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Le Meridien in Fujairah expects successful 2013 (Abdul Basit) / 13 May 2013 Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah expects 2013 will be another successful year with high occupancy rate and a double-digit growth over last year, according to general manager Patrick Antaki. The property is located on a 230 metres stretch of a pristine beach and fronted by the Indian Ocean with the breath-taking Hajar Mountains forming the backdrop. “The first quarter was ahead of last year. If rest of the year is going to be like Q1then it’s going to be a great year,” Antaki told Khaleej Times in an interview. Occupancy is almost full, he said, adding: “We closed March with around 90 per cent [occupancy]. We will probably look at 10 to 12 per cent better 2013 than last year.” Tourists’ arrival in Fujairah is increasing significantly every year. In 2012, the emirate hosted 1.2 million tourists, compared to 750,000 in 2011. At the moment, Fujairah has 2,800 hotel rooms, he said, adding that extra 1,000 rooms are going to open in the next 12 months. He mentioned that there is a lot to see in Fujairah as the emirate is home to most of the country’s heritage sites. In addition to that the hotel provides a lot of sea-related activities every day. “We also want to diversify the guests experience and that’s the reason the hotel is starting to set up excursion with helidubai and also planning seaplane facility from Dubai to Fujairah,” he explained. In December last year, the hotel celebrated its 10th anniversary and this year the hotel will undergo with the first phase of refurbishment. “We will spend Dh50 million on refurbishment, which will start from next month. We will do 100 rooms this year and remaining in next summer.” The hotel is also pending money to provide seamless connectivity of tablets and smartphones to TVs, so the guest can see photos and watch movies from their own devices, he informed. Antaki, who is also general manager of Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, said it’s a luxury property and despite high rates it’s doing very well. DWC plans construction of new warehouses (Staff Report) / 19 May 2013 Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis, has announced new developments at DWC’s Logistics District, including the start of construction on the fourth complex of agent warehouses. Covering a total area of almost 8,700 square metres (sqm), with 5,443sqm for warehouses and 1,373sqm for office area, the new agent warehouses will be open for leasing in the first quarter of 2014. The development will include amenities catering to new and existing customers from different industries that want to expand their business activities in DWC. DWC further announced that it is now developing a new logistics park within the Logistics District, comprising of warehouses, offices and amenities. The logistics park will be completed in the first quarter of 2015, offering a total built-up area of 34,000sqm while facilities will have a minimum area of 1,000sqm. To improve the efficiency of the free zone operations, DWC also announced that it will be developing a fully dedicated customer inspection yard at gate 4, in conjunction with Dubai Customs. The new facility, which will include truck scanning machines, will enhance operations in the current customs inspection facility and is designed for both normal and temperature-controlled cargo. Dubai businesses upbeat (Staff Report) / 19 May 2013 A majority of businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in Dubai expects higher growth in revenues and profits for the second quarter of the year, a latest survey revealed on Saturday. The quarterly business confidence survey, conducted by the Department of Economic Development (DED), revealed robust expectations by Dubai business community. While optimism runs across the whole economy, it is particularly high among SMEs and exporting firms as reflected in the composite Business Confidence Index (BCI), which stood at 113 points during March quarter of 2013. The survey showed that 86 per cent of the businesses are upbeat on sales and profits and 98 per cent plan either to increase (23 per cent) or maintain (75) their employment count during the next quarter. Overall business expectations are on an upward trend with 91 per cent of firms reporting either improvement or stability in business conditions in second quarter of 2013. “Economic activity in Dubai is on a firmer ground, especially with key sectors such as tourism, logistics and aviation flourishing and real estate on a recovery path. The services and retail sectors are also signalling strong growth, which reaffirms Dubai’s reputation as a resilient and vibrant economy,” DED director-general Sami Al Qamzi commented on the survey. During the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market (ATM), this scribe talked to several Dubai-based hospitality and aviation related companies. All expressed their confidence in Dubai and bullishness for the whole year of 2013. Almost all top executives of the companies, Khaleej Times had a chance to talk, mentioned that they expected higher revenues and will continue to expand during the year. Flydubai chief executive officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said the airline will continue to expand and expect higher revenues this year. “We have announced to open more than 10 new routes during the year and that will attract more revenues compared to last year,” Al Ghaith said. The DED’s latest survey reveals robust expectations, with 55 per cent of businesses expecting higher sales revenues and another 30 per cent stable sales in second quarter. The revenue growth will continue to be driven by rising real business activity, as 80 per cent of respondents expect prices to remain largely stable. With respect to sales volumes, 54 per cent forecast an increase during Q2 and as a result, 49 per cent of the firms are also planning to increase their purchase orders to ensure adequate stocks to meet the expected demand. In terms of sectors, manufacturing businesses are most optimistic about sales and profits whereas service firms are most upbeat about new hires. Within the trading sector, auto trading, computers, food and textile firms are relatively more optimistic. Al Gharbia taps into ?non-oil sector for growth (Staff Report) / 19 May 2013 The Western Region Development Council (WRDC), the central coordinating body leading development and promoting opportunity in Al Gharbia, the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, has defined a number of key non-oil sectors to drive economic growth and development in the region. The step is in line with the council’s efforts in promoting economic diversification due to Al Gharbia’s current reliance on the oil and gas sector that includes a number of oil related projects with the most prominent being UAE’s peaceful civil nuclear energy program in Barakah. Today, the development council strives to support and help develop different sectors such as the tourism sector whereby, tourism is projected to account for 5.2 per cent of Al