Perfume sales reached over Dhs276 million (US$75.7 million), accounting for 14% of total revenue in the first quarter of 2018.
Dubai Duty Free announced first quarter sales of Dhs1.91 billion (US$523.46 million) representing an 11% over the same period last year and signaling a positive start to 2018 on the back of record sales of Dhs7.05 billion (US$1.93 billion) in 2017.
Sales for March reached a new monthly record of Dhs660.36 million (US$180.92 million), which represents a 10% increase over March 2017. So far this year, monthly sales are in excess of Dhs600 million (US$164.38 million), with an average daily sale of Dhs21.23 million (US$5.82 million).
Commenting on the positive sales performance, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free said: “We are very pleased with the first quarter of the year sales and are focused on reaching our targets for the year. Sales are ahead of passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport and we are seeing double digit growth across a wide number of categories.”
Sales across all three Terminals at Dubai International Airport showed an upward trend, including a 14% increase in Terminal 2 and a 13% increase in sales in Terminal 3.
Liquor, Perfumes and Tobacco held the top three spots category-wise in the first quarter of the year. Perfume sales reached over Dhs276 million (US$75.7 million), accounting for 14% of total revenue. Sales of Tobacco was up by 37% to Dhs220 million (US$60.33 million) while Cosmetics was up by 25% to Dhs183 million (US$50.04 million) accounting for 10% of total sales.
Other categories showing robust growth included Electronics, up 34% to over Dhs169 million (US$46.41 million) while Watches rose by 16% to Dhs127 million (US$34.80 million).
“There are a number of factors behind the sales growth, including the refurbishment of Concourse C, which will be fully completed shortly and other ongoing projects,” said Mr. McLoughlin.
“While the introduction of VAT and Excise duty in our Arrivals Duty Free has resulted in a drop in revenue in these areas, the fact that VAT is not applicable for the majority of sales in Departures has contributed to an increase in certain categories for departing and transit passengers.”
Looking ahead, Dubai Duty Free will continue to enhance its retail operation in 2018 including the expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building at Al Maktoum International, a Fashion revamp in Terminal 3-Concourse B and refurbishment of Terminal 1 – Concourse C.
In the meantime, the operation is continuing with its busy events and promotional calendar, which includes the Dubai Duty Free Stakes taking place at the Newbury Racecourse in the UK on 20 and 21 April, followed by the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival (28th -30th June) and Dubai Duty Free Irish Open (5th-8th July) to be held in Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal. LAURENT A. VOIVENEL SPEAKS ON BUSINESS BEYOND 2020 AT 10TH ANNUAL GM CONFERENCE BY HOZPITALITY GROUP
DUBAI – Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, participated today in a panel discussion on Business Beyond 2020 at the 10th Annual GM Conference by Hozpitality Group.
Addressing the gathering, Laurent stressed, “Dubai is among the top four most visited cities in the world and was recently named the ‘Rising Giant’ in the global hospitality industry. The city is rapidly emerging as a world-class leisure and entertainment destination. Expo 2020 has given a great boost for development of tourism infrastructure and attractions in the emirate which willserve as a new foundation for growth of tourism.”
According to industry experts, the legacy of Expo 2020 will expand well beyond the event. Laurent agreed and added, “The Expo is just one stop along the way. The huge investment in airports and hotels, broadening portfolio of attractions and facilities, diversification of source markets and collaboration between various business sectors are all accelerating the pace of Dubai’s growth into the future.
With this growth the competitive landscape for the hotel industry is also changing. Laurent stated, “We are in an era of shared economy. Rate pressures owing to supply and demand chain dynamics, expanding middle class in key source markets, growth of low-cost carriers, changing requirements of travellers based on changing demographics, continued challenges from OTAs, emergence of new forms of competition such as Airbnb, rapid digitalization and advancing technology are all pushing our industry towards a new ecosystem defined by collaboration, quality and consumer value.”
Laurent continued, “This change requires a new strategic approach from hoteliers – one that enables hotels to understand market trends and build the internal capabilities needed to succeed in a new environment. The more we tailor our products to offer local experiences and value for money the better conversion we can expect. There is need to build on experiential travel and hospitality.”
According to World Travel and Tourism Council statistics, Dubai’s hospitality sector is forecast to experience strong, sustained growth over the coming years, with occupied room nights set to reach 35.5 million annually in 2019, representing a robust 10.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next 20 months.
