Saudi Arabia

The King Abdullah Financial District had been waiting for a signature touch to translate its ambition into a hotel experience. This has now been achieved: W Hotels, a lifestyle brand from the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, is establishing its first Saudi address there, at the crossroads of business flows and new social trends that are redefining the capital. The LW Design firm has…

After a two-year wait, the new Saudi national airline Riyadh Air is finally taking flight. The company's first commercial routes have been launched to London Heathrow, inaugurated on 10 June 2026, followed by Jeddah on 14 June. On 18 June, it was Dubai's turn to benefit from a daily flight from the airline…

The game of communicating vessels. If the Radisson group has lost a property in Dubai – the Radisson Blu Dubai Media City closed at the end of April for renovation before changing hands next year – it has already compensated for this loss with the opening of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Barsha Heights. Located in a district…

Against the backdrop of the American-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran's retaliation against the Gulf States, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice on 28 February and 1 March, advising against travel to all countries. The Quai d'Orsay is also calling on French nationals...

South Africa Mama Shelter Cape Town (later this year) Mama Shelter is continuing its international expansion by taking its offbeat lifestyle spirit to the very south of Africa, to Cape Town. This is a first for the continent, while we await the opening of a hotel in Casablanca. As far as the Mama Shelter Cape Town Hotel and...

After Etihad and at the same time as MEA (Lebanon), Saudia is preparing to receive its first Airbus A321XLR, the long-haul version of the Airbus A321, in 2026. The aircraft can fly non-stop over a distance of around 8,700 km. This step forward will enable the Saudi national carrier to introduce a business class cabin with...

If ever there were proof that diplomatic and economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar are back on track, the joint high-speed rail project between the two countries is it. The agreement, which has just been signed in Riyadh, formalises an initiative by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salmane and...

Barely launched and already over. It took just over a year for the commercial partnership agreement between ITA Airways and Saudia to come to an end. Launched with great fanfare on June 1, 2024, the agreement officially ends on November 15. The commercial partnership included code-share routes. But above all...

VistaJet is strengthening its position in Saudi Arabia by becoming operator on the Kingdom's domestic routes. It is the first foreign airline to operate this type of service. This agreement marks a major step forward, demonstrating VistaJet's commitment to putting its expertise and services at the service of the Kingdom's strategic objectives, in line...

They've been working on it for over two years. The result will soon be visible. A common tourist visa for the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This should be in place before the end of the year. This electronic visa will allow travellers to travel for a period of up to two months.

The conflict in the Middle East, with air strikes on Iran and missile strikes on Israel, is prompting airlines to exercise caution. From Sunday until Tuesday inclusive, Air France has suspended daily services to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. "Due to the current situation, the airline has decided to cancel...

Last year, Saudi Arabia's new national airline Riyadh Air announced its first aircraft order: 39 Boeing 787-9s for its long-haul network, with an option for a further 33. A few days ago, Riyadh Air transformed the trial. The carrier placed an order for 60 Airbus A321neo...

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are preparing to launch a common tourist visa modelled on the existing Schengen visa in the European Union. The idea, first mooted in 2021, has now been approved by six GCC countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates....

The Hilton group's luxury hotel chain Waldorf Astoria is discovering the African continent with the opening of its first hotel in Cairo, in the Heliopolis district. The interiors blend Art Deco with references to the Pharaonic era, and the 252 sophisticated rooms and suites reflect the country's cultural history through locally inspired works of art and graphic...

Saudi Arabia's openness to the world was bound to result in an increased presence of the oil-rich kingdom's airlines at the Paris Air Show. The first to create a buzz was Riyadh Air. Admittedly, Tony Douglas, the CEO of this carrier positioned in the top-of-the-range segment, has ruled out...

A megahub is expected in Riyadh, capable of accommodating 120 million passengers; a futuristic gigaville - NEOM - is being prepared on the shores of the Red Sea, presented as 100% sustainable; urban districts beyond all superlatives; tourism developments galore: Saudi Arabia is teeming with projects to give substance to its...

Its acquisition last year by Kasada, Accor's preferred partner for its expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, was the first step in this direction. The Cape Grace, one of Cape Town's leading hotels, will become a fully-fledged Fairmont property by the end of the year. "We couldn't think of a more iconic hotel than...

Saudi Arabia is now clearly demonstrating its ambition to be the emerging and dominant destination in the Gulf over the next few years. Major tourism infrastructure projects have been announced one after the other, and now it's the turn of air transport. Last October, the government announced that it was working on the launch of a new national airline. It is already starting to take off.

Saudia is launching a visa service integrated into its airline ticket called "Your Ticket Your Visa". This service, the first of its kind, offers customers even easier access to the Kingdom thanks to a digital integration system that links transit visas to airline tickets. The "Your Ticket Your Visa" service is being introduced in...

Saudi Arabia's Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has just announced the master plan for King Salman International Airport, Saudi Arabia's future air hub. The plan will strengthen Riyadh's position as a global logistics centre, boosting transport, trade and tourism, and should serve as a bridge between the East and the West...