Dubai Investment News
Etihad Travel Mall unveiled in Dubai
Bosses at one of the world's leading airlines have launched a brand new one-stop travel retail and check-in facility in Dubai.The Eithad Travel Mall opened yesterday (April 18th) and it will give people the chance to book a flight ticket, drop off their baggage and then board a luxury coach to Abu Dhabi International Airport. This new state-of-the-art facility will replace the firm's previous complex at Chelsea Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road.Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have become popular destinations among tourists and businesspeople and it is encouraging to see stronger transport links being established between the two emirates.His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Aviation Authority and Emirates Group, opened the Etihad Travel Mall during a ceremony laid on by Etihad Airways president and chief executive officer James Hogan.Mr Hogan said that as the company approaches its tenth anniversary, the future looks really bright.”Etihad Airways is set on a trajectory to go farther and to also become the world's best travel company,” he remarked.”This new facility is a demonstration of our commitment to our guests within our home market, offering a more comprehensive service with a complete one-stop location for all of their travel needs.”Etihad continues to add services from the UAE and earlier this week it confirmed that a new route between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade in Serbia would start in June 2013.These are exciting times for the country's aviation sector and Dubai International Airport's growth has been particularly impressive.It was recently declared the world-leading hub for Airbus A380 aircraft, with 7,259 scheduled double-decker flights taking off to 28 different destinations in 2012.The airport has also become the second-busiest on the planet, as more than 57.6 million passengers passed through the complex last year.Plans are now in place to significantly increase the capacity of the airport and there is every chance it will be the world's most-used aviation hub in the next few years. Continue reading
Dubai International ‘is the world’s leading A380 hub’
Dubai International Airport has been officially confirmed as the world's leading hub for A380 aircraft.The double-decker planes have revolutionised air travel and it seems that the UAE has embraced the vessels faster than any other destination across the planet.New schedule figures have shown that 7,259 of the aeroplanes left Dubai's main airport on journeys to 28 different locations in 2012 and all but 88 of these flights were laid on by Emirates Airline.Dubai International beat second-placed Singapore in the rankings and was also ahead of London's Heathrow, Frankfurt and Sydney.Chief executive officer at Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths said the recent expansion of the airport highlights its commitment to housing A380 aircraft. He suggested that the grand unveiling of the new Concourse A was a real signal of intent from Dubai International.”This new facility is purpose built for the aircraft with two-tiered gates facilitating boarding directly from the first and business class lounges,” he remarked.Although other airports, such as Charles de Gaulle in Paris, New York's JFK, Hong Kong International and Los Angeles have all facilitated an impressive number of A380 planes over the past year, Mr Griffiths feels Dubai International will continue to lead the way.”Based on Emirates' order book, the new Qantas A380 operation and our $7.8 billion expansion plan, Dubai International is well placed to continue to hold the top position for A380 operations in 2013 and beyond,” he added.Last month, the aviation hub was officially declared the second-busiest on earth, behind only Heathrow. This was based on passenger numbers from 2012 and the start of 2013.Some 10.6 million people passed through the Middle Eastern airport in the first two months of 2013, which was a 13 per cent improvement on the corresponding period in 2012.This was enough to see Dubai International overtake Charles de Gaulle in the rankings and Mr Griffiths thinks the airport is in a strong position to take the number one spot from Heathrow in a few years' time. Continue reading
Mayor of London heads to Dubai
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has reiterated just how important it is for the UK to maintain its strong business links with the UAE.Mr Johnson landed in the Gulf on Sunday (April 14th) and he will complete a five-day tour of the Middle East, in which he is scheduled to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai.He will attend a number of high-profile meetings with political, state and business leaders during his stay and he will also discuss a number of issues with Arabian royalty.The Gulf is already the UK's seventh largest export market and Mr Johnson is keen to cement the countries' positive relationship. It goes without saying that the UAE has emerged as a crucial corporate hub and the nation's gross domestic product is expected to rise over the next few years – strengthening its position even further.During the Dubai leg of the trade mission, Mr Johnson will attempt to forge links between Dubai Internet City – which is the largest technology park in the Middle East – and London's Tech City.Dubai Internet City has grown rapidly in recent years and has managed to attract some of the biggest companies in the world, including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and LinkedIn.With this in mind, it is no wonder that the London mayor has recognised the importance of the facility.”With strong historic ties in place, we already have fruitful trading partnerships between the Gulf and this city notably in finance, infrastructure, tourism, education and culture,” Mr Johnson remarked.”The Gulf's economy continues to grow fast and we cannot be complacent in what is now a fiercely competitive global economy.”Mr Johnson's visit to the Middle East will be interrupted by the funeral of Baroness Thatcher and he is expected to return to the Gulf on Thursday. The second part of his trip will see him head to Qatar.The fact that the mayor of one of the most influential cities on earth is so keen to maintain a partnership with Dubai is testament to just how far the emirate has come. It is easy to forget that it was just a sleepy little fishing town only a few decades ago. Continue reading
