According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, the amount of money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel, will begin to exceed 2019 pre-COVID levels, in as little as three years. This is supported by forecast analysis carried out by Tourism Economics (TE).
The Galleria Al Maryah Island, a premier lifestyle and shopping destination in the heart of Al Maryah Abu Dhabi, recorded numerous accomplishments in 2020 including surpassing 22 million in footfall, the opening of over 68 new stores and achieving double-digit growth. All of this was achieved while maintaining the highest health and safety standards for guests throughout the destination. As a result of these successes, The Galleria has firmly established itself as the pre-eminent retail destination in Abu Dhabi.
As part of its continuous commitment to sustainable practices, Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Ajman recently harvested organic crops from its very own urban farm. The team yielded produce from the 430 m2 space, which grows seasonal herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has partnered with local designers to upcycle obsolete aircraft cabin interiors into pieces of art, as an environmentally friendly alternative of dealing with waste.
Carpet and fabric rolls, emergency equipment, sidewalls and windows, and economy and business class seats are just some of the old aircraft parts Azza Al Qubaisi and Christine Wilson used to design art installations for Etihad Airways.
Terry Daly, executive director guest experience, brand and marketing, Etihad, said, “End-of-life parts that were destined for landfill have been repurposed into beautiful art instillations by skilled artists who used rare and unwanted aircraft scraps. By collaborating with artists from the local community, our goal is to not only showcase talent within the region, but to further encourage sustainable innovation that’s good for the environment”.
Born in Abu Dhabi, Emirati sculptor Azza Al Qubaisi’s first art piece used seat floor mounting rails as a building motif to create symmetric geometric formations that can be displayed free standing or suspended from the ceiling.
Using aircraft curtains, wall panels, life jackets and cabin interiors, Christine Wilson, an emerging artist from Ireland based in Dubai, designed a multidimensional upcycled art piece to encapsulate a textural zeitgeist of Etihad.
Inspired by nature with a passion for the environment, Christine founded her ‘covid-couture’ business at the start of the global pandemic to play her part in remaking the world and living a sustainable life.
Etihad is displaying the art pieces at Etihad Headquarters and hopes to commission similar work in the future.