Travel

30 September 2023; MEMO: Iranian Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Maryam Jalali Dehkordi announced the continuation of Iranian and Saudi efforts to develop tourism relations and cancel visa requirements between the two countries.

12 September 2023; MEMO: Russia is working to implement visa-free travel for citizens of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, the Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, said.

17 August 2023; MEMO: Turkiye is the fastest-growing holiday destination over the last five years, with flying programmes increasing by 200 per cent since 2018, the Independent reports.

According to the report, this growth has been driven by demand, resulting in an upsurge in flying frequency, longer seasons and the launch of holidays to a new Turkish destination, Izmir, in 2019 reported by the tour operator, Jet2holidays.

11 August 2023; AA: Archeologists have discovered a 3,800-year-old cuneiform clay tablet in southern Türkiye during restoration work after the massive earthquakes in the region earlier this year.

Murat Akar, an archeology professor at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, told Anadolu that a 25-member team found the clay tablet with cuneiform inscription in Akkadian language in nearly 4,000-year-old Accana tumulus in the southern Hatay province.

31 July 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's tourism revenues rose by 27 per cent to $21.7 billion during the January-June period this year, official figures from TurkStat showed on Monday.

The country hosted 22.2 million visitors – foreigners as well as Turkish citizens living abroad – in the first half of 2023, up 20.6 per cent on a yearly basis, the statistical institute said. The average expenditure per night for overnight visitors was $99, up from $89 during the same period last year.

26 June 2023; MEMO: Palestinian pilgrim, Abu Anas Abu Rahal, was hoping to find cheaper lodgings for a week-long stay in Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, as the minimum cost for the Hajj pilgrimage climbed to 26,000 riyals ($7,000) this year. His options were limited, Reuters reports.

The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill, despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims.

21 June 2023; MEMO: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit the newly restored 11th century Al-Hakim Mosque during his first visit to Egypt this week.

07 June 2023; MEMO: The UK government has announced major changes to visa requirements for the six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan. Nationals of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, UAE and Jordan will be offered an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) lasting two years for just £10 ($12), according to a report in Arabian Business.

06 June 2023; MEMO: The flag carriers of Turkiye and Italy have signed a code-share agreement to expand destinations in the networks of both Turkish Airlines and ITA Airways, the airlines said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

01 June 2023; MEMO: The Sultan of Oman Haitham Bin Tarik yesterday presided over the launch ceremony for a new city bearing his name, which is set to be the sultanate's first smart city.

During the event held at Al-Baraka Palace, themed "Treasure the Future", the sultan was briefed about the project of the planned Sultan Haitham City. A presentation also showcased a model of the city, which will be developed in the wilayat of Seeb, several kilometres northwest of Muscat.