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Swiss-Belhotel International will be present at Arabian Travel Market from 22 to 25 April on stand ‘HC1130’ in Sheikh Saeed Hall in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
For media contact: Hina Bakht Managing Director EVOPS Marketing & PR Mob: 00971 50 6975146 Tel: 00971 4 566 7355 Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com www.evops-pr.com
About Swiss-Belhotel International Swiss-Belhotel International currently manages a portfolio of more than 145* hotels, resorts and projects located in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy and Tanzania. Awarded Indonesia’s Leading Global Hotel Chain for six consecutive years, Swiss-Belhotel International is one of the world’s fastest-growing international hotel and hospitality management groups. The Group provides comprehensive and highly professional development and management services in all aspects of hotel, resort and serviced residences. Offices are located in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. www.swiss-behotel.com *Numbers may fluctuate
In a first: Saudi Arabia hosts Arab Fashion Week
RIYADH: Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli are in Saudi Arabia — headlining the kingdom’s first ever Arab Fashion Week, an event that opened Tuesday to equal parts excitement and controversy.
Two weeks later than initially planned, the Saudi Arabian edition of Arab Fashion Week joins designers from Europe and the Arab world over the course of four days — including the kingdom’s own Arwa Banawi, whose The Suitable Woman line is adored by fashionistas across the region, and Mashael Alrajhi, the eponymous gender-inclusive label of a rarely-seen Saudi sheikha.
Princess Noura Bint Faisal Al-Saud, honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh, joined designers, influencers, and industry insiders from Ukraine to Lebanon for the inaugural season of fashion week at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the hotel now infamous as the holding place of hundreds of royals and businessmen arrested in a state-sponsored corruption crackdown.
“Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia,” Princess Noura told AFP at the event.
“It has not been something that wasn’t on the table or in the picture,” she added. “Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry.”
Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and Milan, Arab Fashion Week offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections. Until this week, it had been hosted exclusively by Gulf fashion capital Dubai.
But unlike Dubai, the Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only.
The ultraconservative kingdom has witnessed rapid policy change since the June appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king and heir to his throne.
As of this summer, women will be allowed to drive in the kingdom.
The crown prince has also hinted that the abaya, the long loose robe worn by women from the neck down, may not be compulsory.
“We are so excited today to be announcing a history and new era for the kingdom, and for the entire Arab world, which is Arab Fashion Week,” said Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council.
A second edition of Saudi Arab Fashion Week is already scheduled for October.
Dubai will continue to host its own parallel Arab Fashion Week, with the sixth edition slotted for May 9-12.
Foreign and Saudi women attend the opening ceremony of Arab Fashion Week, on April 10, 2018, at Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh. / AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE
Women attend the opening ceremony of Arab Fashion Week, on April 10, 2018, at Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh. / AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE
Women attend the opening ceremony of Arab Fashion Week, on April 10, 2018, at Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh. / AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE
A labourer prepares signs ahead of the opening ceremony of the Arab Fashion Week, on April 10, 2018, at Ritz Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh. / AFP PHOTO / FAYEZ NURELDINE
Data Abuse Bounty: Facebook Now Rewards for Reports of Data Abuse
Today, Facebook is launching the Data Abuse Bounty to reward people who report any misuse of data by app developers.
We committed to launching this program a few weeks ago as part of our efforts to more quickly uncover potential abuse of people’s information. The Data Abuse Bounty, inspired by the existing bug bounty program that we use to uncover and address security issues, will help us identify violations of our policies.
This program will reward people with first-hand knowledge and proof of cases where a Facebook platform app collects and transfers people’s data to another party to be sold, stolen or used for scams or political influence. Just like the bug bounty program, we will reward based on the impact of each report. While there is no maximum, high impact bug reports have garnered as much as $40,000 for people who bring them to our attention.
We’ll review all legitimate reports and respond as quickly as possible when we identify a credible threat to people’s information. If we confirm data abuse, we will shut down the offending app and take legal action against the company selling or buying the data, if necessary. We’ll pay the person who reported the issue, and we’ll also alert those we believe to be affected.
This program is the first of its kind so it will change as we learn and get your feedback. For more information, please visit: facebook.com/data-abuse
Emirates sets new record with over 1 million Wi-Fi connections on board in March
Emirates has set a new record with over 1 million Wi-Fi connections made on board its flights in March alone. During the month, 1,037,016 Emirates customers connected to the internet during their flight.
