Saudi Arabia: Foreign Unmarried Couples To Share Hotel Rooms But Not Saudi Citizens

Male and female tourists in Saudi Arabia can now sleep in the same hotel room without proof of marriage, the kingdom's officials have announced. Another change will allow women to book hotel rooms by themselves.

In a move aimed at enticing foreign visitors, Saudi Arabia has loosened its strict rules on separating men and women. Previously, all couples were required to present proof of marriage before checking into a hotel together. A new rule will now change things — but only for foreigners.

All Saudi nationals are asked to show family ID or proof of relationship on checking into hotels, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said on Friday.

This is not required of foreign tourists.

The kingdom officially enforces a strict interpretation of Islam, which forbids sex outside marriage. Last week, however, the country offered visas to foreign tourists for the first time in a bid to diversify its oil-based economy.

Saudi officials have hailed it as a historic moment.

Saudi Arabia has also introduced other reforms, such as lifting its ban on women drivers in 2018 and, earlier this year, giving women new rights to travel abroad.

The most recent changes also include the lifting of a rule that required women to have a male guardian rent the room for them.

All women, including Saudis, can book and stay in hotels alone, providing ID on check-in, tourist officials said.

While introducing new freedoms, Saudi Arabia has also published a list of 19 decency rules for tourists.

Offenses include public displays of affection, or playing music at prayer times.

Female tourists are expected to wear clothing covering their shoulders and knees.

With the changes, authorities hope to draw in 100 million annual visits by 2030.

The gradual reforms, introduced by the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also aim to change the nation's archaic image.

However, the efforts have been overshadowed by the brutal murder of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen and a clampdown on potential rivals and dissidents in the country.

Saudi Arabia welcomed 24,000 tourists in the 10 days after it issued tourist visas for the first time, state television reported on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia announced on September 27 it would start offering tourist visas, opening up the kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.

In 10 days, some 24,000 foreigners entered Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa, the television reported, citing the Saudi foreign ministry.

Until September 27, the ultra-conservative state only issued visas to Muslim pilgrims, foreign workers and recently to spectators at sporting or cultural events.

To encourage arrivals, authorities announced on Sunday they would allow unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together.

Kickstarting tourism is one of the centrepieces of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)'s Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the Arab world's largest economy for a post-oil era.

Citizens from 49 countries are now eligible for online e-visas or visas on arrival, including the United States, Australia, several European nations, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, China and Kazakhstan.

Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Zam Zam Water Is Colourless And Odorless,

The Well of Zamzam is a well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 20 m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam.

According to Islamic religion, it is a miraculously generated source of water from God, which sprang thousands of years ago when Ibrahim's or Abraham's infant son ʾIsmaʿil or Ishmael was left with his mother Hajar in the desert, where he was thirsty and kept crying.

Millions of pilgrims visit the well each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages in order to drink its water.

Islamic tradition states that the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hajara, the second wife of Ibrahim and mother of ʾIsmaʿil.

By the instruction of God, Ibrahim left his wife and son at a spot in the desert and walked away. She was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but she could not find any, as Mecca is located in a hot dry valley with few sources of water.

Hajara ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, looking for water. Getting thirstier by the second, the infant Ishmael scraped the land with his feet, where suddenly water sprang out.

There are other versions of the story involving God sending his angel, Gabriel or Jibra'il, who kicked the ground with his heel or wing, and the water rose. A similar story about a well is also mentioned in the Bible.

The name of the well comes from the phrase Zome Zome, meaning stop flowing, a command repeated by Hajara during her attempt to contain the spring water.

According to Islamic tradition, Abraham rebuilt the Bayt Allah or House of God near the site of the well, a building which had been originally constructed by Adam or Adem, and today is called the Kaaba, a building toward which Muslims around the world face in prayer, five times each day.

The Zamzam Well is located approximately 20 m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba. In other Islamic tradition, Muhammad's heart was extracted from his body, washed with the water of Zamzam, and then was restored in its original position, after which it was filled with faith and wisdom.

Interestingly in the Maltese language the common expression minn żmien żemżem, which means something which is extremely old, has its etymological origins from this well.

The well originally had two cisterns in the first era, one for drinking and one for ablution.

At that time, it was a simple well surrounded by a fence of stones. Then in the era of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur 771 CE (154/155 AH) a dome was built above the well, and it was tiled with marble.

In 775 CE (158/159 AH), Al-Mahdi rebuilt the well during his caliphate, and built a dome of teak which was covered with mosaic. One small dome covered the well, and a larger dome covered the room for the pilgrims.

In 835 CE (220 AH) there was further restoration, and the dome was covered with marble during the caliphate of Al-Mu'tasim.

