Qatar Airways Continues Middle East Expansion

DOHA, Qatar – The city of Abha is the capital of Asir, a southwestern province in the Kingdom and is gaining popularity in the region as a tourist destination due to attractions such as its mild seasonal weather and fertile mountains.

Qatar Airways announced that it will begin flights to Abha, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, beginning September 2. The non-stop service from Doha will operate four times a week.

Qatar Airways currently operates 82 weekly flights to seven key cities in Saudi Arabia. The airline recently announced an increase in frequency of flights to Gassim with 10 flights a week from 8, beginning July 17. The addition of Abha will increase the number of Qatar Airways’ weekly flights to Saudi Arabia from 84 to 88 non-stop flights.

Qatar Airways has been continuously expanding its services to Saudi Arabia since it began in 1997 with non-stop flights to Jeddah. Since then the airline has added Riyadh, Dammam, Madinah and Gassim, Ta’if and Al Hofuf to its portfolio of destinations.

"We have been steadily growing our presence and services to Saudi Arabia," said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. "As our eighth destination, Abha will bring additional flexibility for passengers connecting from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. From Abha, passengers will be able to travel seamlessly through our Doha hub to popular cities such as London, Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, New York and Washington, and at the same time this will provide passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia the convenience of another gateway within the same country.”

The Doha - Abha route will be operated by an Airbus A320 with an average travel duration time of just over two hours. The aircraft will feature 144 seats in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy. Selected aircraft will feature seatback TV screens, providing passengers with the next generation interactive on board entertainment system, featuring a choice of more than 900 audio and video on-demand options, together with an SMS text messaging service from each seat.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operation, to the point where today it operates a modern fleet of 158 aircraft to 146 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Over the next few months, the network will grow further with new routes to Amsterdam, The Netherlands (June 16, 2015), Zanzibar, Tanzania (July 1, 2015), Sialkot, Pakistan (July 16, 2015), Faisalabad, Pakistan (July 17, 2015), Multan, Pakistan (August 1, 2015), Durban, South Africa (December 17, 2015), Los Angeles, USA (January 1, 2016), Boston, USA (March 16, 2016) and Atlanta, USA (July 1, 2016).

Ritz-Carlton Brings Its Brand Of Timeless Luxury To Jeddah

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, will open its second hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah late summer with The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah. The latest addition to the portfolio will serve as the perfect showcase of the great traditions of Saudi hospitality; an eye-catching landmark situated over eight acres of land on Al Hamra Corniche. The new hotel with its splendid architecture will be a majestic addition to the city's vibrant hospitality scene, with unmatched conference facilities to cater to the local, regional and international markets.
The new hotel will be operated by The Ritz-Carlton for the Ministry of Finance, reinforcing its existing partnership on The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh.

The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah underscores the brand's development ambitions in the region. "The opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah is a much-anticipated milestone for us as it not only introduces our signature standards in this growing market but also emphasizes our commitment to the Kingdom," said Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. "This region is critical towards the achievement of our strategic goal of reaching 100 hotels globally and we are fortunate to have strong partners who share our vision."

With a mix of universally recognized service and state-of-the-art amenities, all tempered with local flavor, the Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah aligns well with Saudi Arabia's burgeoning status as an economic powerhouse attracting visitors from around globe. Featuring 224 guest rooms, including 30 exquisitely laid out royal suites spanning 500 square meters each, the hotel will cater to a diverse range of visitors from short-stay business guests through to large wedding groups. The hotel will also boast four dining outlets, offering visitors and residents alike a taste of Ritz-Carlton's excellent culinary experience.

Reflecting the rising importance of the meeting and incentives sector in the Kingdom, the hotel also boasts a staggering 63,356 square meters of meeting space. The hotel will be equipped to host major conferences and exhibitions with the Grand Auditorium venue, capable of seating 1,500 guests, while the hotel's restaurant and dining outlets can serve over 500 guests during any time throughout the whole day.