The connections were mainly made over mobile devices with over 94% of users connecting with a smartphone –twice as many connections were made on an iOS mobile phone as compared to an Android mobile, and about 2% with a tablet. The remaining connections were made with laptops and other devices. Wi-Fi connectivity is available on over 98% of the Emirates fleet, including all A380s, 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs. Customers in all cabin classes receive 20MB of free Wi-Fi data. Emirates Skywards members enjoy special benefits depending on their membership tier and class of travel, including free Wi-Fi when travelling in First Class or Business Class. Over 94% of passengers connecting to Wi-Fi on board Emirates in March took advantage of the complimentary offer and logged on free of charge. The highest data usage from a single passenger was made by an Emirates Skywards member who stayed connected throughout their flight from Dubai to Johannesburg, consuming 4.9 GB of complimentary data. Emirates continually invests in improving bandwidth on board by upgrading the connectivity solution on the fleet. Staying connected has become a mainstay and an expectation on Emirates flights and the demand for Wi-Fi on board has been steadily increasing each month. The route with the most Wi-Fi connections in March was EK215 from Dubai to Los Angeles with over 6,000 customers connecting in flight. Emirates has been at the forefront of innovation with connectivity and inflight entertainment on board. It was the first airline to allow mobile phone use inflight in 2008, and the first to install TV screens in every seat on every aircraft in its fleet in 1992. Today, the airline provides one of the most comprehensive and state-of-the-art entertainment and connectivity services in the skies. ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, now offers over 3,500 channels of entertainment, including over 700 movies from around the world. This unmatched variety of content will continue to grow, offering Emirates customers even more choice.About Emirates
Our Media centre contains all of our business updates, including the latest press releases and articles and our contact details.
The Emirates story started in 1985 when we launched operations with just two aircraft. Today, we fly the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering our customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies.
We inspire travellers around the world with our growing network of destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine and world-class service. Find out more.
International Expansion Continues with Six Flags-Branded Park in Saudi Arabia
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world’s largest regional theme park company, and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, today announced plans to develop a Six Flags-branded theme park in the city of Riyadh. Six Flags has entered into an arrangement with the PIF to develop, design and license the Six Flags brand for Qiddiya—Saudi Arabia’s first entertainment, sports and cultural destination—which is expected to open in 2022.
Located 40km from downtown Riyadh, Qiddiya will provide an unprecedented leisure option for the seven million plus residents of the Saudi capital.
The Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said, “The entertainment sector has an important role to play in the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s economy. The Six Flags-branded theme park in Riyadh and other similar developments will create new employment opportunities and harness the talent, energy and imagination of Saudi youth. Our investment in this sector is in line with our mission and delivers on a key element of Vision 2030.”
Michael Reininger, Chief Executive of Qiddiya, commented, “Our goal is to create an exciting one-of-a-kind destination that will draw visitors from throughout Saudi Arabia to experience record-breaking roller coasters, innovative rides and attractions, as well as the sporting and cultural facilities that Qiddiya will offer. By partnering with a global leader, we know that we are going to deliver something exceptional.”
Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.4 billion in revenue and 20 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 57 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling waterparks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com.
Follow us on Twitter @SixFlags
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/sixflags
About the Public Investment Fund:
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) seeks to become one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world, enabling the creation of new sectors and opportunities that will shape the future global economy, while driving the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia.
To achieve this, the PIF is building a world-class, diversified portfolio through investments in attractive, long-term opportunities across sectors and asset classes at both the domestic and international level. Working alongside global strategic partners and renowned investment managers, the PIF acts as the Kingdom’s main investment arm to deliver a strategy focused on achieving attractive financial returns and long-term value for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in line with Vision 2030.
About Qiddiya
The vision of Qiddiya is to be the iconic entertainment destination of the Kingdom, the home of activity, discovery and engagement. Backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Qiddiya will be built 40km from downtown Riyadh. Visitors will have access to ground breaking recreational and educational facilities across six innovatively designed clusters: Theme Parks; Wheels and Wings; Scenic and Animal Encounters; Water and Snow; Sports; Events, Culture and Education. Groundbreaking will be in 2018, and the first phase of the development will be launched in 2022.
Twitter: @Qiddiya
Contacts
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Media Relations: Sandra Daniels, 972-595-5178 sdaniels@sftp.com or Investor Relations: Stephen Purtell, 972-595-5180 spurtell@sftp.comSpace Hotels’ affiliates: a fine example of the importance of web reputation
According to an analysis carried out by Travel Appeal, the web reputation of the group’s hotels is clearly superior to other Italian hotels.
With regards to online reputation, we are all well aware of the important influence it has on the choices we make every day. When we are looking for a particular restaurant, store or supermarket, the first thing we do is a web search to see what users have said about it. How can a business become aware of its own web reputation? Space Hotels, the Italian group with over forty years’ experience in the hospitality sector, has been keeping pace with change and has built advantageous working relationships to monitor and respond to the evolving needs of its clientele. Thanks to a recent project with Travel Appeal, Space Hotels has been able to confirm the satisfaction of its clients via the web.