In 1417 (819/820 AH), during the time of the Mamluks, the mosque was damaged by fire, and required restoration. Further restoration occurred in 1430 (833/834 AH), and again in 1499 (904/95 AH) during the time of Sultan Qaitbay, when the marble was replaced.

In modern times, the most extensive restoration took place to the dome during the era of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1915 (1333/1334 AH).

To facilitate crowd control, the building housing the Zamzam was moved away from its original location, to get it out of the way of the Tawaf, when millions of pilgrims would circumambulate the Kaaba.

The water of the well is now pumped to the eastern part of the mosque, where it was made available in separate locations for men and women.

The Zamzam well was excavated by hand, and is about 30 m (98 ft) deep and 1.08 to 2.66 m (3 ft 7 in to 8 ft 9 in) in diameter.

It taps groundwater from the wadi alluvium and some from the bedrock. Originally water from the well was drawn via ropes and buckets, but today the well itself is in a basement room where it can be seen behind glass panels but visitors are not allowed to enter.

Electric pumps draw the water, which is available throughout the Masjid al-Haram via water fountains and dispensing containers near the Tawaf area.

Hydrogeologically, the well is in the Wadi Ibrahim (Valley of Abraham). The upper half of the well is in the sandy alluvium of the valley, lined with stone masonry except for the top metre (3 ft) which has a concrete collar.

The lower half is in the bedrock. Between the alluvium and the bedrock is a 1⁄2-metre (1 ft 8 in) section of permeable weathered rock, lined with stone, and it is this section that provides the main water entry into the well.

Water in the well comes from absorbed rainfall in the Wadi Ibrahim, as well as run-off from the local hills. Since the area has become more and more settled, water from absorbed rainfall on the Wadi Ibrahim has decreased.

The Saudi Geological Survey has a Zamzam Studies and Research Centre which analyses the technical properties of the well in detail. Water levels were monitored by hydrograph, which in more recent times has changed to a digital monitoring system that tracks the water level, electric conductivity, pH, Eh and temperature.

All of this information is made continuously available via the Internet. Other wells throughout the valley have also been established, some with digital recorders, to monitor the response of the local aquifer system.

Zamzam water is colourless and odorless, but has a distinct taste, with a pH of 7.5–7.7, and so is slightly alkaline.

The water has potential health risks.

The British Food Standards Agency has in the past issued warnings about water claiming to be from the Zamzam Well containing dangerous levels of arsenic; such sales have also been reported in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it is illegal to sell Zamzam water.

The Saudi government has prohibited the commercial export of Zamzam water from the kingdom.

In May 2011, a BBC London investigation found that water taken from taps connected to the Zamzam Well contained high levels of nitrate, potentially harmful bacteria, and arsenic at levels three times the legal limit in the UK, the same levels found in illegal water purchased in the UK.

Arsenic is a carcinogen, raising concerns that any who regularly consume commercial Zamzam water in large quantities may be exposed to higher risks of cancer.

Later in that month the Council of British Hajjis stated that drinking Zamzam water was safe and disagreed with the BBC report.

They also noted that the Government of Saudi Arabia does not allow the export of Zamzam water for resale. They also stated that it was unknown whether the water being sold in the UK was genuine, and that people should not buy it and should report the sellers to the Trading Standards if they saw it for sale.

The BBC's findings have drawn mixed reactions from the Muslim community.

Environmental health officer Yunes Ramadan Teinaz told the British broadcaster about commercially marketed Zamzam water that, People see this water as a holy water. They find it difficult to accept that it is contaminated, but the authorities in Saudi Arabia or in the UK must take action.

The Saudi authorities have stated that water from the well was tested by the Group Laboratories of CARSO-LSEHL in Lyon, licensed by the French Ministry of Health for the testing of drinking water.

According to reports of these results, the level of arsenic in Zamzam water taken at its source is much lower than the maximum amount permitted by the World Health Organization.

The Saudi authorities have thus said that the water is fit for human consumption. Zuhair Nawab, president of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), has claimed that the Zamzam Well is tested on a daily basis, in a process involving the taking of three samples from the well.

These are said to be examined in the King Abdullah Zamzam Water Distribution Center in Mecca, which is equipped with advanced facilities. An article written in Skeptic magazine in 2017 states that the methodologies of testing used by Saudi authorities are incomplete, inadequate and biased.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: 1 Killed, Four Injured After Camel Collides With Car In Taif

A stray camel collided with a family car in western Saudi Arabia, killing a woman and injuring four others, local media reported on Thursday.

The collision occurred on the Nakhal Road in the direction of the city of Taif late Wednesday, the news portal Sabq quoted spokesman for the Red Crescent in the area, Emad Mansi.

"The operations room received a report about casualties in the incident. Three ambulatory teams from the Red Crescent as well as a health [ministry] team were sent to the scene," he added.

One of the victims was seriously injured while the rest sustained medium injuries, the official said without details.

