Tag Archives: exclusive-dubai
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
Dubai government keen to promote solar power
The Dubai government is pondering a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging property owners to install solar panels.Electricity consumption generally skyrockets at this time of year across the city, as residents and holidaymakers ramp up their air conditioning.Like many countries around the world, the UAE is desperate to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and the authorities think solar power holds the key to slashing the nation's carbon emissions.The Dubai government unveiled plans for a huge solar park last year, but it also wants to see more small-scale panel installations.With so many towering skyscrapers throughout the emirate, it makes sense to have more photovoltaic panels dotted around the place.According to Ivano Iannelli, the chief executive of the government-owned advisory company Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, new legislation could soon be introduced that incentivises grid-connected solar power, the National reports.”In the next 12 months, we will see a constant increase of solar infrastructure. Not only standalone facilities such as solar pumps, but to actually power our villas, our parks, our residential communities,” he told the news provider.A number of schemes, such as feed-in tariffs, are being considered by the government and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is likely to play a huge part in the city's drive to become more eco-friendly.It is hoped that by building a reputation for being green, Dubai will attract plenty of investment from other parts of the world.Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities on earth and it is also home to some of the biggest and most power-thirsty structures around.The city has taken part in a number of international events aimed at raising awareness of green energy and power-saving methods, including Earth Hour, which took place at the end of March.This is a scheme that was first launched in 2007 and encourages people all over the world to switch off their lights and any unnecessary appliances for an hour at a specific time on a set day.In doing so, Dubai alone managed to cut its carbon emissions by an incredible 120 tonnes. Continue reading
