4 percent to $6.3 billion (5.9 billion euros) in 2016, visitor arrivals to Morocco have fallen far short of an ambitious official target of 20 million per year by 2020.

A growing number of visits by Moroccans who live abroad - counted as tourists when they come home - accounted for much of the sector's buoyancy. Foreign visitor arrivals last year were down by 0.9 percent. Karim, owner of a travel agency in commercial capital Casablanca, said more work was needed to drum up new business.

"The situation is pushing us to look for new markets outside Europe," he said. "But overall, it can be said that there was a slight recovery in 2016."


Authorities are hoping for an influx of Russian and Chinese tourists, who currently account for just one percent of total visitors. That is far behind the French, who make up almost a third of arrivals - a figure that includes many of Moroccan origin. "Europeans still top the list, but the number of Chinese visitors is growing," Hanane said.

"Since visas for the Chinese were abolished in June, a door has been opened."

Tourism remains a vital pillar of the Moroccan economy and the country's second biggest employer, after agriculture. The sector accounts for 10 percent of national income and, along with exports and remittances from Moroccans overseas, it is one of the country's main sources of foreign currency.

Former imperial city Marrakesh, with its UNESCO-listed old town, and the coastal town of Agadir have long been key attractions. They remain popular - in contrast to Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt, where visitor numbers have plummeted following the Arab Spring uprisings and repeated jihadist attacks. Morocco has not experienced an attack since a 2011 bombing in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square, which killed 17 people, mainly European tourists.

Today, security forces stand guard at Morocco's main tourist sites. The government, a key security partner of European countries, regularly announces it has dismantled jihadist cells. But while the kingdom remains safer than other countries in the region, visitor numbers have stubbornly refused to rise.

The local press calls the sector's performance "lacklustre and disappointing" compared with a 2010 plan to double arrivals. Back then, "Vision 2020" envisioned creating 200,000 new hotel beds and attracting 20 million visitors a year by the end of the decade. Since then, "many international factors" had disrupted the government's efforts, Observatory chief Said Mouhid said. "We will not reach 20 million in 2020, for sure, but it remains a symbolic figure to mobilise operators," he said. He defended last year's performance as "respectable and positive". "We are in a difficult international context, marked by many obstacles to travel," he said. "These figures prove the resilience of Moroccan tourism, even if they remain below our ambitions."

Plans For A Continental Passport

President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, to attend the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

The summit will be conducted under the theme: "Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth".

The AU Assembly will be preceded, on 29 January 2017, by a retreat of AU Heads of State and Government, where the leaders will consider a report to be presented by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, on institutional reforms of the AU aimed at enhancing the continental body's governance systems.

Amongst other things, the Assembly will consider and deliberate on reports focusing on the state of peace and security on the continent, the African Peer Review Mechanism and Climate Change.

The Assembly will also consider the 2016 Annual Report of the AU Commission, which is expected to focus on the implementation and domestication of Agenda 2063, economic integration, the continental passport as well as peace support and peace-keeping missions.

Integration on the African continent, through business and travel, is a major focus point for global and continental leaders at the moment.

In November last year, new research released by the global travel technology provider indicated that African air travel spend is expected to rise 24% with the introduction of the pan-African passport in 2018.

The new passport will enable African travellers to visit other countries on the continent without a visa, and will mean a seamless travel experience for especially business travellers on the continent.

A key obstacle to the much-anticipated passport is the access to biometric systems, needed to register the passports. Currently only 13 of the 54 AU members offer biometric passports. Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana and Tunisia, for example, do not have them. South Africa is currently on a mission to roll new biometric capturing system out with trials being piloted across SA's major international airports.

IRAN: American Citizens Barred From Visiting Iran In Retaliation To President Trump's Decree On Travel To USA

Iran seeks to lift visa restrictions with a number of countries in an effort to help boost the mutual tourism ties with the target countries.

The country plans to abolish visas for travelers from 36 countries, including tourists from Russia, said Iranian Vice President for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Zahra Ahmadipour.

A full list of countries is not named yet.

Currently, Russians who plan to visit Iran are obliged to obtain entry visas in advance in the consular department of the Iranian Embassy in Moscow. The term of visa issuance is less than 10 days, the fee is €35.

In July 2016, Iran increased its visa on arrival extension from 1 month to 3 months, while citizens of 190 countries can obtain visa on arrival at the country’s airports with one-month validation.

Also, the citizens of Turkey, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt, Syria and Armenia can travel to Iran and stay in the country without visa from 15 to 90 days under the visa requirement regulations.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry declared that for now, American citizens will be barred from entering their country.

