NEW YORK: Qatar Airways is joining an alliance of airlines including American Airlines, British Airways and nine other carriers that coordinate routes and allow passengers to earn frequent flier miles on each other's flights.
The inclusion in the oneworld alliance — aimed at allowing passengers to hop around the globe easier — signals the growing importance of Gulf carriers such as Doha-based Qatar.
"Alliances are playing an increasingly important role in the airline industry today — and that will continue long into the future," Qatar's CEO Akbar Al-Baker said in a statement.
It will take 12 to 18 months for Qatar to join the alliance. The oneworld alliance competes with SkyTeam, a group of airlines including Delta Air Line, and the Star Alliance, which includes United Airlines and US Airways.
Frequent business travelers like alliances because they are able to earn and redeem frequent flier miles with the partners, use alliance airport lounges and book complicated trips on one itinerary. A flier could travel on a Cathay Pacific, British Airways or Iberia flight and earn American Airlines miles for those flights.
Another rapidly expanding Gulf carrier, Etihad Airways, announced earlier Monday that it will start jointly marketing some of its flights with Air France-KLM, part of SkyTeam.
The deals, known as codeshares, allow passengers to buy a single ticket to fly on multiple airlines and are common in the airline industry. Carriers can expand their reach without having to launch or acquire the right to operate additional routes. For example, American Airlines and Iberia can sell tickets on a flight operated by British Airways as if the flight was their own.
The third big Gulf carrier, Dubai-based Emirates, recently signed a 10-year deal with Australia's Qantas Airways. That spelled the end of a long-term relationship between the Australian carrier and British Airways.
Eithad and Emirates have yet to join one of the big three alliances. The inclusion of Qatar in oneworld helps put the airline — which isn't well known in North America — on the map on the continent.
American's pilots, however, aren't happy about the deal. They are in a nasty contract dispute with the company as it restructures in federal bankruptcy court. They picketed Monday's event saying partnerships like the new one with Qatar are costing them jobs.
"It's cutting in on our flying and our jobs," said Capt. John Diacsuk. "How do you maintain morale at a company where everybody is getting pink slips."
Qatar Airways joins oneworld alliance
Qatar Airways joins oneworld alliance
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment projects worth SR8bn launched in Makkah
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company has announced the launch of several real estate projects belonging to the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment system in Makkah, with a total investment exceeding SR8 billion ($2.1 billion). These projects include commercial, residential, and hospitality developments, as well as strategic land plots, as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s real estate sector and enhancing the quality of life in the holy city.
The announcement was made during a field tour by a delegation of high-level officials including Saleh Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites; Ihsan Bafakih, chairman of the board of directors of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Haitham Al-Fayez, chairman of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Moath Al-Mukhudub, managing director and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company; and Anas Mansour Abadi, CEO of real estate at Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company and representative of the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment, alongside members of the board of directors of both the holding and real estate companies and the executive team.
The tour included the launch of the Tilal Towers project, with an investment value of SR2 billion, featuring more than 2,500 hotel rooms, strengthening the hospitality sector in Makkah.
The delegation also visited the Tilal Village project, valued at SR2.8 billion. It is one of the prominent qualitative projects within the hospitality ecosystem in Makkah.
Furthermore, the visit covered the residential buildings within Tilal Village, comprising 828 units, with an investment of SR800 million. The delegation inspected the specialized hospital, medical complex housing, and the office and commercial plazas.
During the tour, a contract was signed for the Al-Rajhi Center project, valued at SR250 million, as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
The inspection also included the Al-Ukayshiyyah land, spanning 4 million square meters, and the Al-Ghazzawi project land, valued at SR250 million.
The tour concluded with prayers at the Aisha Al-Rajhi Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Makkah after the Grand Mosque, with a capacity for 50,000 worshippers.
This visit underscores the importance of these investments, which represent a clear direction toward enhancing the management of the endowment’s assets through diversification, redevelopment, and strategic expansion, in line with the development goals of the Makkah city and Saudi Vision 2030.
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate, a subsidiary of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company, continues to provide innovative solutions to elevate the real estate sector to international standards.
