SALALAH, 9 July — The Hilton Salalah has linked up with Oman Air and Kuwait Airways to offer GCC residents a khareef (monsoon) holiday special including return flight, three-night accommodation, free stay for children, breakfast, taxes and airport transfers until Sept. 20. Salalah, which lies in the extreme south of Oman, is known for its lush greenery, coconut palms, frankincense and the annual khareef season when the area experiences tropical rains and cool temperatures. Throughout the town, antique Omani silver, daggers, rifles and handcrafted jewelry can be found in the many shops and souqs. Khareef in Salalah also marks the wedding season where traditional Omani wedding celebrations take place throughout the city. “We’re excited about working with Oman Air and Kuwait Airways to offer such excellent value holidays for GCC residents, so that they may experience the mild temperatures and beautiful scenery of the khareef season,” Hilton Salalah General Manager Franz-Josef Macho said. Visitors this summer would also be able to enjoy the annual khareef festival, which runs until Aug. 31 and provides a fantastic variety of entertainment including traditional folklore, dancing and fashion shows, he added. The deluxe 147-room hotel, the only five-star property n Salalah, provides an exclusive private beachfront with endless white sandy beaches and spectacular seaviews. The hotel has three restaurants and popular theme nights. It also has other facilities that go with a deluxe hotel, including a heated swimming pool. Both Oman Air and Kuwait Airways are gearing up with more flights to Salalah to meet the expected summer rush. In addition to flights form Al Ain Doha and Kuwait City via Muscat, Oman Air is this month introducing three direct weekly flights form Dubai and a direct from Abu Dhabi to Salalah. Flights from Jeddah and Manama are operated on a code-share agreement with Gulf Air. (AN)
Emirates official carrier
for law conference
DUBAI — Emirates, the award-winning international airline based in Dubai, has been selected as official international carrier for next April’s 13th Commonwealth Law Conference in Melbourne, the first time this prestigious international meeting will be held in Australia. The airline was chosen to receive the coveted accolade after a competitive tender against Australian national carrier Qantas as well as Malaysian and Singapore Airlines, among others. More than 2,500 delegates from all parts of the Commonwealth are expected to attend the conference from April 13-17 at the Melbourne Convention Center. Keynote speakers include Cherie Booth, lawyer and wife of British Premier Tony Blair, Christopher Patten, external commissioner, European Commission; and Geoffrey Robinson. Airline Chairman Ahmed ibn Saeed Al-Maktoum said: “We’re honored to have been chosen as carrier for this prestigious and high-profile Commonwealth meeting. Australia has an increasingly influential voice on the world stage. We’re committed to serving its travelers and to playing a part in its widening world role.” Emirates flies daily from Melbourne and four times a week from Sydney to Dubai International Airport, named last week as “best for overall passenger satisfaction” by the International Air Transport Association representing the world’s top airlines. From Aug. 2, it will launch four-a-week services from Perth, linking the city to Emirates’ worldwide network of 58 destinations in 41 countries via Dubai. Emirates is also a major sports sponsor, supporting Collingwood, Melbourne’s Australian Rules football club; a number of races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival; the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race; the annual PGA Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, won this year by South Africa’s Ernie Els; world championship powerboat racing; and most recently, Chelsea, the English Premier League football club.
