Employees at InterContinental Hotels Group Citystars celebrated the launch of The Wheel into InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars hotels. The Wheel is a tool to help employees synchronise efforts to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love, by measuring and setting action items for improvement in key areas of financial returns, people, responsible business and guest experience.

Etihad Airways has welcomed its 100th cadet pilot, Shareefa Al Bloushi, to its flying programme. Seen here with her new colleagues (L to R) Rebecca Hillyard; Shereen Al Mazroui; Shareefa Al Bloushi; Rose Omari; Salma Al Baloushi and Hamda Al Qubaisi. The programme was launched in June 2007 with the first group of cadet pilots, who graduated in February 2009, now training and flying aboard the airline’s Airbus A320 fleet.

Gulf Air has extended its support to aspiring youngsters in Bahrain with ‘Team Epic’  allowing a group of eight students from St Christopher’s Senior School, Bahrain to travel to the UK to compete in the ‘World Championships of the F1 in Schools’ competition. Seen here, the team who were also crowned ‘Bahrain National Champions’ in the ‘F1 in Schools Competition’ held earlier in Bahrain, where 30 students from seven teams took part.

Ulrich Huth, general manager of Cairo Marriott Hotel with children from the AFNCI (Association of Friends of the National Cancer Institute), organised Iftar parties on two consecutive days for 100 children suffering from cancer and 120 orphans with their foster mothers from the local SOS village.

Staff from Le Méridien Al Aqah continue its environmental efforts by partnering with Al Boom Diving for Project AWARE’s Cleanup Day. Al Boom will deploy a diving boat and expects many divers to participate in the East Coast cleanup.

Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail (BIHR) chairman Qutub Dadabai (right) has been named this year’s recipient of the ‘Lamp of Knowledge Award’ for Outstanding Educator (International) in recognition of his commitment to advance the quality of education in the hospitality industry by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). The award was presented by AHLEI international sales vice president David Lechter (left).

The Dubai Chapter of Skål International welcomed Skål Global president, Hulya Aslantas to Dubai for a familiarisation of the destination, which has been shortlisted against Turku, Finland to host the Skål World Congress 2011.  Seen here with other members of Skål Dubai (L-R) Trever Owen, Ghassan Aridi, Amit Arora, president Skal Dubai Chapter, Aslantas, Chris Anns and Sarah Marron.