Gharbia’s gross domestic product, or GDP, compared to only 1.3 per cent in 2010. It is worth mentioning that nuclear power reactors in Barakah are aimed at generating 25 per cent of power needs from nuclear energy by 2020 for the Emirate. This is in addition to producing seven per cent of Al Gharbia’s electricity needs from renewable sources (solar and wind) by 2020. Residential projects are seen as a priority area for investment in Al Gharbia due to the noticeable rise in demand for residential units that has reached 15,000 units. Moreover, it is anticipated that the demand for commercial and retail spaces will also be on the rise and is estimated to reach 140,000 square metres. Meanwhile, the hospitality and leisure sector is considered to be a potential sector for investment as well, required to cater to the demand for 680 hotel rooms and serviced apartments. SKAI Holdings plans $1b hotel in Palm Jumeirah Staff Report / 16 May 2013 SKAI Holdings, the Dubai-based real estate investment firm, on Wednesday announced its plans for a new $1 billion hotel and furnished residences project on the Palm Jumeirah that will be completed in the next three years. The development will be operated by Viceroy Hotel and Resorts, marking the company’s first venture into Dubai and its second in the UAE alongside sister property Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi. Located on ultimate beachfront property in one of the world’s most desirable destinations, the Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah is owned by SKAI Holdings. Construction has begun, with completion and grand opening slated for the last quarter of 2016. Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah will offer its guests 481 large rooms and suites, and 221 signature Viceroy Residences all with breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea made possible by innovative architecture and design. The property’s attractive location is situated at the base trunk of The Palm Jumeirah archipelago, making it easily accessible from the mainland of Dubai. The location is ideal being only 12 minutes from Downtown Dubai — a key business and tourist destination in the heart of the city — and five minutes from Mall of the Emirates, another key tourist destination in Dubai. It is also five minutes away from other business and tourist attractions such as the Dubai Marina and Dubai Media City. Kabir Mulchandani, chief executive officer, SKAI Holdings, said: “Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah will offer the best of all worlds. It is a luxury urban beach resort in the heart of Dubai. It is a family retreat as well as an exciting entertainment destination and its exceptional banqueting and business facilities make it ideal for corporate use. The property will be everything for everyone.” Nadia Zaal, chief executive officer of Zaya Dubai, and driving force behind Al Barari and luxury development Nurai Island, commented on her company’s reputation for luxury, quality and style, “people want it all and with this project, we intend to deliver. With our previous projects we developed a reputation for unsurpassed quality and Viceroy will truly redefine the idea of an urban destination. It will combine a refined and luxurious environment, with all of the amenities that are vital to a property of this type.” Emirates and JetBlue widen codesharing Issac John / 16 May 2013 Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, and JetBlue Airways, New York’s hometown airline, announced on Wednesday a move to expand their current partnership to include bilateral code-sharing. The expansion is pending regulatory approval and subject to receipt of foreign government operating authority, both carriers announced. Emirates’ move to boost ties with JetBlue was close on the heels of a decision by the New Zealand Minister for Transport to approve the Dubai-based carrier’s partnership with Qantas. Under the new agreement with JetBlue, the US carrier would place its “B6” airline code on all flights currently operated by Emirates between the US and Dubai International Airport, as well as between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Milan. The expansion move is the latest step in a three-year partnership between JetBlue and Emirates. Emirates started placing its code on select JetBlue-operated flights in April 2012, expanding an interline agreement that dates back to 2010. Current codeshare routes offered by Emirates on JetBlue-operated flights cover 28 destinations including Boston, Chicago, Orlando and Puerto Rico. Since March this year, Emirates also began placing its code on additional JetBlue routes, including Bridgetown, Barbados, Cancun, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica and Santo Domingo, Santiago and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. “Through the existing agreement, customers enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and JetBlue-operated flights, plus other benefits including one-stop check-in and baggage transfer,” the airlines said in a statement. Members of Skywards, the Emirates reward programme, can earn miles on JetBlue-operated flights and also redeem miles for flights to any of JetBlue’s 77 destinations throughout the Americas. Similarly, members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty programme can earn points for Emirates-operated flights worldwide. “As Emirates continues to expand its presence in the US market, our partnership offering with JetBlue provides customers with convenient connections from its extensive network to our seven US gateways, including our twice daily A380 service non-stop from JFK to Dubai,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice-president of passenger sales worldwide. Offering a boost to tourism and more convenience for inbound travellers, the codeshare also gives Emirates’ customers a new choice of destinations with the benefit of a single combined ticket, according to Antinori. “Putting our code on another airline is a significant milestone for JetBlue; we’re proud to do it with Emirates, a fantastic partner for JetBlue over the past years,” said Robin Hayes, JetBlue’s chief commercial officer. Passengers travelling in first class and business class on Emirates-operated flights, as well as Skywards Platinum and Gold members, have access to the Emirates Lounge at JFK. Premium passengers, including Gold and Platinum Skywards members, will also have access to lounges at the other Emirates gateways, including the dedicated Emirates’ lounge in San Francisco. Welcoming the decision by New Zealand to approve Emirate-Qantas tie-up, the two allies said their partnership would provide New Zealand customers with stronger links to Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the UK, as well as frequent flyer benefits and world-class travel experiences. Qantas and Emirates applied for authorisation of the partnership in September 2012 under the Civil Aviation Act. President of Emirates Tim Clark, said the game-changing partnership would bring together two of the world’s best airlines and offers some of the highest quality travel experiences.