The Islamic Republic announced that they have decided to bar Americans from entering their territory in response to US President Trump’s new decree to halt the entry of citizens from 7 majority Muslim countries including Iran.

“The ban is a clear insult to the Islamic world and especially to the wonderful Iranian nation,” the Iranian side said.

EGYPT: Travel Ban For Dissidents

At least six activists, lawyers and journalists have been prevented from leaving Egypt in one week.

Rights groups say 217 people were banned from travel between June 2014 and September 2016 and some have had their personal assets frozen. 115 of them were critics of the government.

Libya sank into lawlessness and divisions after the downfall of the longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The activists say the restrictions are part of a wider move by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to silence opponents and erase freedoms won in the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

The rash of travel bans have prompted a rebuke from the United Nations who said they were part of an effort to silence critics.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry says police do not stop anyone from travel unless a court or prosecutor has ordered it and denies reports of a crackdown.

EGYPT: Cairo Bomb Blast 6 Policemen Killed

Six police officers were killed this morning after a bomb exploded near a security services building in the Al-Haram area of Cairo, Egypt.

The police station in Giza received a report that a roadside bomb planted by unknown assailants near a security base near the Al-Salam Mosque.

Civil defence and police forces were dispatched to the scene immediately.

Roads leading to the area were closed following the attack.

Africa Air Travel To Go Up 24% In 2018

Africa may experience a rise in air travel expenses in 2018 with the introduction of the pan-African passport, a new study has found.

The new passport will enable African travelers to visit other countries on the continent without a visa.

The survey by Sabre aimed to uncover the opportunities and challenges faced by travelers in Africa today, to help airlines’ growth and provide African travelers an overall better journey, the research report stressed.

According to the release travelers from four countries – South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt were surveyed, with those having flown in the past 24 months saying they would spend 24 per cent more with the introduction of the passport (from $1,100 to $1,500 annually).

It further noted that despite a willingness among travelers to spend more on flights, travel in Africa still remains inaccessible to the majority, with only 23 per cent of those surveyed having travelled abroad at all in the last two years.

The report also cited expensive travel expenses, difficulty in obtaining visas, difficulty to book travels among others as the major obstacles preventing them from travelling more.

“The results suggest that while travel is inaccessible to many and is difficult for those who do travel, there is still a strong desire to travel more,” Dino Gelmetti, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Airline Solutions, Sabre was cited as saying in the report.

“Additionally, most of the pain points can be addressed by airlines, and these tweaks could make all the difference to travelers. African carriers currently face tough competition from international rivals that control 88 percent of African airspace but, as demand for travel increases, African airlines have a real opportunity to win the lion’s share of bookings by addressing the pain points of travelers and going the extra mile to improve their experience,” he added.

He was additionally cited as intimating that like many other travellers globally, Africans also expressed a strong interest in experiencing a travel journey that was more personalised and appealing to their taste.

Respondents said that they would be willing to spend up to $104 per trip on an airline’s extra products and services – such as excess baggage, cabin class upgrades, and special food and beverage – if it improved and personalised their journey, the report noted.

“Airlines, globally, currently pocket an average of just $16 per passenger on ancillaries, so the fact that African travelers are prepared to spend six times more than that represents a significant retail opportunity for carriers on the continent,” Gelmetti said.

PERU: Largest Recovery Of Antiquities Returns To Peru

More than four thousand archaeological and historical pieces were exhibited last week at the Ministry of Culture, to celebrate the success by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in recovering the artifacts from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Spain and the United States.

The pieces include prehispanic pots and textiles, Colonial Cusco-school paintings, prehistoric bones, and Colonial hand-hammered macuquina coins (cobs).

The recovery is the result of several years of work, based on agreements signed by Peru with different countries on the protection and return of historical artifacts. The agreements served to build 22 different legal cases to reclaim pieces that had been found or stolen and smuggled out of the country for the lucrative antiquities market. One of the most famous processes was the Janeir Aude case in Argentina, which took 14 years to recover 4,136 artifacts, including a mummy bundle.

In total, 4,174 pieces were recovered from Argentina, 88 from the United States, 79 from Chile, two from Canada and one from Spain. It was the largest collection of recovered pieces handed over at the same time to the Ministry of Culture.

According to the Ministry of Culture, it has worked closely with the Ministry of Foreign Relations over the past five years in the recovery of antiquities throughout the world. More than 8,000 artifacts have been returned also from Germany, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

EGYPT: 22 Chinese Tourists Injured in Hot Air Balloon Accident

Twenty-two Chinese tourists were injured in Luxor on Tuesday after a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in Al-Habil village east of Luxor.