In recent years, Saudi authorities have stepped up protection measures after a series of road mishaps blamed on stray camels. The accidents often occur when the unattended-to camels cross highways.

Last year, the Saudi government vowed heavy fines against owners of camels, who leave their animals in the vicinity of car roads mainly at night. Saudi authorities have also set up fences along the roads where stray animals pasture in an attempt to stop them from crossing the routes.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Ascott To Manage 14 Properties In China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

The Ascott Limited, has clinched contracts to manage 14 properties with over 2,000 units across eight countries namely: China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Three of the 14 new properties are under its co-living ‘lyf’ brand, strategically located in the vibrant cities of Fukuoka in Japan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Shanghai in China.

Under a partnership with Japanese real estate company, NTT Urban Development Corporation – a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Ascott will manage lyf Fukuoka as well as jointly explore serviced residence opportunities in Japan.

The 131-unit lyf property, nestled within Fukuoka’s major retail and recreational centre, is targeted to open in 2020.

Meanwhile, the 160-unit lyf Hongqiao Shanghai, strategically located in the Central Business District of Hongqiao, is set to open in 2022. lyf Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur, which resides within Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle, the Malaysian capital city’s commercial, shopping and entertainment hub, is scheduled to open in 2020.

Mr Kevin Goh, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said: Demand for our lyf-branded co-living properties is gaining ground.

We are bringing lyf to Fukuoka, Kuala Lumpur, and Shanghai as the buzzing start-up ecosystems in these cities have given rise to a popular culture of living and co-creating as a community among the millennials.

Ascott’s lyf properties, with their flexible communal spaces and social programmes, will cater to the lifestyle aspirations of creative professionals, technopreneurs, trendsetters and millennial travellers who seek collaborative and networking opportunities in the community.

Millennials already account for a quarter of Ascott’s customer base; and with our lyf brand, we can seize opportunities presented by the booming millennial generation, set to become the largest spending travel demographic in the near future.

Besides Singapore, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines where we will be opening lyf properties, we are also looking to bring lyf to other potential markets including Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom.

The 14 new properties marked Ascott’s first foray into Changchun, the second largest city in Northeast China, and deepened its presence in Foshan, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; Frankfurt, Germany; Fukuoka, Japan; Gurgaon, India; Jakarta and Semarang, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Pattaya, Thailand; and Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia.

The Ascott Limited is a member of CapitaLand. It is an international serviced residence owner-operator with more than 73,000 units in over 500 properties, spanning over 130 cities across 30 countries like the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Its portfolio of brands includes Ascott The Residence, Citadines Apart’hotel, Somerset Serviced Residence, Quest Apartment Hotels, The Crest Collection and lyf.

From 1984 to 2000, merger and acquisition activities involving real estate and hospitality players in Singapore, Scotts Holdings, Pidemco Land, Somerset International, Liang Court Holdings, Stamford Group, DBS Land and Citadines an established hospitality brand in Europe led to the establishment of The Ascott Limited.

In 2006, the company established the world's first pan-Asian serviced residence real estate investment trust, the Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott REIT).

The Scotts Holdings, a Singapore corporation with business interests in serviced apartments, shopping centres and property investments, opened Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced residence, The Ascott Singapore on 14 August 1984.

Scotts Holdings was listed in 1991. In 1998, Pidemco Land set up Somerset International, its new serviced residence arm. It acquired Liang Court Holdings, one of Asia's largest serviced residence operators, to form Somerset Holdings.

Together, these two companies had a combined portfolio of 3,200 serviced residence units in 15 cities. Scotts Holdings merged with Stamford Group, the serviced residence arm of DBS Land to form The Ascott Limited, creating a joint portfolio of more than 1,700 units in eight cities.

Citadines merged with Orion, while Whitehall and Westmont later sold its tourist-oriented Orion serviced residences to focus on its business clientele.

In 2001, The Ascott Limited was listed following the merger of Somerset Holdings and The Ascott Limited in 2000. In the following year, Ascott acquired a 50 percent stake in Citadines, which made it the largest international serviced residence operator outside of the US.

In 2004, it acquired the remaining 50 percent interest in Citadines.

Ascott Reit was established with the goal of investing mainly in real estate related assets and real estate which are used or essentially used as rental housing properties, serviced residences and other hospitality assets which generates revenue.

With 11,430 units and 73 properties, in 37 cities across 14 countries, Ascott Reit has a presence in regions such as The Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe.

The asset size of Ascott Reit has grown to S$5.2 billion, four times the amount since it was listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX – ST) in March 2006.

Ascott Reit clinched the “Best REIT (Asia)” award by World Finance magazine at its Real Estate Awards in 2015.

