Opinion Tourism Oman hopes tourism can foster entrepreneurship and create jobs The sultanate has only recently begun to use its history as an economic attraction January 16, 2025
Business of Sport PIF close to $1bn stake deal in sports network Dazn Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is close to agreeing a deal to acquire a 10 percent stake in the UK-based global sports network Dazn. The deal, which has been under discussion for more than a year, is said to be worth at least $1 billion, which would value the broadcaster at $10 billion, the New […] January 15, 2025
Retail Nice One share price up 55% in first week of trading Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing Co’s shares jumped 9.81 percent on Tuesday, beginning the day at SAR49.75 ($13.25) and reaching SAR 54.30 by its close. Eight days after the Saudi cosmetics retailer launched an initial public offering (IPO) for 30 percent of its capital (36.5 million shares) on January 7, its shares have increased in […] January 15, 2025
Tourism Ras Al Khaimah tourism revenue up 12% in 2024 Ras Al Khaimah’s record 1.28 million overnight arrivals in 2024 helped them to a 12 percent increase in tourism revenues from the year before. The growth was driven by the opening of new hotels and resorts, a growing calendar of international events, increased connectivity to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, marketing campaigns, and more than […] January 15, 2025
Retail UAE shoppers ready to spend, but retail outlook remains tough The spending of UAE consumers is expected to increase this year, but retail analysts have warned this is unlikely to be a silver bullet that halts shrinking margins. A survey of more than 15,000 shoppers in nine countries, published by consultancy AlixPartners, has found the percentage of UAE consumers intending to spend more is 13 […] January 15, 2025
Retail Sales rise 18% for airport retailer Qatar Duty Free Airport retailer Qatar Duty Free has reported an 18 percent sales increase for 2024. The rise was higher than passenger growth at Hamad International Airport in Doha, which increased 15 percent to 52.7 million. Qatar Duty Free, a subsidiary of Qatar Airways that owns and operates the airport’s shopping and food outlets, did not release […] January 14, 2025
Business of Sport Qatar Airways signs $97m deal to sponsor new rugby tournament Qatar Airways has agreed a $97 million deal to sponsor the new World Rugby Nations Championship. The eight-year deal will cover the qualifying matches and finals for the first four editions of the rugby union tournament from 2026 to 2034. The agreement is the biggest title sponsorship in international rugby, according to The Guardian. The […] January 13, 2025
Opinion Tourism Immersive storytelling, posh cuisine and branded flats: 2025’s hospitality trends Adaptability and innovation will be vital to maintaining the sector’s global appeal January 10, 2025
Tourism Winter resorts add to Turkey’s tourist hotspots Sun, sand, sea … and ski. Turkey is ramping up efforts to extend its tourism season to a year-round offering by trying to raise the profile of the country’s winter resorts. This way it hopes to attract a new cohort of visitors, seeking the thrill of skiing on snow rather than water. Turkey has more […] January 10, 2025
Leisure & Hospitality Jumeirah appoints acting CEO to lead expansion plans Jumeirah Hotels Group, the owner of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel, has appointed Thomas Meier as CEO to lead the luxury hotel chain in its global expansion push. Swiss national Meier has been acting CEO for the past 10 months following the departure of Katerina Giannouka in late February last year. Meier, who has been chief […] January 9, 2025
Tech US PC makers bank on AI to regain Gulf market share US technology majors Dell and HP have launched a range of PCs featuring artificial intelligence capabilities. Industry analysts believe this may help them regain lost market share in the Gulf region and reverse the decline in demand for PCs. Global PC shipments, including in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, dropped 14.6 percent in the […] January 9, 2025
Food & Drink KFC and Pizza Hut owner ends franchise deal in Turkey Yum! Brands, the US-based owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, has terminated its franchise agreements with Turkish operator IS Gida. The decision was taken after IS Gida failed to meet its standards, Yum! Brands said. “Prior to termination, we engaged with IS Gida over several months to provide assistance and resolve key issues,” said Chris […] January 9, 2025
Economy Tech companies fuel spike in Saudi business registrations Commercial business registrations in Saudi Arabia increased by more than two-thirds in the fourth quarter of 2024, led by a proliferation of technology-based companies setting up in the kingdom. Over 160,000 new records were issued throughout the three-month period, taking the number of active commercial registrations in the country to more than 1.6 million, according […] January 9, 2025
Retail Dubai’s Majid Al Futtaim closes Carrefour in Oman Dubai-based retail conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim has launched its new grocery retail brand HyperMax in Oman, according to reports, after closing all of its Carrefour stores in the sultanate. It follows a similar move in Jordan in November where its Carrefour franchise brand ceased operations and 34 HyperMax locations were opened across the country. Carrefour […] January 8, 2025
Analysis Employment UAE and Kuwait companies struggling to hire staff Companies in the UAE and Kuwait are struggling to afford new staff as a result of squeezed margins, according to the latest business sentiment survey. For the third successive month, non-oil companies operating in the UAE highlighted a reduction in prices charged, with discounting used to support sales amid a highly competitive market. This was […] January 8, 2025
Business of Sport Stake in Premier League team sought by Saudi brothers A US-Saudi group has reportedly signed an exclusivity agreement to buy 45 percent of the English Premier League club Crystal Palace. A consortium funded by the Saudi brothers Mansoor and Haider Syed, which includes US sports and business executives, has agreed to buy the stake in the club owned by the American company Eagle Football, […] January 7, 2025
Tech Saudi Aramco leads $30m investment in tech startup Wa’ed Ventures, the $500 million venture capital fund owned by Saudi Aramco, and Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo have invested in Zension Technologies, a consumer electronics startup. Wa’ed led the funding raise of $30 million, which also included Dubai-based Global Ventures. Based in Riyadh, Zension provides consumers with access to the latest tech devices. Instead of purchasing devices […] January 7, 2025
Opinion Tourism The future of Middle East tourism must be regenerative How can we shift from reducing harm to regenerating the environments on which we depend? January 7, 2025
Construction Dubai’s $109m Al Mamzar Beach project to open in 2025 Dubai Municipality has awarded contracts for the AED400 million ($108.9 million) Al Mamzar Beach development project, set to open by the end of this year. The second phase focuses on upgrading the Al Mamzar Corniche beachfront and a focus on sustainable beach tourism, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Spread across 125,000 sq m […] January 6, 2025
Tourism Foreign tourists in Dubai hit 17m in 11 months of 2024 International tourist arrivals to Dubai rose by 9 percent to 16.8 million in the first 11 months of 2024, compared to 15.4 million during the same period in 2023, according to official data. Western Europe remained the top source region, accounting for 3.3 million visitors, or 20 percent of the total, the UAE state-run Wam […] January 6, 2025
Leisure & Hospitality Dubai airport gears up for busiest January ever Dubai International (DXB) is set to welcome 4.3 million passengers in the first 15 days of the year, setting the stage for its busiest January yet. The airport saw its highest daily traffic on January 3, with over 311,000 passengers, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. An average of 287,000 guests are expected to […] January 5, 2025
Real Estate Rental index in Dubai expands to commercial properties Dubai is to expand its Smart Rental Index to include commercial and industrial properties, a move that could serve as a catalyst for landlords to improve poor maintenance standards in neglected buildings, industry experts said. Majid Al Marri, CEO of real estate registration and services at Dubai Land Department, told AGBI at the launch of […] January 3, 2025
