Tag Archives: dubai
Qatar Airways pitches for Emirates alliance
Qatar Airways pitches for Emirates alliance Suresh Pattali / 3 May 2013 Close on the heels of a global partnership between iconic Emirates and Qantas, Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker has called for commercial cooperation with Dubai’s flag carrier. The outspoken CEO said the state-owned national carrier of Qatar already has some level of cooperation with Emirates, but a commercial-level alliance would unleash huge benefits for the region and its aviation giants. “At the moment, we have human resources cooperation. We have technical cooperation. We also have training cooperation with Emirates,” Al Baker told Khaleej Times on board a 787 Dreamliner fitted with a redesigned lithium-ion battery system that has layers of safeguards to prevent overheating. It was Qatar Airways’ first 787 commercial service after the US Federal Aviation Administration and regulators in other nations grounded the entire Dreamliner fleet, following a battery fire in January. “We have such a huge potential, so it’s apparent that Qatar Airways and Emirates should get together and work even more closely on the commercial side,” Al Baker said. Asked if it’s a question of who makes the first move to send a feeler, he said that between two friends, the question of who will make the first move is not relevant. “There is always a move. We are very close to Emirates and the two carriers have been in cooperation for a long time.” He said the closeness between Emirates and Qatar Airways would make a very strong alliance. “Just a year ago, did you even imagine that Emirates and Qantas will get together? Things in aviation move very fast. So you never know. I have always thought that integration of Emirates and Qatar Airways will benefit this region and make the two airlines even stronger than they are today.” Asked why he preferred Emirates over other airlines, Al Baker said the world’s largest airline by international traffic, was a very strongly established airline and its vast global network could hugely complement Qatar Airways. Emirates Group posted Dh2.1 billion net profit for the first six months of its current fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, up 68 per cent from Dh1.3 billion on the previous year. Asked if he would call it a dream alliance for Qatar Airways, Al Baker said alliances between friends need not be publicised in terms of adjectives. Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, said it was no surprise Qatar Airways wants links with Emirates. “Both have deals with Qantas and they both are the fastest growing Arabian airlines. And it’s clear from the UAE’s investment in Dubai Airport and DWC that any pact between these two carriers would result in an amazing global pairing for customers,” he said. “Whether a deal will happen is not yet clear, but you would certainly see them cooperate closer in the future,” Ahmad added. Qatar Airways CEO Al Baker conceded that the grounding of the 787 fleet due to the battery snag had impacted his carrier’s ambitious expansion plans severely. “We have now clawed back new destinations we were scheduled to launch. We were planning 15 new routes, but now I have to settle for 10. I am very unhappy,” he said. “And because we are not launching new destinations, it is impacting our bottom line,” he said, adding that the Dreamliner debacle had cost the airline over $200 million till now. suresh@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
UAE and Japan sign civil nuclear agreement
UAE and Japan sign civil nuclear agreement Haseeb Haider / 3 May 2013 Japan has signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the UAE, with Tokyo pledging to contribute to the country’s energy supplies. The agreement, which will allow transfer of technology and expertise to the UAE, was signed in the presence of visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at a ceremony in Zabeel Palace in Dubai on Thursday. Courtesy: Youtube.com/Sheikhmohammed.ae When asked whether this cooperation agreement would allow for the sale of nuclear fuel, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Yutaka Yokoi did not give more information. However, he said his country “will not provide the main reactor”. The diplomat told reporters that Tokyo would provide “a small part of the technology for the facility”, which is being built by a South Korean consortium. Japan has created the necessary legal framework for any future project, which also covers the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and a commitment to non-proliferation. “Japan can contribute to the UAE energy supplies by means of nuclear energy conservation and renewable energy,” the Japanese prime minister told the UAE-Japanese Business Council. “Japan can make a new contribution to provide new energy to the UAE, including saving energy, renewable energy or atomic energy,” he said. The Japanese premier, who first visited six years ago, arrived in the capital on Wednesday evening from Riyadh. He called on General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to review the political and economic cooperation between Japan and Abu Dhabi. The Japanese leader suggested UAE leadership make the bilateral relationship more comprehensive to reflect the strong economic cooperation that exists between the two nations. UAE-Japan bilateral relations, which are more energy-centric, would also expand into political and security areas, Yokoi told reporters. Asked to explain the security cooperation, another Japanese official present said: “We’ve just began to understand each other’s situation first. It may lead us to the possibility to start a more comprehensive cooperation and exchange of information in the field of security.” Japan was working on “maritime awareness”, including fighting piracy, he said. Japan wants a robust relationship with the GCC countries as it imports all of its fuel oil supplies from the region. The visiting prime minister, who is heading a 100-man business delegation comprising top business leaders, has brought with him some expensive Wagyu beef from the Mishima region and the famous Tuna for the UAE leadership. Japan hopes to enter the UAE’s beef market. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dubai hotels report strong occupancy figures for March
The number of people taking a holiday in Dubai rose sharply in March, as hoteliers reported very strong occupancy rates.According to the latest HotStats survey of full service four and five-star hotels by TRI Hospitality Consulting, 89.8 per cent of rooms were full during the month, which was up by 2.3 per cent on March 2012.Revenues per available room rose by 11.8 per cent, while the average room rate increased by nine per cent year-on-year.This goes to show just how lucrative Dubai's hospitality sector is at the moment and explains why so many investors are pouring money into the emirate.”2012/13 has been one of the strongest tourist seasons in Dubai's history,” commented Peter Goddard, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting in Dubai.”Tourism arrivals from all regions have shown significant growth as the city's leaders have ensured that both capacity and connectivity matched the growing tourism demand and visitor requirements.”He pointed towards the fact Dubai has the second busiest airport on the planet, which is now a “major international transit hub”. Mr Goddard also stated that hotels had benefited from the UAE's spring school holidays in March.This is certainly not the first study to highlight the strength of the Gulf's hospitality sector. Indeed, figures recently compiled by HotelsCombined showed that Middle East and North African (MENA) resorts have increased their room rates by eight per cent in the past year, which is double the global average. This statistic is even more impressive when you consider the well documented troubles that have been reported in certain MENA countries like Syria, which will have had an effect on the final overall figures.PR and community manager at the company Kristen McKenzie said the addition of world-class attractions, such as the biggest ferris wheel on the planet, will continue to set Dubai aside from other destinations.With 66 million people expected to fly into Dubai International Airport in 2013, it is hardly surprising that so many renowned global hotel chains are opening new resorts in the city, especially in more upmarket and popular parts of town. Continue reading
