UAE passport ranked world’s most powerful
A United Arab Emirates passport can travel to 167 countries without the need for pre-visa requirements Last year, the UAE passport was ranked No. 24 JEDDAH: Holders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport can travel to 167 countries without the need for pre-visa requirements, dislodging Germany’s as the most powerful passport worldwide, an online ranking site said on Saturday. A UAE...
The beautiful places people will be going on holiday in 2019
Winter is officially here. The days are shorter, temperature is colder and summer feels both a long time ago and a long way away, which leaves us thinking about one thing: where to go on holiday? Over the past 12 months, places like southern Italy and Bali have infiltrated our Instagram feeds, whereas the year before, Vietnam, Mykonos and Lisbon definitely had a moment. To ensure you can stay...
Saudi Arabia to launch E-Umrah visas for Pilgrims
RIYADH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is planning to launch electronic individual Umrah visas for certain categories of pilgrims, after which the individuals can apply for Umrah visas directly without approaching the respective Saudi diplomatic missions. The move will ensure comfortable stay of pilgrims during their pilgrimage in Kingdom starting from embarkation to visits of holy sites,...
8 Underrated Destinations in Morocco (To Get Off the Beaten Path)
In recent years, Morocco has become a tourist haven for western travelers. When people visit this North African nation, they generally want to see the most popular attractions such as Casablanca, Marrakech, the Hassan II Mosque, and Fez. But Morocco also has a hidden side, one with amazing sights that are perhaps not so much on the mainstream tourism radar. No doubt, if you’re the adventurous...
IATA airlines unilaterally decide to undermine airline/agent mediation programme says ECTAA
IATA held its 41st Passenger Agency Conference in Geneva on 30/31 October 2018. The latter is the body of airlines deciding on the rules of the Passenger Agency Programme under which IATA accredited agents are allowed to sell air tickets and report and settle their sales to airlines. Despite strong opposition from the agent community, the Conference unilaterally adopted two major changes to...
Umrah visa issue nears 1m mark
The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims JEDDAH: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 998,670, of which 695,740 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj and Umrah Ministry. There are 294,767 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 198,786 in Makkah and 95,981 in Madinah. Most pilgrims — 650,702 — came to...
Muslim travel industry forecast to create 1.2m jobs by 2020
New research says the GDP impact of Muslim travel in the Middle East is forecast to hit $36bn by 2020 The GDP impact of Muslim travel in the Middle East is forecast to hit $36 billion by 2020, up 21 percent from $29.7 billion in 2017, according to new research. The Muslim travel industry will create 1.2 million jobs in the region by 2020, more than double the 528,000 currently employed, the...
