Abdulla Al Abdulla, chief operating officer of Central Hotels and member of UNICEF Gulf Area Office Leadership Circle of Champions for Children and Young People, recently joined the UNICEF delegation to Azraq Camp, furthering Central Hotel’s collaboration with UNICEF. UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Education to provide quality, inclusive education and safe learning environments for all children in Jordan. As a result, thousands of Syrian refugee children will have access to quality preschool education at Azraq refugee camp as part of UNICEF’s support to the Government of Jordan to achieve universalisation of KG2 in Jordan by 2025.

Just like the Bosphorus, fortresses, palaces, streets, seaside residences and ferries, cats too earn Istanbul a distinctive feature, says a little campaign by Turkish Tourism. No matter which neighbourhood or district you visit, it is cats that welcome you first. You see them at every corner. With their different look, and character as well as the bond that links them with people, cats inspire authors, poets, painters, and photographers. Istanbul has become a home for quite a lot of cat breeds for hundreds of years.

Nikki Beach Dubai launches the resort’s beautifully curated organic garden, with specific plants that are utilised by the culinary team at the resort. In addition to the harvest, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai is also recycling its wet waste from the kitchens, with a mix of fruits and vegetables to cultivate an organic compost to rejuvenate the soil. Another byproduct of the organic compost is an enriched essence that is sprayed directly onto the leaves to enrich the “fruits” of the resort’s labour. Traditional pesticides have been collected from the culinary brigade, based on their home country practices, and strengthening the team building and pride in the organic garden.

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Gate Development Authority has announced Layali Diriyah or “Diriyah Nights”, a range of cultural activities hosted in the historic landmark of Diriyah. It welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate authentic Ramadan traditions in the birthplace of the nation and provides opportunities for visitors to discover Diriyah through arts, crafts and heritage experiences.

TRYP by Wyndham Dubai is successfully leading by example as it positions itself at the forefront of industry-wide moves to reduce the impact hotels have on the environment as well as giving back to the community thanks to its Luve by Tryp initiative. The 650-room hotel in Barsha Heights has established itself as a market leader in sustainability and one of the most green-focused properties in the UAE. The hotel has won a number of awards for its sustainability initiatives.

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR was named Best of Hawthorn by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, for the second consecutive year. The hotel was among the 19 recipients of the award across the globe, and the only recipient in the Middle East region. The recognition is bestowed annually to an elite group of hotels under Wyndham Hotel Group's brands, which are evaluated based on different criteria including hotel quality, guest feedback, and Wyndham Rewards compliance.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Small Luxury Hotels of the World announced the ongoing expansion of Hyatt’s and SLH’s existing loyalty alliance, celebrating a milestone of over 200 participating SLH hotels around the world for World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points and enjoy on-property benefits. This latest expansion has quadrupled the number of participating SLH properties since the alliance launched in November 2018, and its expansion is expected to continue throughout 2019.

Uber announced a strategic partnership with Takamol Holding, which operates Wusool, a programme developed by Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources Development Fund, with the goal of enabling working women in the country to overcome transportation challenges to and from the workplace. Saudi women between the ages of 18 and 65 can apply to the programme through Taqat – the National Labour gateway, based on the eligibility criteria to receive partially subsidised “Wusool” rides on the Uber application in the Kingdom.

Uber announced a strategic partnership with Takamol Holding, which operates Wusool, a programme developed by Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources Development Fund, with the goal of enabling working women in the country to overcome transportation challenges to and from the workplace. Saudi women between the ages of 18 and 65 can apply to the programme through Taqat – the National Labour gateway, based on the eligibility criteria to receive partially subsidised “Wusool” rides on the Uber application in the Kingdom.