HILTON WORLDWIDE
Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a management agreement with Dar Al Bayan Real Estate Development Co. for the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Jubail. The 430-key Hilton Al Jubail is scheduled to open in Q1 2014. Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, said: “Hilton Al Jubail marks our entry into a new key city in the Kingdom. With 93-years of experience, global expertise and the ability to tailor to our local communities, Hilton Al Jubail will ably support the city’s development into a business and tourism center.” The hotel, located on the Jubail Corniche, will be one of the few waterfront developments being built, adjacent to the upcoming marina and in close proximity to Industrial Zone 1, the city’s business hub. Construction of the 400-room and 30-suite chalets hotel is scheduled to start early next year. The property will feature two specialty restaurants, an all-day dining restaurant and a lobby lounge. “We are delighted to partner with Dar Al Bayan Real Estate Development Co. and look forward to expanding our brand footprint into the Eastern Province,” said Rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide. “This is our first deal with Hilton Worldwide and we hope it will pave the way for future partnerships that will strengthen Jubail’s tourism industry and support Hilton Worldwide’s presence in the Kingdom,” said Mohamad Obaid Abed Al Rahman Al Hamed, chairman, Al Bayan Group Holding.
AL FAISALIAH HOTEL
Italian La Cucina restaurant at the Al Faisaliah Hotel South in Riyadh is set to become a pizza paradise next week when world champion and multi-award winning pizza chef Danilo Sangrigoli will be demonstrating the flavors and flair that have brought him fame. Jetting in from Italy for the 10-day pizza extravaganza at La Cucina from Saturday (May 28) to June 6, Chef Danilo will prepare and present a menu of signature pizzas from the restaurant’s vibrant interactive kitchen. Guests will also be able to enjoy the chef’s entertaining pizza dough spinning demonstrations, a technique that has earned him many a championship medal in his pizza-making career. Chef Danilo’s visit to Riyadh will also include a number of workshops for a variety of groups keen to learn the art of creating the perfect pizza, from eager schoolchildren to high profile women’s associations in the city. Owner of international pizza academy Scuola Pizzaioli, Chef Danilo splits his time between teaching aspiring pizza chefs and making guest appearances at fine dining establishments around the world. “Pizza is the only food everyone likes,” said Chef Danilo. “Every nationality, every creed, every age enjoys pizza. Even if you are vegetarian or don’t like gluten, I will make you a pizza.” Peter Finamore, MD, Al Faisaliah Hotel, said: “La Cucina has already earned a reputation as the city’s top destination for the modern generation, and Chef Danilo is certain to add a new depth of Italian flavor to the experience.”
STB
Jason Ong, area director, MEA, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), says the destination brand of Singapore made an evolution in early 2010 from the successful ‘Uniquely Singapore’ to ‘YourSingapore’. YourSingapore underpins Singapore’s strength as a travel experience that can be easily personalized due to the concentration of sights, sounds, tastes, culture and attractions, coupled with superb ease of access to provide unparalleled user-centricity. At the centre of the brand evolution is an interactive website www.yoursingapore.com that has been developed in response to the rise of digital and social media, and the shift in the way people plan and book travel, from passive content consumption to active engagement. Singapore is constantly transforming, from launching the world’s only Formula One night race to the development of successful Integrated Resorts — Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Both have proved to be highly popular with visitors, helping to boost year-on-year tourism revenue by 49 percent up to a record high of $14.9 billion with 11.6 million visitor arrivals over the whole of 2010. Continued growth is predicted for 2011 as more developments come online. Both Abdullah Al Jehani, VP, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, and Ong are set to showcase the ‘Saudi Arabia Enriching Experience’ as the next unique tourist destination at the 2011 Saudi Brand and Communication taking place from June 4-7 at the Marriott Hotel in Riyadh.
