JEDDAH, 31 March 2007 — In line with its recently announced expansion plan for 2007, Elaf Travel & Tourism Company has announced the opening of two new branches, one each in Madinah and Riyadh. “The Madinah branch opened last week in response to the increasing needs and customer expectations in the holy city, especially as Prince Mohammed Airport has become an international airport,” Moutaz F. Kayal, president of Elaf Group of Companies and of the Saudi chapter of American Association of Travel Agents (ASTA), said. The newly opened Riyadh branch is located in Batha area. In the near future, the group will open another branch in Makkah, two branches in Jeddah, one of them on Madinah Road and the other at the Red Sea Mall in September. “With these new branches, Elaf Travel & Tourism’s portfolio reaches 12 offices that are strategically located in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and Jeddah,” Kayal added.
Amadeus Saudi Arabia’s Annual Event
JEDDAH, 31 March 2007 — Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, and its commercial organization in Saudi Arabia hosted their annual customer event across three regions recently. Amadeus’ top customers were rewarded for their efforts in providing best-in-trade service to their customers. The continuing success of Amadeus in serving the country’s travel agency community was highlighted at the 2007 Amadeus top travel agents awards ceremony held at the Jeddah Hilton last week, followed by two additional events in Riyadh and Alkhobar. “We are very satisfied with the partnership approach that has allowed us achieve substantial growth in 2006. Amadeus has become the second biggest travel distribution company in the Kingdom and number one in terms of e-tickets deployed,” Sari Vahakoski, Amadeus director markets Middle East, Africa, and Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, said. “Saudi Arabia’s travel agents will continue to receive the highest standard of service and the latest technology from Amadeus,” Nashat M. Bukhari, general manager, Amadeus Saudi Arabia, said.
KLM’s New Aircraft on Dammam Route
DAMMAM, 31 March 2007 — KLM deployed Airbus 330-200, a new state-of-the-art aircraft, phasing out the existing Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from the route Amsterdam to Dammam. The new Airbus 330-200 offers passengers additional benefits with much more spacious cabins, enhanced service and greater comfort. Every seat in business and economy class has personal video ‘on-demand’ where one can play, pause, stop or rewind giving complete control to the traveler. The interactive entertainment system also allows e-mail, text messaging to any e-mail address or mobile telephone anywhere in the world and there is also a telephone for every seat. “The public response to our new Airbus A330-200 has been so popular that we had to add another frequency which now brings it to five flights a week,” a KLM spokesman said. With the holiday season around the corner, KLM is geared up to provide its customers with additional seats.
InterContinental Hotels Group’s Director
JEDDAH, 31 March 2007 — InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Sarah Marron as the new director of global sales Middle East to manage a newly structured global sales team based in Dubai. Marron joins the group with more than 12 years’ experience in the hotel and travel industry. Marron takes on her new role following her previous position as director of key accounts, UK and Ireland for Steigenberger Hotel Group and prior to this she was global sales manager for Middle East, Africa and Europe for Pegasus Solutions Utell London. “The Middle East global sales team has enjoyed some major success stories. This is a great time for me to join it and help generate further growth,” Marron said. “We are confident that she will deliver on the team’s strategic goals, with a focus on increasing traffic of Middle East travelers,” Tom Rowntree, the group’s vice president sales and marketing, Middle East and Africa, said.
Gulf Air Announces New Appointment
BAHRAIN, 31 March 2007 — Gulf Air has announced the appointment of Abdulmalik Al-Saei as general manager for Bahrain. Al-Saei is currently the GM, world wide travel management sales. In his new position he will be responsible for the commercial operation of airline’s home station. “Bahrain is a strategically important market for Gulf Air as it supports the country’s dynamic growth as a financial hub and a tourist destination, as well as being its home market and the base of its head office operations,” said Gulf Air Vice President Marketing and Sales Lee Shave. “Abdulmalik’s experience in varied markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Levant, India and Cyprus makes him the ideal choice for the position. Besides, as a Bahraini, he is a very good example of the airline’s commitment to developing nationals from our owner states to assume leadership roles,” said Al Saei who earlier worked as GM for Gulf Air Bahrain from 2002-04.
Jazeera Airways Opens Salalah Route
SALALAH, 31 March 2007 — Jazeera Airways, described as the Middle East’s only private airline, celebrated the opening of its Dubai-Salalah route in partnership with Salalah’s Department of Tourism. Salalah is a quiet resort town situated south of Oman and is home to the best beaches, diving sites, off-road activities and fishing in the Gulf. The city is also home to some of the oldest historical sites in the world and has an equally unique terrain of beautiful sandy beaches, awe-inspiring deserts, and magnificent mountain ranges; all minutes away from each other. Travelers looking for a new exciting getaway can now fly to Salalah from Dubai with fares starting from AED99, or 20 Kuwaiti dinars for Kuwait travelers. “Salalah is the Gulf’s secret resort town that many have heard about and few have visited. It only takes 90 minutes to fly to and from Dubai on board our new fleet of Airbus A320s,” airline Chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai said.