Business Club

InterContinental Jordan has been recognised once again, this time by IHG MENA, as the hotel proved to be the best out of all IHG properties in the MENA region in terms of operations excellence.

The Certificate for Operations Excellence has been newly introduced in the IHG family, whereby certain metrics are assessed and evaluated, including guest experience, loyalty and quality evaluation.

This certificate recognises the efforts excelled by all colleagues and departments within the hotel for the aim of providing the guests with an unparalleled experience that leave loyal guests happy and satisfied.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) and Royal Air Maroc concluded a free sale codeshare agreement. Under the agreement, RJ will market Royal Air Maroc flights, and RJ’s carrier code will be placed on these flights between Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport and Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport. At this time, RJ does not operate flights to Morocco. The codeshare three weekly flights will be sold as of Monday, which will also be the first date of travel. The agreement with Royal Air Maroc seeks to enhance cooperation between the two flag carriers and improve passenger traffic by providing RJ customers with convenient options to fly 

to/from Amman; they can also plan their trips to reach further destinations on RJ’s global route network.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) customers are offered great prices on most of the routes of its global network, from August 1 till August 14, under a new sales campaign themed “Buy &Fly”. Passengers who book their tickets during this sales period can travel any time between September 12, 2019, and March 25, 2020, for a maximum stay of 45 days.

The blackout period between December 15, 2019, and January 10, 2020, is excluded from the offer.

Travellers who buy their tickets during this sales promotion can purchase checked baggage allowance (up to 23 kg per bag) for cheap prices. Royal Club members can add a percentage of tier miles and flight segment to their accounts, part of the added benefits offered by the newly revamped Royal Club programme.

Customers who wish to take advantage of the August fares may book their seats through www.rj.com, the airline’s mobile application, Call Centre at +962 5100000, or visit RJ’s global sales offices or travel agents.

Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort welcomes Jean-Francois Durand as its new general manager. Durand has over 26 years of experience with Hyatt. Before arriving in Jordan, he held several general manager positions with Hyatt Hotels in cities such as Sochi, Dushanbe and Ekaterinburg, and he was the general manager of Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park.

Jean-Francois Durand expressed his enthusiasm to join Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort saying: “It feels like an exciting journey with the Hyatt Family around the globe over the past 26 years, and I am truly excited to join the team in Aqaba to work together and set new milestones for this amazing property, as I am looking forward to continue this exciting adventure.”

Oussama Massoud, director of operations at the Levant of InterContinental Hotels Group, Jordan & Lebanon , is pleased to announce that Wissam Shubat has been appointed as hotel manager for the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa.

With more than 24 years’ experience in the field of hospitality management in both Jordan and UAE, his wealth of experience is invaluable. He held many positions, last of which was executive assistant manager for Crowne Plaza Amman.

Shubat has demonstrated leadership and efficient management in all aspects of the hotel’s operations and always aimed for the best results.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Jordan Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration between the two entities  to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP and Jordan Aviation will collaborate on shared priority areas such as no poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, decent work and economic growth and adapting the SDGs as a business framework.

The new agreement also seeks to establish joint campaigns and to align the SDGs with the airline’s corporate social responsibility.

The agreement, signed by UNDP resident representative, Sara Ferrer Olivella and Jordan Aviation CEO Zuhair Al Khashman, underscores the airlines’ commitment to support the new development agenda, adopted by the UN’s 193 Member States in 2015 to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change. 

Darisni, the region’s first smart-device platform that provides high quality educational and instantly connects students with qualified tutors, has announced its expansion to Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.

In addition to providing tutoring services to students in the three countries, Darisni will further build its operational presence in Egypt and Jordan to meet the growing demand for Arabic learning content.

It will deliver a unique value proposition for students in Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, which addresses their educational challenges such as limited access to quality learning apps with content specifically tailored to each country’s curriculum. 

Leading the innovation scene in Jordan; Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Saraya Aqaba recently introduced the Mobile Key Check In – Check Out service.

This service available in Marriott Bonvoy application, allows travellers to check in and check out from the hotel directly via their mobile devices in the most efficient and user-friendly way. Mobile Key Check In-Out option gives a great opportunity for guests to enjoy easy reservation that saves them time and effort.

They can check-in to their upcoming reservation up to two days prior to arrival, select an estimated arrival time, and receive a room-ready alert notification from the hotel, and check - out on their mobile device.

This feature not only enhances the arrival and departure experience, but also enables Marriott Bonvoy members to remain proactive with all their requests through the chat service; they can interact directly with the hotel’s associates through the app at any given time. 

Ramada Resort by Wyndham Dead Sea has appointed Sarah Ghawi, as their new Leisure Sales Manager.

Graduating in 2012 with a BBA in Hotel Management Marketing with merits, Sarah’s work experience spans across several local hotels in Jordan, including Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel, Amman Rotana, and most recently as Groups, Conferences and Events Manager at the Hilton Dead Sea, where she was able to hone her skills and develop her abilities.

On a personal level, she is a certified life coach from CTI Dubai, where she gained her certification earlier this year. 

“We are excited to welcome Sarah to our team and to the Wyndham family,” commented Beat Peter, Ramada Resort by Wyndham Dead Sea General Manager. 

A Green Energy Academy was launched at Mutah University on Sunday, with the support of Korea Southern Power (KOSPO) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

The academy, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project, is hosting lectures delivered by a Korean expert to further inform Mutah students about power plant control system.

The lectures will acquaint the students with the operation concept of power plant, electrical system and renewable energy technology by KOSPO.

KOTRA and KOSPO are looking forward to contributing to the enlargement of energy industry in Jordan.

As part of the academy ‘s programme, a site visit is planned for students to Al Qatrana power plant, which is a natural gas-fired power plant with a generating capacity of 373 MW, to give them a general overview of the plant coupled with practical experience. Both KOTRA and KOSPO believe that such events contribute to the development of the friendly relationship between Jordan and Korea.