Officials say that the tourists sustained minor injuries, such as bruises and scratches, and were transferred to Luxor International hospital. Local media outlets reported that the tourists received treatment and were discharged from the hospital.

The balloons are known for attracting high-paying tourists. A two-hour balloon trip costs approximately $100, while prices for special trips lasting two hours or more can cost as much as $500.

In February, a hot air balloon carrying tourists crashed near Luxor after the fuel supply caught fire, resulting in 18 people killed and three injured.

The deceased passengers included tourists from Hong Kong, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Egypt. Two British citizens and the pilot were injured.

IRAN: Iran And Armenia Open Borders For Cooperation

After the partial lifting of the international sanctions against Iran, Tehran has figured out the need to develop the tourism industry. Within the framework of the state program of tourism development, the Iranian authorities are studying the possibility of introducing a visa-free regime for citizens of 60 more countries. Iran has already lifted visa requirements for travelers from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Lebanon, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt and Syria to stimulate the tourism industry in the country. Citizens of these countries can stay in Iran without visas from between 15 to 90 days.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif recently signed a memorandum on liberalization of the visa regime between the two countries in Tehran. The director of the Caucasus Institute, Alexander Iskandaryan, explained to Vestnik Kavkaza that the decision of Tehran and Yerevan came from a longstanding background: "Iran and Armenia have good-neighborly relations, which are developing in the economic and communication spheres. Iran is one of the two countries with which Armenia has open borders. Political relations between them are also quite favorable – there are many Iranian tourists and businessmen in Armenia."

Iranian citizens have prevailed among people receiving visas to Armenia for years, they are ahead of citizens of the US, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Canada, Japan, Lebanon, India and Iraq. In 2013 Armenia unilaterally ratified the visa regime for citizens of 27 EU Member States, as well as 4 non-EU members, but to which regulations of the Schengen-area apply – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland: they can visit Armenia without visas and stay in the country for 90 days.

According to Iskandaryan, the abolition of visas is advantageous for Iran in economic terms: "Relations will develop, because the process of lifting the sanctions against Iran has started, while there were economic problems between Armenia and Iran in the absence of political problems – that is, some decisions were taken, but there was a problem with money. The fact is that Iran's hands were financially tied. Now, due to the gradual removal of sanctions, Iran will feel freer in a financial sense and can continue developing its partnership."

A senior research fellow of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Sazhin, also praised the abolition of visas.

"When they lift the visa regime, they remove barriers to human communication. Given the fact that Armenia and Iran have thousands of years of common history [there are more than 150 thousand ethnic Armenians in Iran now], the abolition of visas is a positive thing. Recently, Armenians have visited Iran, and Iranians have visited Armenia, including on vacation. All this, of course, is also a positive thing," Sazhin told Vestnik Kavkaza.

However, according to him, there is the political aspect in this process: "Relations between Tehran and Yerevan are good both economically and politically. Despite the fact that Iran is a Muslim country, while Armenia is a Christian country, there are almost no fundamental contradictions between them. Nevertheless, the Karabakh problem exists. Iran seeks and offers itself as a mediator in resolving the very difficult relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia".

Terror Fears Send Tourists Away From Europe In Flocks

The fear of terrorism following the Brussels and Paris attacks is driving tourists away from Europe, while Brits are choosing “safe” destinations closer to home over fears of attacks in North Africa and Turkey, industry leaders say.

Eurostar, the high-speed rail operator linking the UK to mainland Europe, says passenger numbers have dwindled as people from Asia and the US are too afraid to travel due to perceived terrorism threats.

Chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said “People coming from North America and south-east Asia, particularly Japan, are fearful of coming to Europe at all. They don’t really understand what’s going on and would rather go elsewhere altogether.”

Passenger numbers fell 3 percent in March to 2.2 million, compared to the same period in 2015, Eurostar says.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also show visitor numbers to normally popular countries in Europe have declined between 12 and 35 percent in the first three months of 2016.

Tourism lecturer at Sydney’s University of Technology, David Beirman, says terrorism fears and the Syrian refugee crisis have undoubtedly made Europe less attractive to Australians.

“You hear of terrorism in one part of Europe and the perception seems to spread that other parts of Europe are also dangerous,” Beirman told Australian media.

“When there is a bit of uncertainty in a long-haul destination, people tend to travel closer to home to places they perceive as more welcoming and safer.”

Terrorism expert Greg Barton, from Melbourne’s Deakin University, says the nature of the Paris and Brussels attacks was particularly frightening for travelers.

“In Paris, what we saw was people doing ordinary things on a Friday night who were targeted. That was scary for everyone.