Ascott Brands are:

- Ascott The Residence

- Citadines Apart'hotel

- Somerset Serviced Residence

- Quest Apartment Hotels

- The Crest Collection

- lyf


Tourism Observer

USA: Quarantined Plane At Kennedy Airport With Ill Passengers From Dubai.

Muntaz Alli was on his way to visit his cousin when the Emirates flight he was traveling on was quarantined at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after numerous passengers fell ill while arriving from Dubai early Wednesday.

The Guyana native, 30, says that his journey began in Saudi Arabia, and when he boarded the aircraft for his connecting flight from Dubai to New York, he sensed something was off.

Quite a few passengers were showing symptoms of sickness. Coughing, he said. Even the guy next to me, in the economy, lower (level), he was coughing and I knew something was wrong with him.

He said the flight departed as scheduled, however. It wasn't until about half an hour before they started their descent to JFK that the pilot announced there were a few ill people on board, Alli recals.

It wasn't alarming on the flight until half an hour before we started to descend, because we didn't know what was going on, he says. Before that, it was a normal flight.

Passengers were told a medical team would come to the aircraft and no one could leave. That's when things became a little chaotic, Alli said.

The crew had a rough time to control people because usually when the aircraft comes to a stop, everybody gets up to get their overhead bags, he said.

After landing, Alli said the flight crew was dismissed, leaving passengers unattended for about a half hour until medical teams boarded to perform exams, taking the sick people off board first.

I saw a bunch of police cars and ambulances start to surround us. We had no idea what was going on until we saw from the televisions in the plane that we were on CNN, he said. And that's when we knew how serious this was.

Forms were then passed out to gather passengers' medical information before they could exit the plane. The forms came from the Centers for Disease Control and were titled - Passenger Locator Information Page.

Alli says passengers were on the plane for about 3 and a half hours before anyone was allowed out.

I was worried about getting sick. I became worried when they started to share that form to everyone and they're like, You're not getting off the plane until you fill that out and until you're being tested, he said.

Alli's theory? The sickness may have been brought on board by flu infested passengers coming from Saudi Arabia.

Not only has there been increased traffic in the area due to the Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that ended in late August, but there have also been reports of flu outbreaks.

Alli, who was originally traveling from Saudi Arabia before getting on the flight in Dubai, said he saw other passengers were doing the same, including the coughing man who was next to him.

There were Somalis on the flight, he said. They all came from Saudi Arabia I think too, they were at the Hajj.

He added, I'm guessing the others were probably from the same group. So it was them who probably came with a flu or whatever it was and it spread.

Although food was served during the flight, Alli does not believe that's what caused the illness.

I didn't see anybody vomit, but you don't know if they went to the washroom, he said.

With hundreds of passengers on Emirates Flight 203 from Dubai to New York off the plane and evaluated, health officials will try to pinpoint the cause of the illness that sent 10 passengers to the hospital and left dozens of other passengers reportedly feeling sick.

The investigation of what went wrong will involve the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state, local and airport officials.

Officials will zero in on passengers on the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet who got sick as well as those who didn't to try to determine the source of the illness, according to Dr. Robert Amler, dean of New York Medical College’s School of Health Sciences and Practice and a former CDC chief medical officer and New York Regional Health Administrator.

This is really medical detective work, he said.

Among the questions that will be asked, Amler said:

- Were the passengers who went to the hospital seated in a particular section of the plane or spread throughout the plane?

- What did the affected passengers eat on the plane?

- At what point in the long flight did they get sick? And did they all get sick at once or was it gradual?

In a disease investigation of any kind, you begin with trying to say what is common on the sick and still was rare among the well?

The early signs point to flu symptoms, according to a spokesman for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The CDC reported that many passengers complained of cough and fever.

Investigators will pay special attention, of course, to test results from passengers who ended up in the hospital. The airline identified three passengers and seven crew members sick enough to be sent to the hospital.

The mayor's office said it identified 19 ill passengers, with nine refusing medical attention.

The results of those tests can also be very, very helpful, Amler said.

Is this some kind of infection? Is this some kind of toxic exposure to some chemical in the plane? Could this be some kind of mold exposure, or some other kind of food or water borne exposure?

The good news, Amler said, is that officials are trained on how to investigate these situations. There are regular drills.

This kind of scenario is a well rehearsed one, he said. Every member of the team is going to know what their expectations are.

Amler said the investigation is not likely to drag on.

Typically after a few days they should be getting their arms around at least the most likely scenario, he said.

After Flight 203 landed, the plane was taken to a location away from the terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a statement from the CDC.

Medical personnel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded the aircraft to evaluate the situation and provided immediate assistance before passengers deplaned and were processed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

By early Wednesday afternoon, Emirates had its A380 back and announced a three hour delay on the return flight to Dubai.

In more severe cases of contamination, an airliner or cruise ship might be held longer in quarantine and subject to additional cleaning and inspection.

