Rosewood appoints new hotel manager
RIYADH: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, a premier manager of ultra luxury hotels and resorts throughout the world, has appointed Matthias Al-Amiry as hotel manager for the award winning Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, in Riyadh. Al-Amiry joins Rosewood with 23 years of international hospitality experience. Prior to his appointment in Riyadh he was resident manager for The Peninsula Manila Hotel. Al-Amiry, a German national, is a graduate of the prestigious Hotel Management School in Heidelberg, Germany and an alumnus of Cornell University’s Summer School program. Meanwhile, Jeddah’s Rosewood Corniche has introduced holiday promotions at its Asian restaurants until the end of 2009, for Haj and holiday visitors with “great food” and prizes. “In November and December, guests and visitors to Rosewood Corniche have a chance to win big. The lucky winners each month receive a free weekend stay for two at the hotel, a fabulous package in a luxurious room or suite with spectacular Red Sea views. We have begun to welcome our Haj pilgrims and our holiday season guests, so we created these prize drawings and culinary promotions to recognize Jeddah’s festive atmosphere in November and December,” said Hans-Peter Leitzke, managing director at Rosewood Corniche.
NetJets program signals new dawn of jet travel
DUBAI: The NetJets Middle East Programme, provided by National Air Services (NAS), is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the region’s leading provider of executive jet ownership program by taking delivery of a new Falcon 2000LX — the first Falcon 2000LX to be operated commercially in the Middle East. The NetJets Middle East Programme, a “favorite of some of the region’s most successful individuals, private companies and multinationals,” already has a fleet comprising the Gulfstream 450 and Hawker 750 but sees the arrival of the new long-range Falcon 2000LX as a major step forward, says Graeme Deary, its executive director for business development. “With its range of up to 4,000 nautical miles, the Falcon 2000LX can fly non-stop from Dubai to Paris and London,” he said. “The Falcon 2000LX is the optimum aircraft to fly this route with a spacious cabin and good performance enabling it to get into some of the smaller airports in Europe. This, coupled with its large baggage compartment, allows our guests to travel with all their home comforts.”
Etihad Airways — a cleaner look proves greener
ABU DHABI: An initiative originally designed to ensure a clean look to the fleet of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has proven to have significant environmental benefits. The trials of “Permagard”, a polymer coating applied to the exterior of Etihad’s aircraft has demonstrated significant savings in washing water and cleaning fluids, as well as a potential improvement in fuel efficiency from reduced drag on the aircraft. As a result, Etihad has now committed to having its entire fleet treated with this clear coating. Etihad estimates water savings of 10 million liters — or 75 percent — in 2010 from reduced cleaning of its aircraft, as well as a 96 percent reduction in cleaning fluid — from 50,000 liters to just 2,000. Anticipated fuel efficiency improvements as a result of reduced drag during flight as a result of the Permagard coating are currently being quantified. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “With water scarcity a key global and regional concern, we are proud to commit to this initiative. Etihad operates one of the youngest and most fuel efficient aircraft fleets in the world, and is actively looking at ways we can harness technology for greater fuel efficiency and environmental benefit, as we have done with Permagard.”