Through an analysis of over 60,000 comments on the web and over 270,000 reviews from September 2016 to October 2017, Travel Appeal identified the level of satisfaction of guests who stayed at Space Hotels’ affiliates and then extrapolated data related to client satisfaction, which were very positive. In fact, 88% of Space Hotels’ affiliates showed a positive sentiment with respect to the 83.6% seen for Italian hotels in general. This result comes from an analysis that looked at hospitality in general, hotel location, staff helpfulness, guest rooms, cleanliness, meals and services offered, as well as access to and cost of Wi-Fi. Some of the specific results were: hotel location 94.5% vs 89.1% for Italian hotels in general; staff helpfulness 95.5% vs 90.7%; cleanliness 93.8% vs 88.3%. These excellent levels of guest satisfaction are the result of Space Hotels’ longstanding commitment to its clientele. The analysis method. The heart of Travel Appeal is an artificial intelligence system that collects, evaluates and analyses thousands of pieces of online information precisely and completely in real time. It then transforms the results into intelligent and concrete suggestions and actions to be taken immediately in order to improve one’s reputation. Travel Appeal uses a semantic engine specialised for the hospitality sector (accommodation, meals, attractions, culture, transport, etc.) that can “read” individual comments, find specific words and interpret the opinion given. Every comment contributes to the overall percentage of the sentiment; i.e., the level of positive perception of a hotel. Travel Appeal Travel Appeal is a B2B startup owned by H-FARM that collects and analyses online data regarding the travel sector in real time. It uses an artificial intelligence system that interprets and transforms data into practical advice that tour operators can use to improve their positioning and digital reputation, thus having a positive impact on their revenue and the management of their priorities and operations. Travel Appeal offers both software to individual businesses (hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, restaurants, museums, etc.) and specific analysis solutions to groups, chains, consortia and local authorities (DMO, DMC, tourist bodies, etc.). Travel Appeal has recently created a new “virtual assistant” based on its chatbot that allows hospitality operators to simplify and improve interaction with their clients and collect further data on their behaviour in order to optimise marketing. Travel Appeal was founded by Mirko Lalli in January 2014 and now has a staff of 30 and two offices, one at the H-FARM Campus in Treviso and one in Florence. About Space Hotels Space Hotels, a hospitality group founded in 1974, has a unique collection of over 60 three to five star hotels in 35 business and leisure destinations throughout Italy. The Space Hotels offer includes: business or leisure stays; organisation of meetings and conferences; fine cuisine by some of the best Italian chefs; relaxation, massages and saunas in elegant spas and wellness centres. Room rates always include complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast and a bottle of water. Reservations can be made through a toll-free number 800.813.013, the GDS (code SX) or the website www.spacehotels.it.Hotels to spend AED2.45 million by 2022 to broaden bandwidth and retain techy traveller loyalty
- ravel tech tops the bill at Arabian Travel Market this year, following 12% annual growth
- Average 300-room hotel in Dubai faces AED2.45 million bill to upgrade Internet connectivity over coming five years
Saudi Aramco and Indian consortium “RRPCL” sign MoU to develop Ratnagiri mega refinery and petrochemicals complex on India’s west coast
President & CEO Amin H. Nasser: “Investing in India is a key part of Saudi Aramco’s global downstream strategy, and another milestone in our growing relationship with India.”
Saudi Aramco signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with “Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.” (RRPCL), a consortium of Indian oil companies which includes The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCl), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), to jointly develop and build an integrated mega refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri, in the state of Maharashtra. Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the mega refinery.
The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience, and expertise of these multiple oil companies with an established commercial presence around the world.
A pre-feasibility study for the refinery has been completed and the parties are now finalizing the project’s overall configuration. Following the signing of the MOU, the parties will extend their collaboration to discuss the formation of a joint venture that would provide for joint ownership, control, and management of the project.
The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day. It will produce a range of refined petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, meeting BS-VI fuel efficiency norms. The refinery will also provide feedstock for the integrated petrochemical complex, which will be capable of producing approximately 18 million tons per annum of petrochemical production.
In addition to the refinery, cracker and downstream petrochemical facilities, the project will include associated facilities such as a logistics, crude oil and product storage terminals, raw water supply, as well as centralized and shared utilities.
Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) will rank among the largest world refining and petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India’s fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand. The project cost is estimated at around $44 billion.
“Investing in India is a key part of our company’s global downstream strategy, and another milestone in our growing relationship with India,” said Saudi Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser, who also noted the opening in 2017 of Aramco Asia’s New Delhi office with a mandate to expand Saudi Aramco’s international portfolio in this key economic growth region.
“The signing marks a significant development in India’s oil and gas sector, enabling a strategic joint venture and investment partnership that will serve India’s fast-growing demand for transportation fuels and chemical products. Participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond our crude oil supplier role to a fully integrated position that may help usher in other areas of collaboration, such as refining, marketing, and petrochemicals for India’s future energy demands,” said Nasser.
T-Mobile to Offer iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition
T-Mobile will offer iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition, the new generation of iPhone in a stunning red finish. Customers will be able to pre-order starting Wednesday at www.t-mobile.com, with the devices launching at T-Mobile stores Friday, April 13.
For more information on iPhone at T-Mobile, visit www.t-mobile.com/apple.
Media Contacts
T-Mobile US Media Relations
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com