The airline also did not reply to scattered questions about cleaning posted on Twitter after the airline said it had the plane back and would only delay, not cancel, the scheduled return flight from New York to Dubai later Wednesday.


Tourism Observer

Nile Air And Pegasus Sign Codeshare Deal, Pegasus Launches Flights To Muscat And Dammam Via Istanbul

Turkey’s leading low-cost airline Pegasus has signed a codeshare agreement with Nile Air, Egypt’s largest private airline.

Through the codeshare partnership, Pegasus guests will be able to purchase flights from Pegasus channels for the Nile Air flights between Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Cairo as of 15 June 2018.

Pegasus guests will be able to travel with Nile Air four days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with the flights operated fromSabiha Gökçen to Cairo at16:05* and from Cairo to Sabiha Gökçen at 11:50.

With the addition of Nile Air, Pegasus now operates six codeshare partnerships, with agreements also in place with:

- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

- Flynas

- Alitalia

- Qatar Airways

- Delta Air Lines.

The Turkish carrier will launch three times weekly flights to the Omani capital on July 3.

This will increase to four times weekly from July 15.

Stansted-Muscat services, via Istanbul, will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, returning Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Prices start from £115.99.

Meanwhile, Pegasus has rolled out daily flights to Saudi Arabia’s third largest city Dammam, via Istanbul, with fares starting from £159.99.

The additions takes Pegasus’s network to 110 destinations in 43 countries.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDIA Starts Flights From Vienna To Riyadh And Jeddah

Saudi Arabia’s largest airline SAUDIA started flights to Vienna, Austria from Riyadh and Jeddah. The carrier will fly to Riyadh before continuing on to Jeddah.

The new flight connection to Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, as well as to Jeddah will be served four times a week deploying an Airbus A320.

The presence of SAUDIA at Vienna Airport means that one of the largest airlines in the Middle East is now represented here.

The airline links Vienna with Riyadh and Jeddah, the two most important cities for business and tourism in Saudi Arabia.

The new flight connection provides positive impetus, particularly for Austrian tourism and the popular travel destination of Vienna, says Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.

Direct flight connections serve as a driving force for an increase in the number of passengers.

For this reason, the Vienna Tourist Board is pursuing an air service development strategy in cooperation with Vienna Airport in order to lure new airlines and flight connections.

The fact that SAUDIA decided in favour of Vienna Airport is an extremely gratifying development and will promote incoming tourism from the Arab region, in which we registered about 334,000 overnight stays in Vienna in 2017, explains Norbert Kettner, Managing Director of Vienna Tourist Board.

Effective immediately, SAUDIA offers four weekly frequencies from Vienna to Riyadh and Jeddah.

The aircraft leaves Jeddah at 7:40 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and arrives in Riyadh at 9:20 a.m. The continuation of the flight from Riyadh to Vienna departs Riyadh at 10.10 a.m. and arrives Vienna at 2:40pm.

The return flight takes off from Vienna at 4 p.m. and lands in Riyadh at 10:20 p.m. and is scheduled to land in Jeddah at 01:10 a.m. on the following day.

This flight will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Flynas To Buy Wide body Jets, Expand To Far East, West And Africa

Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flynas plans to operate wide-body aircraft for the first time in its 10-year history as part of a network expansion strategy that could see the airline service long-haul destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Europe and Africa, its group chief executive said.

The airline is to commence talks with plane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus within the next two months with a view to placing a sizeable order for either Boeing 777s or Airbus A330s, plus Airbus’ long-range A321-ER neo, Bander Almohanna told The National on Monday.

We are starting now to study long-range A321-ER neos and wide-body jets, we’ll either go with A330 or B777, Mr Almohanna said.

We will launch in the next couple of months a campaign for wide-body jets, targeting destinations that cannot be reached by the existing equipment or fleet.

So this would be mainly the Far East – Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur –the far West, and Africa.

If a deal is reached, it is expected to be for a similar number of aircraft as Flynas’ order placed at the end of 2016 for 120 A320neos, which is due for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2018 and 2026 and intended to replace its outdated fleet of 30 aircraft, predominantly A320s.

We always think big, Mr Almohanna said at the ATM travel conference in Dubai.

Operating wide-body aircraft would be a wholly new strategy for the low-cost carrier as it seeks to grow its network in line with the kingdom’s plans to develop its nascent tourism sector.

The market size of Saudi Arabia is more than the airline so we are not competing with the national carrier Saudia, we are complementing it by trying to reach markets not served well by any Saudi airline, and to get people to come direct instead of through connecting traffic, Mr Almohanna said.

The discussions with Airbus and Boeing is a new project, he said, but our whole strategy is to get aligned with Vision 2030, which sets a target to attract 15 million pilgrims by 2020, and 30 million by 2030.

