Tag Archives: dubai investment news
Lufthansa plans to increase Dubai flight capacity
Bosses at major German airline Lufthansa have hinted that the company could increase the capacity of its services between Europe and Dubai.The UAE is an increasingly popular tourism destination and is also an international business hub, so it is hardly surprising that the demand for flights to the Gulf has risen sharply among the German population.Carsten Schaeffer, Lufthansa's vice president of sales and services for south-east Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the company plans to up the volume of services to Dubai by 20 per cent this summer.He told the Khaleej Times that the extra flights will most probably leave from Frankfurt – which is one of the busiest airports in the world.”We might fly double-daily from Frankfurt to Dubai. So this is really a step up [in] the way we work,” Mr Schaeffer was quoted as saying.”In the UAE, we are in the phase of bringing in bigger aircraft and in Saudi Arabia, we are bringing in more frequencies.”He added that the Middle East is an important market and the firm's network will expand in this part of the world in the coming years.Lufthansa currently flies to Dubai from Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna, while Emirates Airline – which is based in the UAE city – travels to four destinations in Germany.Dubai International Airport has grown in stature in recent years and is now the second busiest aviation hub on earth. Much of this rapid improvement has been down to the increasing number of European routes being added by UAE-based airlines.Indeed, Dubai Airports revealed last month that the biggest upturn in passenger numbers in March came from western Europe, as Emirates and flydubai introduced new services.There was also a 67.9 per cent rise in traffic from eastern Europe year-on-year during the month, thanks mainly to newly-established links to places like Poland and Macedonia. With the likes of Lufthansa planning to increase their presence in the UAE, it seems to be just a matter of time before Dubai International overtakes London's Heathrow as the busiest airport in the world. Continue reading
Dubai is the destination of choice for oil and gas workers
Oil and gas professionals from around the world still see Dubai as the best place to work.A new study by Rigzone has indicated that Dubai tops the list of cities with the brightest future, followed by Calgary, Denver, Singapore and Jakarta.The organisation asked 8,000 oil and gas professionals where they saw the best investment potential and it is clear that the UAE is the place to be.Of course, there are lots of things that need to be considered when moving to another country, especially for people who specialise in such a demanding and high-powered industry.Rigzone president Paul Caplan highlighted a few of the factors that oil rig and gas field workers need to think about.”Work-life balance continues to be a dominant theme. Energy professionals know there's a lot of hours put in, but there are just as many opportunities for extended time off,” he remarked.”Add in higher than average compensation and energy professionals have the time and the means to enjoy diverse, rich cultures found in some of the world's most exotic locations.”This explains why Dubai is such a popular choice among riggers. Not only is the city blessed with some of the largest oil and natural gas reserves, but it offers everything that workers could possibly need during their free time.The emirate has some of the finest villas, apartments and hotels on earth and is also full of world-class restaurants, clubs and upmarket retail outlets.Expats from countries like Bangladesh and the US have accepted jobs in Dubai's oil and gas sector in the recent past and there is every chance that thousands of other foreign workers will descend on the Gulf in the coming years.Dubai's economy has grown significantly in the past 12 months and experts predict the city's gross domestic product to expand by between three and four per cent by the end of 2013.Rigzone chiefs insisted the wealth generated by the lucrative natural resources sector has been used to create a “business-friendly and economically-diversified city”. Continue reading
World Travel Awards highlight quality of UAE holidays
Dubai featured prominently at the recent World Travel Awards (WTAs), which further highlighted the city's status as one of the best holiday hotspots on the planet.The WTAs are widely referred to as the “Oscars of the travel industry” and only the very best destinations, hotels, resorts, airlines and attractions are capable of winning one of the coveted accolades.Le Royal Meridien Resort & Spa Dubai hosted the Middle Eastern leg of the awards last week (May 5th) and it was no surprise to see so many of the emirate's hotels receiving prizes.Atlantis – The Palm, Dubai had a very successful evening, as the establishment scooped the Dubai's Leading Resort, Dubai's Leading Hotel Suite and Middle East's Leading Resort awards.JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai – which has only been open for a few months – also earned recognition, as it landed the Middle East's Leading New Hotel gong.The twin-towered resort was recently named as the tallest hotel on earth and the colossal 77-metre building is just 26 metres short of the imposing Empire State Building in New York.Dubai was also named the Middle East's Leading Destination, fending off competition from some excellent tourism hotspots such as Abu Dhabi and Doha.This is the 20th anniversary of the WTAs and organisers are keen to ensure this year's version of the ceremony is extra special.President and founder of the prize-giving Graham Cooke said: “The Middle East was the perfect region to mark the start of the World Travel Awards 2013 Grand Tour, setting the highest possible bar for the rest of the world to raise the standards of excellence in travel and tourism.”The competition is structured in a way that sees all winners of the regional ceremonies battle it out in the grand final towards the end of the year. It will certainly be very interesting to see how Dubai's fine hotels and resorts fare in what is likely to be a star-studded and glamorous affair in Las Vegas in late 2013. Continue reading