KANOO
Eastern Province-based Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo was recently awarded the “Outstanding Sales Achievement Award for 2010” by Korean Air. The company was recognized for its outstanding performance and sales and marketing support to Korean Air across Saudi Arabia. “We are pleased to win the Best GSA award for Saudi Arabia from Korean Air. Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo has been working hard to help drive the growth of Korean Air’s business, both in the corporate and retail sector, in Saudi Arabia. Since Korean Air offers excellent value on individual and group fares and the best service on that sector, Kanoo Travel has been happy to recommend it to our customers who travel to those sectors,” said Othman Al-Ghamdi, GM Saudi Arabia, Kanoo Travel. “We signed Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo as our GSA for Saudi Arabia at Arabian Travel Market 2008. We have been working closely with them since then and are pleased with the way they have increased our business in this region. Our experience with Kanoo has always been positive and they definitely deserve to win this award for their performance and achievements for Korean Air in such a short period of time,” said Seong Man Jun, regional manager, Gulf, Yemen & UAE for Korean Air. Kanoo Travel, part of the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group, has been the pioneer of the Gulf’s travel industry as the Kanoo Group set up its first travel office in this region in 1935. The company, with over 180 IATA locations in the region, claims to provide the most comprehensive and specialized services.
ETA
An Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) delegation recently visited Jeddah to promote an “Egypt where all it begins” promotion directed to Arab markets and aimed to attract more Arab tourists to the country. The campaign is an express invitation to explore the true spirit of Egypt and experience its tourist places. A recent ETA field study shows that 90 percent of Arabs interviewed had made at least a single visit to Egypt. The campaign aims to clear the unrealistic negative image revealed by some foreign media over the security situation in Egypt. It also invites everyone to come and review the security, safety and stability of the nation. ETA VP Samy Mahmoud said: “Egypt’s tourism is steadily expanding since January.” Egypt enjoys several destinations including Cairo, Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh. Each is distinguished by its unique nature that makes it different from the other. Also, Egypt encourages and facilitates investments especially from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain. Direct charter flights have been approved from various Gulf states to Luxur, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Northern Coast. Egyptian Consul General Aly Al-Asheri said: “Strong bonds between Saudis and Egyptians are sure to further boost tourism across Egypt. We, at the Consulate General in Jeddah, promise to provide all possible facilities to Saudi tourists heading to Egypt.”
BDL
BDL has achieved record growth in 2010 and hopes to perform better in 2011, according to Tamir Ismail, executive president of the BDL company. BDL will also expand by opening new smart phone and Tablet PC markets. With its “outstanding” manpower and “excellent ideas,” BDL has taken a lead position in the Middle East’s IT markets, he told Arab News, adding that BDL has also enabled in a short time to gain a leading position among large companies that distribute computer and accessories in the region. “BDL has a vast client base and earned wide customer confidence in the Kingdom,” he said. The company supplies the best and most advanced products across the Middle East, with its commitment to maintenance and after sales technical support. Ismail said BDL markets a wide variety of products of international brands such as AOC, MSI, Lenovo, LG, Acer, Asus and Dell. “However, we intend to add to the variety of goods with more products so that customers will get greater opportunity for choice in terms of price and quality,” he said. About BDL’s strategy for 2011 in Saudi and other Middle East markets, Ismail said the focus would be on offering the best service to clients with products of international brands. “As part of our expansion policy, we have opened two new branches in Khamis Mushayt, Tabuk and Qassim with the aim of covering northern and southern provinces of the Kingdom. While our main center is in Riyadh, we have branches in Jeddah and Alkhobar,” he said.
MMYC
Mega yachts get a new hotspot in the Mediterranean for this season with new 79 mega yacht berths in Mandalina Marina & Yacht Club (MMYC). Croatia’s first mega yacht marina is based deep in Sibenik bay, 5 NM from the open sea that enables easy and safe access to mega yachts up to 140 meters in length. It is situated in scenic town of Sibenik, between two national parks — Kornati islands and Krka waterfalls in Middle Dalmatia, in the most beautiful Croatia’s cruising ground. Working with the internationally recognized pontoon producer Marinetek, the investors — NCP Group and Dogus Group — have used best materials and solutions to meet the high environmental standards. The sea depth by the coastline is suitable for the yachts with a maximum draft up to 6 meters while the depth by the concrete floating pontoons is deeper than 15 meters. The vicinity of NCP Repair Shipyard, specialized in refit, repair and maintenance of yachts up to 75 meters (250 ft) in length, with its envious reference list, is an additional convenience for marina’s clients. NCP Refit also offers 24/7 service facilities in marina and anywhere on the sea, what guarantees complete security for yachts in the Adriatic. With the recent modifications to the marina, Sibenik region is destined to become the region’s premier gateway for mega yachts, as it offers convenient access to more than 1200 scenic islands on the Adriatic, as well as presenting an outstanding hub from which to cruise the Eastern Coast of Italy and the Eastern Mediterranean.
