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Air Arabia optimistic about summer travel demand: CEO

Middle East budget carrier Air Arabia is optimistic about this year’s summer travel period, expecting more borders to reopen as more people are inoculated against the coronavirus.
Uncertainty remains over the forthcoming season with the pandemic continuing and some governments saying it was too early to ease border restrictions that have badly hit airlines.
I expect a good summer subject (to the fact that) we don’t get hit with surprises of a third wave or something of that nature,” Air Arabia Chief Executive Adel Ali told reporters at an industry conference in the United Arab Emirates.
“Of course people will not go on holidays if they have to quarantine for two weeks but if it’s open they will,” he said.
Ali said the Middle East recovery would initially be driven by regional and short-haul travel, with pent-up demand to visit friends and family and to go on holiday.
Business travel would take longer to recover, he said.
Ali said it was too early to say if the airline would return to profitability this year after reporting a 192.1 million dirham ($52.30 million) loss in 2020. The airline did, however, make a 20 million dirham fourth quarter profit.
“We are comfortable as a business that we can go through this pandemic, as long as it takes, and get out of it in a very good and strong position,” he said.
Ali said the airline had no current plans to raise debt but discussions with the UAE government about state assistance were continuing.
“A request has been put in for support if need be. That need be has not happened yet. The company is doing well,” Ali said, adding that the airline had no plans to change aircraft order or delivery plans with Airbus.
source: Reuters
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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