“Then the Brussels Airport attack made people question where they would be safe if not in an airport. That tipped the balance for some people.”

Meanwhile, travel agents Thomas Cook’s stock dropped to a three-year low as poor travel forecasts stemming from a fear of terror attacks coincided with the disappearance of an EgyptAir plane over the Mediterranean Sea.

The company says bookings for the summer period are down 5 percent as it has been unable to sell alternative vacations to customers unwilling to travel to Turkey, its second most important destination.

Britons are now flocking to “safe” holiday spots nearer to home, like Spain, over previously popular Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.

But environmentalists in Ibiza are warning hotels, beaches, roads, water and sewer systems may not be able to cope with the influx of tourists this summer.

British holiday companies have cancelled flights to a number of areas in north Africa and Turkey, including once popular Sharm el-Sheikh, where terrorists have targeted tourists.

Instead they have offered more holidays to Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Balearic Islands.

Cruise ships are also set to stop in these locations more frequently, with 524 vessels expected in Palma, and Ibiza predicting a 24 percent increase on last year in cruise ships stopping there.

Chinese Tourists Invade Africa

When Chinese-looking persons enter the Nairobi City Market or Massai Market Fair in Kenya’s capital, they are often greeted with “Ni Hao” as they pass shops and stands. Some local shop-keepers have a broader Mandarin vocabulary, which helps them sell African woodcarvings, fabric, or other local souvenirs to Chinese tourists.

China has recently become the largest outbound tourist market in the world. The number of Chinese tourists traveling worldwide has grown to over a 100 million, likely to double by 2020. In 2013 Chinese tourists spent a total $102 billion dollars on their trips.

Those numbers are expected to keep rising. Many Chinese are weary of traditional destinations, such as Europe and North America. So they are turning to Africa as a great place to spend an exotic vacation.

The numerous bilateral exchanges between China and Africa have encouraged Chinese tourism in African countries. In 2008 only 2.8 % of Chinese tourists chose Africa as a destination.

In 2014, according to the China Outbound Travel Development Report, that number has reached 9.4 %. The annual growth rate of Chinese tourist traffic to Africa has been 50% since 2010 – higher than to any other part of the world.

The most popular destination for Chinese tourists is South Africa; with direct flights currently available between Beijing and Johannesburg. Derek Hanekom, Tourism Minister of South Africa, says China is one of the important sources of tourists for his country and pledges to help create more conveniences to welcome Chinese travelers.

Other destinations popular among the Chinese are Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon, Senegal, Algeria, Angola, Mauritius, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe.

Since the Chinese government has granted Kenya an Approved Destination Status for outbound tourism in 2004, the number of Chinese tourists going there has risen. In 2013, 37,000 Chinese visited Kenya. The same year, on a visit to China, Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta said his country’s tourism industry had set the goal of attracting a record number of 1.3 million Chinese.

Tourism in Kenya is popular in the summer when migration of animals can be observed in its national parks. When China Central Television (CCTV) aired live broadcasts of the migration of rhinos, zebras, and wilder beasts in 2012-13, that became a well-known wonder in China. This has attracted thousands of Chinese during the summer season to Kenya.

Zhang Hongtao, director of AA lodges in Kenya, said, “Now Chinese tourists book hotels six months in advance to get a room nearby even when the accommodation price doubles or triples.”

The majority of Chinese tourists prefer big organized group trips within budget. About 10% of them, however, are high-end travelers who spend 4-5 times more money than the average tourist. People in this category travel in smaller groups and avoid rough roads by taking charter flights to national parks.

They use secluded private lodges instead of hotels. While in Europe they may buy luxury brands, in South Africa their interests are diamonds. Some of Kenya’s tour-operators, including Safari Collection, Governor’s Camp, and Loisaba Wilderness, cooperate with Chinese counterparts to promote luxury services.

There are some important tips from experts, which would be helpful to Africans in their attempts to attract more Chinese tourists and make their experience more enjoyable:
1.African governments should make tourism a greater priority on their national agenda by taking the following steps:
a). Improve safety measures around tourist sites.
b). Enhance tourism-related infrastructure.
c). Ease visa procedures for Chinese travelers.
d). Spend more on tourism promotion, which brings much easier and quicker economic returns than industrial investments. Currently, only few African countries, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Morocco have set up tourist promoting agencies in China. If the Chinese overcome the stereotypical international fear of travel in Africa and realize what a great experience it could be, the number of their visits there would skyrocket.

