Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia’s first ultra-luxury train by Arsenale Group, marked a major development milestone with the opening of its headquarters in Riyadh and the appointment of Raffaele Breschi as General Manager of Dream of the Desert and CEO of Arsenale International. This step marks the next phase of the project’s delivery in the country, reinforcing its central role in Saudi Arabia’s tourism transformation as it advances toward its 2026 debut. The establishment of a permanent base in Riyadh anchors the project firmly within Saudi Arabia’s tourism and transport ecosystem and marks Arsenale’s first international headquarters, underscoring a long-term, on-the-ground commitment beyond project development.

BTN exclusive with Victor Abou-Ghanem, CEO, STORY Hospitality addressing the current mood across the UAE hospitality sector, particularly among hotel owners, operators and investors?

Just You has introduced a new departure date for its ‘The Silk Road: Legends of the Five Stans’ tour. The specialist solo escorted tour operator originally launched the 21-day itinerary in April with departure dates in April 2027 and September 2027.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, is delighted to introduce a new collection of Creative Master Classes for Teens, developed in collaboration with experiential travel specialist The Luminaire. Building on the hotel’s award-winning Families by M.O. – Little Ranger Adventures offering, the new collection has been thoughtfully designed to extend the experience for older children and teenagers, offering exclusive access to some of London’s most influential cultural spaces, from world-renowned recording studios and emerging digital design environments to celebrated culinary ateliers and creative communities shaping contemporary culture.

Barbados has appointed prominent businessman and former national field hockey player Peter Harris as chairman of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. as the island posted a solid 3.3% increase in stay-over tourist arrivals for 2025. Harris, executive chairman of PVH Group Inc., succeeds businesswoman Shelly Williams, who served four years in the role, Tourism and International Transport Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill confirmed in a statement. The appointment is intended to accelerate the island’s tourism growth through expanded airlift and deeper penetration of emerging markets.

Qatar Airways is expanding its African network, with flight resumptions and frequency increases launching from 16 June 2026. Boosting connectivity across Africa, the airline will restart four weekly flights to Seychelles (SEZ) and two weekly flights to Kigali (KGL) from 16 June, and daily flight to Marrakesh (RAK) from 1 July.