The Emirates telecommunication Corporation, Etisalat, announced its plan to invest up to $1B in India in 2009. It is worth noting that the company approved a35% dividend in the second half of 2008, raising its full year payout to 60%. In addition, Etisalat raised its capital to Dh7.1B ($1.9B) as it recorded a 22% growth in revenues last year. More than 38,000 Pirated CDs Confiscated from Riyadh Streets The Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information has recently confiscated more than 38,000 pirated CDs from illegal street vendors as part of a comprehensive anti-piracy crackdown throughout the streets of Riyadh, KSA.

Al Habtoor Motors is preparing for the arrival of the 2009 Lancer Evolution X, the newest and most sophisticated version of the legendary high-performance model series that began 16 years ago.

Terminal 2 at Dubai International has undergone a major refurbishment, extending check-in and boarding facilities, revitalising the interior and exterior décor, plus offering more dining choices, to give customers an enhanced travelling experience. Currently serving more than 25 scheduled airlines, the extended facility will increase capacity from three to some five million passengers a year. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, commented: “Terminal 2 has seen tremendous growth over the past decade of its operation, due to its popularity as a convenient and flexible gateway for customers travelling into and out of Dubai.

The successful exercise paves the way for the phased transition of operations to the new terminal, beginning 14th October. The phased opening of the terminal, which is dedicated to Emirates, will be implemented in four phases to ensure that systems and processes are all in place and thoroughly tested. The aim is to make sure that all aspects of the customer experience at the new terminal are smooth and convenient when it opens to public. Some 3,800 volunteers from the public were involved in the final simulation which was focused on testing both the arrival and departure processes as well as the facilities

Dubai Airports has announced that a phased transition of operations to Dubai International’s new Terminal 3 will start from October 14, 2008. 

The ‘soft’ opening will be implemented in four phases, to ensure that systems and processes are working to the highest standards of efficiency

Etihad Airways is to provide customers with access to the the Maldives following an extension of its existing codeshare agreement with Sri Lankan Airlines.

Etihad Airways has reported a 35% rise in passenger numbers in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. The Abu Dhabi-based airline carried 4.4 million passengers across its current network of 48 destinations, compared to 3.3 million for the same period in 2007 between January 1 and September 30. Seat factors in the same period averaged of 75%, representing a year-on-year increase of seven percentage points, the airline said in a statement.

Government-owned Emirates Airline said today the global financial crisis will not curb the airline's expansion plans, reported Reuters. Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum was quoted as saying, 'we have no problem in our aircraft financing,' while he visited the Cityscape property exhibition in Dubai.

The number of passengers RJ transported increased from 255.000 in August 2007 to 295.000 in August this year, a 16% increase.

The emergence of the low cost airline industry as a star industry in its own right, both globally and on the regional level in the Middle East and North Africa region, is the subject of the 'Low Cost Airlines World MENA' conference, taking place 3-5 November in Al Ain, UAE.

SITA, the specialist provider of IT solutions to airlines and airports, today said there is overwhelming evidence from passengers surveyed at six of the world's busiest airports across five continents, that self-service is fast becoming the norm for passengers from Atlanta to Moscow and that the main challenge to even broader adoption of 'do-it-yourself' travel management is baggage.

Designed with the capability to handle 43 million passengers a year when fully operational, Emirates Terminal 3, scheduled to open on 14th October 2008, promises travellers the perfect start to an amazing journey from this avant-garde airport.

Announcing the results, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau's Middle East Office confirmed that the strongest growth was registered from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Among the other markets that were a major source of tourists to Sri Lanka during the nine month period included France, Finland, Norway, Japan Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Australia and New Zealand.