A report released by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Department (SCTDA) indicates that the total number of guests staying in Sharjahs hotel apartments in the month of July reached 68,363, a 14 percent increase as compared to the 59,888 guests reported for the corresponding period last year.

Al Bustan Centre and Residence - a deluxe property which offers world-class services and facilities in the city, has promoted Yasser Moussa as Director of Business Development. Yasser has more than 12 years of experience in the hospitality sector. His work experience has involved the target markets of GCC, Far East, India, and Europe.

Yahoo! today announced a partnership with leading online travel experts Expedia, who will provide a travel booking engine on Yahoo!s sites across Europe (UK and Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain). Through the partnership Yahoo! Travel users will enjoy access to more than 123,000 hotels and 450 airlines making it easy for them to find the right deal for their holiday.

The number of tourist arrivals in Sharjah increased by 11 percent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 2009, according to the latest report by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA).

The Iberotel Emirates Grand Hotels Kitchen Team headed by its Head Chef Khaled Elsayed, walked away with two Silver and six Bronze medals, including five Certificates of Honour under different cooking categories, at the Junior Culinary Competition, held recently at BurJuman Centre as part of the ongoing DSS 2010 activities. The competition witnessed participation from several leading star hotels across UAE. As Dubais new hospitality star, Iberotel Emirates Grand Hotel threw open its doors just

Scheduled traffic of airlines of ICAO Member States should grow by 6.4% this year in terms of passenger-kilometers performed (PKPs) compared to a decline of 2% in 2009, according to consolidated figures collected by the Organization

ASEC for Manufacturing and Industrial Projects (ARESCO), a turnkey contractor serving the cement, energy, petrochemicals, petroleum and general industrial sectors, announced today that it has signed a US$ 130 million contract to construct a new cement plant for the Building Materials Industry Company (BMIC) in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut.

Sarpinos Pizzeria, an international Italian food chain, has opened its first ever restaurant at Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa in Dubai. The property is part of the large Planet Group, a conglomerate of 11 established companies with business interests in hospitality, travel, aviation, freight forwarding, cargo, hotel, real estate, entertainment, food & beverage, exhibitions, logistics and trading.

The Board of Directors of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Company (OPIC) has approved up to US$ 100 million in financing for new investments by Citadel Capital and its Joint Investment Funds. Citadel Capital (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Stock Exchange) is the leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa with US$ 8.3 billion in investments under control.

As part of the Emirate's preparations for major events and festivals, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) held its first meeting with government departments and bodies to discuss the necessary preparations and arrangements for organizing the Sharjah Water Festival, due to be held on December 2, 2010, and Sharjah Lights Festival 2011, the first of its kind in the Middle East. The meeting was attended by representatives from government bodies and departments in Sharjah.