Those pilgrims will not be able to come in a convenient way without having an airline like Flynas pushing a strategy, frankly, to have wide-body aircraft and long-range 777-ER Max or the A321neo.

Pilgrims are only one segment of Flynas’ target market, he said.

Boeing’s under-development mid-size jet is another option.

Flynas, which is partly owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding, forecasts 10 per cent earnings growth this year after a flat 2016/17 due to sluggish conditions in the regional economy and the wider aviation industry, according to Mr Almohanna.

He said the market is starting to pick up.

The airline is targeting an increase in passenger numbers to 7.5 million in 2018 from 6.4 million in 2017, helped by an anticipated 5 per cent rise in Umrah and Haj pilgrims to the kingdom this year.

This summer it will launch five new destinations – Tbilisi in Georgia, Baku in Azebaijan, Vienna in Austria, Athens in Greece and Trabzon in Turkey. Flights will commence for sale this week.

To facilitate the network expansion, the carrier is in discussions with Airbus to fast-track a portion of its A320neo order, Mr Almohanna said.

He plans to add five new aircraft to Flynas’ fleet this year, including two A320s and three Boeing 737s.

We are negotiating with Airbus to advance more than what the slot has given to us, he said. “

We are also in talks with other lessors to maybe swap their slot with ours to accelerate the planned replacement and support our growth strategy.

Mr Almohanna declined to comment on the planned initial public offering of around 30 per cent of the company, reportedly targeted for early 2019.

The plans are still on the table, he said. Flynas was reported in February to have appointed Citigroup to advise on a potential IPO, alongside Morgan Stanley and NCB Capital.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Approximately 2 Million Visit The Holy City Of Makkah To Perform Hijjah

Approximately two million people from across the globe are visit the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, making it the largest annual international gathering, and which, for many Muslims, is the highlight of their spiritual lives.

Ministry of Culture and Information, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced on August 26, 2017 that 1.497 million pilgrims have flocked to the country in preparation for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, which begun on August 30, 2017 and ends on the September 4, 2017

As one of the five pillars of Islam, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, is mandatory for physically and financially capable Muslims to perform at least once in their lives.

The rituals involved are intended to cleanse the soul and demonstrate the equality and solidarity of all Muslims, in their submission to God.

The number of foreign pilgrims has multiplied exponentially over the years, from as few as 24,000 in 1941 to 1.325 million in 2016. Including local pilgrims that reside in Saudi Arabia, a total of 1.86 million Muslims performed the Hajj last year.

Saudi officials have prepared to receive the massive influx of pilgrims, many of whom also visit the second Holy City of Madinah.

The Hajj team deployed on the ground speaks over a dozen languages to ensure that the needs of pilgrims are met.

Mina is also known as the City of Tents as it hosts tens of thousands of air-conditioned tents as temporary accommodation for a significant portion of the pilgrims expected to take part in Hajj this year.

Mina is located between Mount Arafat and Makkah's Grand Mosque. The tents are neatly arranged in rows and grouped into areas labeled with numbers and colors according to nationality.

Every pilgrim is given a badge with an assigned number and color to help them find the way back to their tent if they get lost. To prevent fires, the tents are constructed of Teflon-coated fiberglass, and are fitted with sprinklers and fire extinguishers.

More than 17,000 highly trained personnel, supported by 3,000 advanced vehicles, are in position to guarantee pilgrims the highest level of safety.

Over 2,000 Saudi Red Crescent Authority personnel deployed in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to provide ambulance services to pilgrims during Hajj.


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.

MENA Hospitality Revenue Slumps

The majority of the MENA hospitality industry experienced a decrease in earnings during May 2017 as both lower occupancies and lower average room rates reduced overall revenue per average room (RevPAR), EY said in its latest MENA Hotel Benchmark Survey Report.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai maintained strong occupancy levels at 73.5 per cent and 77.8 per cent respectively but witnessed a decrease in RevPAR when compared to the same month last year.

Dubai’s hospitality market saw a decline in RevPAR by 11.6 per cent in May 2017, mainly due to the reduction in average daily room rate from $225 in May 2016 to $211 in May 2017.

Furthermore, Abu Dhabi’s hospitality market witnessed a drop in RevPAR by 20.3 per cent from $92 in May 2017 to $73 in May 2016.

The decrease was mainly due to the average room rate being lowered from $119 in May 2016 to $100 in May 2017, along with a decline in average occupancy by 3.8 per cent when compared to May 2016.

In Saudi Arabia, Jeddah saw the highest occupancy rates for the region at 80.2 per cent and the highest RevPAR at $247 in May 2017. Moreover, the hospitality markets in Madinah and Mecca experienced positive gains in RevPAR this month when compared to May 2016.