2.African service and hospitality sector needs to:
a). Hire more Chinese-speakers. Many Chinese business travelers might know English, but their families members who come on a safari often might not.

b). Offer Chinese food at National Park lodges, porridge and noodles for breakfast, complimentary green tea, and hot water – all good gestures of Chinese hospitality. Many National Park lodges in Kenya, for example do not offer any Chinese food. Some Chinese tourists, especially seniors, may enjoy their safaris, but can’t wait to return to Nairobi for Chinese food.

Even though Chinese travelers, like others, might sometimes be discouraged by problems including the Ebola epidemic in 2013-14 or an occasional terrorist assault, Chinese tourism in Africa will flourish. Yang Jinsong, a professor of international tourism at the China Tourism Academy, considers this phenomenon astounding. “The number of Chinese tourists to Africa will rise, and rise greatly” said Yang.

UK: Monarch Positive On 2016 Despite Delayed Bookings

British airline and travel group Monarch expects demand to grow next year, even though customers were delaying decisions on where to go because of security concerns.

Privately-held Monarch said it expected to report annual underlying earnings (EBIT) of more than GBP£40 million (USD$60 million) for the year ended October 31, after a turnaround plan helped it recover from last year's GBP£94 million loss.

Monarch, which competes with the likes of Thomas Cook and TUI, said in a statement that further progress was expected this year, calling the outlook for the winter good. "We do expect 2016 to be better than 2015," chief executive Andrew Swaffield told reporters.

The company's financial recovery comes despite Monarch being forced to cancel flights and packages in Tunisia and Egypt this year after the British government raised concerns over safety in the wake of attacks.

London Luton-based Monarch sells holidays and flights primarily to British holiday-makers travelling to destinations such as Spain, Italy and France. Since being acquired by Greybull Capital in 2014, it has focussed on cutting costs by shedding staff and ending loss-making routes.

Swaffield said the halting of holidays to Egypt's Sharm al-Sheikh resort and the Islamist militant attacks in Paris, both last month, meant customers were booking later, in line with what travel companies usually see after such incidents.

"There's an initial lack of bookings and then people get back to normal, but they don't book as far in advance as they normally do," he said.

That was in line with what other airlines such as easyJet have reported in relation to the attacks.

Monarch said in the absence of Tunisia and Egypt as destinations, its customers were booking flights to places such as the Eilat resort in Israel, adding mainland Spain and the Canary Islands were also popular.

British airlines and travel companies are waiting for the UK government to confirm it is safe to fly to Sharm al-Sheikh again. Monarch has cancelled its programme there until January 6.

UAE: Sharjah Operators Scoop Aviation Awards

Sharjah-headquartered regional budget carrier Air Arabia and business aviation services operator, Gama Aviation Sharjah, were honoured at the recent Aviation Business Awards (ABA). Organised by magazine publisher ITP Ltd, the annual Aviation Business Awards celebrate the achievements of the Middle East aerospace industry over the past 12 months.

Air Arabia was named both ‘Low Cost Airline of the Year’ and ‘Airline of the Year (Middle East)’ for 2015 at the annual ABA ceremony, while Gama Aviation’s operation at Sharjah International Airport was named 2015 ‘Fixed Base Operator of the Year’.

Commencing operations in Sharjah in 2003, Air Arabia is the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa and the only listed airline in the United Arab Emirates. It is the recipient of numerous aviation industry awards including this year’s ‘Best Low-cost Airline in the Middle East’ award, which it has received twice in three years at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. The airline was also named ‘Best Low-Cost Carrier’ at World Tourism Forum Awards in Istanbul this year.

Air Arabia has played a key role growing air traffic via Sharjah International Airport. The airline carried over 6.8 million passengers in 2014, 12 per cent more than 2013. The airline now operates from five international hubs, Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE, Casablanca in Morocco, Cairo in Egypt and Amman, Jordan. Air Arabia also recently introduced first regional low-cost carrier loyalty programme.

Gama Aviation has been handling all business aviation services at Sharjah International Airport since early 2012, in partnership with Sharjah’s Department of Civil Aviation, and opened its own private aviation terminal in 2014. The full service private aviation hub serves Sharjah, Dubai and the Northern Emirates, offering business jet owners short and long term parking, plus dedicated ramp handling and fuel. Gama Aviation’s future plans for its Sharjah hub include the construction of a new mixed-use hangar for maintenance and additional aircraft storage.

Gama’s Sharjah FBO was recognised by the Aviation Business Awards for providing customers with outstanding service and facilities over the past 12 months. The award was judged according to a variety of criteria including innovation, design, customer satisfaction and investment in operations.

Sharjah International Airport handled 9.5 million passengers last year and, more recently, saw a 10 percent increase in the number of passengers handled during July, August and September this year, compared with the same period in 2014.