Business Blog

The Saudi and Bahrain authorities are holding talks to have one checkpoint each on either side of the King Fahd Causeway to reduce time taken for travel procedures by 50 percent, according to the Passport Department.

Saudi nationals wishing to apply for a tourist visa to Australia will now be able to receive it within 48 hours, Australian Minister of Trade and Investment Andrew Robb said Monday.

Qatar's sovereign wealth fund has bought the stakes in its national airline owned by private shareholders, making Qatar Airways a fully government-owned entity, the carrier's chief executive said yesterday.

Dubai Inn, a new hotel brand targeting value-conscious leisure and business travellers, will roll out its first phase of hotels in prime locations in the city this year. According to a media statement, Dubai Inn is a joint venture of Meraas Holding and Emaar Properties, and will provide "best value" hotels in Dubai.

Saudi Arabia drove the largest number of visits to Dubai in 2013 (1.4 million visits), followed by India (0.9 million visits) and the UK (0.75 million visits), according to a new study of the region's tourism, hospitality and leisure (THL) industry.

The UAE is expected to attract more visitors from Asia than Europe, according to a KPMG analyst.