Madinah’s hospitality market witnessed an increase in average occupancy of 6.1 per cent in May 2017 when compared to the same period last year. Average daily room rates also increased from $179 in May 2016 to $180 in May 2017, resulting in an overall boost in RevPAR by 12.2 per cent from $92 in May 2016 to $104 in May 2017.

In May 2017, Mecca’s hospitality market witnessed an increase in RevPAR of 90.5 per cent when compared to the same period last year. The rise was mainly due to the average room rate increasing from $142 in May 2016 to $275 in May 2017.

Mecca was able to maintain occupancy levels of 41 per cent year-on-year.

“The increase in Madinah and Mecca’s hospitality market may be attributed to the beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan where many worshippers prefer to perform Umrah and visit Madinah,” commented Yousef Wahbah, MENA Head of Transaction Real Estate at EY.

Elsewhere in the MENA region, Cairo’s hospitality market witnessed a decrease in occupancy by 10.1 per cent from 74.4 per cent in May 2016 to 64.3 per cent in May 2017.

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: 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.

USA: Trump Starts Saudi Tour As Problems Mount At Home

US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia Saturday for the start of an eight-day foreign tour, taking his first steps on the world stage as scandals mount at home.

Trump can expect a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia where he is to meet King Salman and other senior royals -- in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building over his team's alleged links to Moscow.

Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One after it landed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh shortly before 9:50 am (0650 GMT).

Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman.

Trump is to hold talks with King Salman and the kingdom's two powerful crown princes later on Saturday, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday.

For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, which were strained under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.

That, together with a more muted focus on human rights and the likely announcement of new arms deals, should please Washington's traditional Sunni Gulf allies.

He's going to be tougher on Iran, said Philip Gordon, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "He's not going to lecture them on democracy and human rights."

Sunday's speech to dozens of Muslim leaders has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

The speech will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

I'll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith, Trump said ahead of his visit.

Trump wants Gulf states in particular to do more to tackle extremists such as the Islamic State jihadist group.

He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold, new steps to promote peace and to confront those, from ISIS to Al-Qaeda... who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond,said Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

Before departing, the president tweeted he would be "strongly protecting American interests" on his marathon eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe.

After Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the Palestinian Territories where he hopes to revive the moribund peace process.

He then travels to Europe where he will hold face-to-face meetings including with Pope Francis and France's new leader, Emmanuel Macron.

It is a trip fraught with peril for the real estate magnate, who is known to dislike lengthy travel.

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure have eroded Trump's standing at home where the parallels with Richard Nixon's ill-fated presidency are now being openly drawn.

On Friday, the probe into his campaign's Russia ties had identified a "significant person of interest" in the White House undercut Trump's insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of "nut job" Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him due to the investigation.

The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts, with Trump declaring himself the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in American political history.

Arms contracts

His visit to the Gulf is expected to bring lucrative arms contracts for US firms.

"The big question mark that you should bear in mind is if Saudi Arabia signs up for a $100 billion arms deal with oil prices where they are today, how are they actually going to pay that in the future?" said Bruce Riedel, former CIA analyst and counterterrorism expert now with the Brookings Institution.

In Israel, Trump will meet his "friend" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem.

The Israeli leg of his trip is already awash in controversy -- from a row over Trump's visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

Trump's meeting with Pope Francis -- two men at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy remains highly unpredictable, although the pontiff says he will give America's bullish leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will also meet members of NATO in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina overlooking the Mediterranean.

Russia Changes Visa Rules,United Raises Compensation Limit To $10,000

Russia is going to make it simpler for the citizens of 18 countries to enter the port city of Vladivostok with an aim to attract gamblers to new casinos and also investors to the resourceful and yet untapped region of the Far East.

Japan, China and Iran are among the nations that would be eligible for a four-day, online application process for ‘visas on arrival’.

However, Vladivostok is the only point of entry so far that has been approved, since travel is restricted to eight days and only within the Primorsky Krai region.

Out of the nations on the list, only two nations of Japan and China can be realistically expected to make a noticeable impact on the tourist arrivals in the Far East region of Russia as per Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for the Russian Tourism Industry Union.

She said that the e-visa would make travelling more convenient for business people especially those who visit Russia by themselves.

Tourists from countries like China increased to 15% last year to 1.29 million, surpassing the arrivals from other 17 nations, according to data published by the federal government of Russia.

Out of the 16 countries on the list, eight nations like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Brunei, Bahrain and UAE are not included in the leading 80 sources for visitors, as per the data of the Russian Border Service.

However, an easier visa regime might witness a larger number of tourists arriving from Persian Gulf, as per the deputy deacon of the international tourism faculty at the Russian State Financial University, Yuri Schegolkov.

This brand new arrangement is expected to commence in September, just in time for the third Eastern Economic Forum on the 6th and 7th of that month in Russky Island, Vladivostok.

