• Dubai hotels have picked up five honours in the 1995 Hotel of the Year survey by Britain's Executive Travel magazine.

  The Forte Grand Dubai was named "Best Airport Hotel" in the worldwide poll, as well as one of two runners-up in the "Best Hotel - Middle East" category, along with the Inter-Continental Dubai.

  The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Dubai was runner-up in two categories - "Best Conference Hotel" and "Best New Hotel".

• The Emirates Group has formed a new subsidiary to specialise in the provision of advanced business systems for the air travel industry.

  Named Mercator, the new company has entered into a 50-50 joint venture with Swissair Information Systems, which specialises in IT for the Swissair group.

  This will allow for the introduction of two highly advanced Swissair systems to the region: MARS (Mercator Airline Reservations System) and MACS (Mercator Airport Departure Control System).

  Emirates and DNATA, Dubai's sole ground handling agent, will switch their operations to the Mercator systems during 1996, then start promoting MARS and MACS to other airlines and airport operators throughout the region.

• Business Traveller magazine of the UK has named the the Hyatt Regency Dubai as the "Best Business Hotel in the Middle East".

  This follows the recent accolade as "Best Hotel in the Middle East and Arab World" in a poll by Al Iktissad Wal Aamal magazine.

• The Forte Grand Jumeira Beach, which opened last year with 242 rooms, is already undergoing a major expansion project.

• A new circular tower, providing an additional 108 rooms, is currently under construction to meet the high level of demand.

  The extension will also provide two additional meeting rooms and food and beverage outlets.

• The Jebel Ali Hotel has launched the new purpose-built Jebel Ali Shooting Club, the first facility in the Middle East to offer pistol, skeet, trap and simulated laser shooting at a single venue.

  The club's facilities include five floodlit layouts for clay shooting, an airconditioned, computerised ten-lane pistol range and a shooting academy offering lessons and tuition.

  All the ranges meet international standards, allowing the club to host championship events in future.

  The clubhouse features a Mexican restaurant and facilities for private meetings and functions.

• The emirate's largest cinema complex has opened at the Dubai Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.

  The development, named Metroplex, incorporates three cinemas with seating capacities of 550, 350 and 250.

  It also features several food outlets, a music shop and electronic games hall.

  Developed by Al Habtoor Group, the owners of the Metropolitan Hotel, the new cinema complex will screen only English-language films.

• Emirates Holidays, the wholesale tour operator and leisure management division of Emirates airline, was named one of the Global Award winners at the 1995 World Travel Market in London.

  The award was given in recognition of the company's role in pioneering the concept of wholesale tour operations in the Middle East.

• Recent news from Dubai's aviation sector has included the following items:

  Korean Air has launched a twice-per-week charter passenger service from Seoul to Dubai. The flight, which is the emirate's only air connection with the Korean capital, continues to Djerba in Tunisia.

  Austrian Airlines has launched a weekly service between Vienna and Dubai. The carrier switched its regional operation from Riydh because Dubai is becoming an increasingly popular destination for many Austrian, according to Al Naboodah Travel and Tourism Agencies, its local General Sales Agent.

  Malaysia Airlines is increasing its services between Dubai and Madrid to two flights per week. This is the only direct air link between the two cities.

  Royal Brunei launched a weekly non-stop flight linking Dubai and Calcutta on 5 November. The service is expected to be increased to two flights per week next year.

  Air France is considering the introduction of Concorde on its Paris-Dubai route as part of a plan to upgrade services to the UAE.

• The JW Marriott Hotel has celebrated its second anniversary by announcing a major expansion programme.

  The hotel has opened has opened a 48-seat steakhouse, JW's, and plans three more restaurants, a ballroom and auditorium.

  The extension will be completed during the last quarter of 1997.

• A new promotion by the Bur Juman and Al Ghurair shopping centres will entitle tourists staying at twenty of Dubai's leading hotels to a complimentary taxi service from their hotel to one of the two malls.

  The promotion is being offered in association with Dubai Transport Corporation. The participating hotels will issue coupons to guests on arrival.

• Emirates is offering a new facility for its first and business class passengers travelling to London's Heathrow or Gatwick airports - a GSM mobile telephone rent-free for 14 days.

  The offer is open to major credit card holders who reserve their telephone 24 hours before flying.

  The telephones may be used throughout Western Europe and further afield.

• Dubai Municipality has imported a fleet of ten 60-seater luxury buses to be operated on a trial basis on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi route. If viable the service will be extended to other inter-emirate routes.

• Dubai and Abu Dhabi are to be linked by a new air service with effect from January 1996.

  Named CityLink, the service will use amphibious Cessna Caravan seaplanes and operate between the jetties at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club and Al Ain Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

  Starting with charter operations, the service will be extended to scheduled passenger and freight services shortly, according to its backers Emitrex Aviation Services and Al Qaisar International Group.

• The Holiday InnCrowne Plaza has announced the expansion of its convention facilities through the opening of three new meetings rooms.

  They are a boardroom for ten persons and two function rooms for 20 and 50 persons respectively.

  The hotel already boasts the largest meetings and conference facilities in the region, including its 1,800-person ballroom and other substantial meetings areas.

  The new facilities are designed to give the flexibility to cater to small and medium sized events.

• Abjar Hotels International LLC has announced plans for a major expansion at three of its Dubai hotels.

  The Sheraton and Ramada will be expanded by 250 and 350 rooms respectively, while the new Abjar Beach Hotel, currently under construction as a 150 room property, will have a 400-room second phase.

• The Deira City Centre, a major new shopping, entertainment and leisure complex has been officially opened by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

  Developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties on a 25 acre site close to the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, the complex will have more than 170 outlets covering a comprehensive range of products.

  The guiding principle of the development is to offer the best value in town.

  Its anchor outlets include the 175,000 square foot Continent hypermarket and 60,000 square foot South African Woolworths.

  Among the features of the complex are Magic Planet, the largest indoor entertainment and leisure centre in the Gulf, a 500-seat international food court and a car park for 3,000 vehicles.