Meanwhile, United Airlines says it will raise the limit — to $10,000 — on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights and will increase training for employees as it deals with fallout from the video of a passenger being violently dragged from his seat.

It is also vowing to reduce, but not eliminate, overbooking-the selling of more tickets than there are seats on the plane.

United isn’t saying whether ticket sales have dropped since the removal of a 69-year-old passenger by three airport security officers, but the airline’s CEO admits it could be damaging.

To head off customer defections, United had already announced that it will no longer call police to remove passengers from overbooked flights, and will require airline crews traveling for work to check in sooner. On Thursday, it added several other new policies including:

Raising the limit on compensation to $10,000 for customers who give up their seats. That is a maximum — it’s unclear how many, if any, passengers would see that much. The current limit is $1,350. Delta Air Lines earlier this month raised its limit to $9,950.

Sending displaced passengers or crew members to nearby airports, putting them on other airlines or arranging for car transportation to get them to their destinations.

United said it will reduce but not end the overbooking of flights. Munoz said if airlines can’t overbook flights there will be more empty seats and fares will rise. Delta CEO Ed Bastian called overselling flights “a valid business process.”

Politicians in Washington and elsewhere have called for a ban on overselling flights. Some critics have said airlines should leave a few seats empty if they think they will be needed by crew members.

UAE: Are UAE Tourists Exempted From Traffic Fines?

A card with a Dubai Police logo has gone viral on social media, saying that tourists and visitors who flout traffic rules could be let off.

The General Department of Traffic of the Dubai Police denied rumours that the visitors and tourists in the UAE are exempted from minor traffic fines. The denial came in the wake of a card going viral on social media that the Dubai Police will pardon visitors who caught by radars.

The card, which was circulated in social media, read as follows: "Dear driver, as you are a guest in the UAE and came on visit visa to Dubai, you are welcomed and we wish you a good stay. We are sorry to inform you that you are caught by radars as you did not abide by traffic law. Despite that, we will not issue you a traffic fine. We do not want to issue a fine to you, but our goal is your safety."

Major-General Mohamed Saif Al Zafeen, Head of the Traffic Prosecution Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs, said that the Dubai Police did not circulate the card that had a Dubai Police logo on it.

"A few years ago, the Dubai Traffic Department had exempted tourists who commit minor traffic violations from paying fines to make them happy. However, the Dubai Police have not taken any such decision recently and it is just a rumour. If there is any such decision, that will be announced by the Dubai Police through its official channels."

Maj.-Gen. Al Zafeen urged the public to confirm the news before circulating that to avoid legal action.

Citizens of UAE and India are eligible to visit Russia's Far East without visas, Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Monday.

Medvedev said tourists and businessmen from 18 nations can visit the Russian Far East without visas.

The list of 18 countries comprises UAE, India, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Qatar, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and Japan.

"I have recently approved the list of countries, whose nationals can take advantage of the preferential regime. Businessmen and tourists will not need to undergo the traditional procedure of Russian visas receipt," the Prime Minister said. It will be enough for foreigners "to enter their data on a special website in the Internet," Medvedev said.

"We are proactively forming the modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the Far East; the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March," Medvedev said.

Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen "will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the Far East," the prime minister said. The region will earn more money from tourist traffic growth, he added.

Eighteen countries from various regions selected by the reciprocity principle were included into the list, Medvedev said. "This is not because these states are situated at a closer or longer distance - we are appropriately introducing bilateral agreements on visa-free travel for those ready to use such an approach for us," he was quoted as saying by TASS.

SAUDI ARABIA: First Saudi Female Hotel General Manager - Maram Kokandi, Appointed At Park Inn by Radisson In Jeddah

Maram Kokandi
The first Saudi Arabian woman to become a General Manager in Hospitality - Rezidor appoints Maram Kokandi as its General Manager in Jeddah.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the most dynamic hotel companies in the world, is proud to mark a new milestone in its history by appointing its first Saudi female General Manager in the company and the hospitality industry.

Miss Maram Kokandi will be the General Manager of a new Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled to open later this year.

The appointment complements the Saudi Vision 2030 launched last year, which emphasizes the significance of Saudi women and their role in leading the development of both social and professional growth of the Kingdom.

Maram Kokandi studied hospitality management in the United Kingdom before moving back to the Middle East region, taking up various hospitality roles in Saudi Arabia.

She takes on the responsibility of launching the new Park Inn by Radisson Jeddah Madinah Road as its General Manager. 


The Rezidor Hotel Group strongly advocates balanced leadership in the hospitality industry.

Its Balanced Leadership initiative aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The program takes a three-pronged strategy to tackle the continuing problem of diversity at the top of organizations: leadership programs, inclusive policies and awareness of the issue from top to bottom, including how to tackle barriers to women succeeding in business.