Aldar Properties, a leading property developer, has launched Athlon, Dubai's pioneering "active living" development. Athlon, crafted around the ethos of active lifestyle integration, stands as the city's unique development dedicated to its residents' daily movement.

This project offers top-tier amenities and a series of wellness-driven activities, handpicked by experts, aiming to revolutionize the concept of fitness-centric living. It focuses on fostering sustained health and a deep-rooted community spirit among its inhabitants.

This initiative is a collaborative effort with Dubai Holding, a versatile global investment firm with ventures across 31 nations, marking the partnership's second residential venture in Dubai, following the highly successful introduction of Haven by Aldar in late 2023.

Jonathan Emery, CEO of Aldar Development, expressed, “Athlon's launch is a key milestone in our aggressive expansion plans in Dubai, leveraging the immense success of Haven by Aldar.

Given the consistent demand for exceptional residential projects in Dubai from both domestic and overseas investors, we are optimistic that Athlon's innovative concept will attract a broad investor and homeowner base, establishing a new benchmark for active lifestyle living in the area.”

Adjacent to Global Village, Athlon is characterized by its fluid integration of dynamic green spaces, blending athletic facilities with lush walkways and lively parks, offering age- and interest-specific activities.

The design centers around a mesmerizing central park, the community's focal point, with Athlon—named after the Greek term for "competition venue"—encompassing four additional parks—Adventure, Play, Wellness, and Valley—and seven clubhouses. These elements create dedicated areas for fitness and social engagement across the community.

With over 10 km of paths, trails, and loops, including a cycle route linking to Al-Qudra's renowned track, residents have unlimited access to jogging, cycling, roller-skating, and functional training opportunities.

Athlon meticulously addresses the full emotional and psychological wellness spectrum through its activities, catering to health, sports, play, and social needs. The amenities feature a café, massage rooms, jacuzzi, sauna, yoga studio, gym, and a children's playroom.

The residential options, including 1,492 units of three- to four-bedroom townhouses, three- to five-bedroom standard villas, and four- to six-bedroom premium villas, are designed to optimize natural lighting and employ colors and materials that elevate the ambiance of space and well-being.

Aligned with Aldar's sustainability pledge and net-zero goals, Athlon emphasizes eco-friendly and low-carbon design principles, supported by local, low-carbon material usage and sustainable construction methods.

The development has been awarded LEED Platinum pre-certification, showcasing energy-efficient and water-saving installations, electric vehicle charging stations, smart waste management systems, and convenient public transport access.

Riyadh Air collaborates with STA to enhance travel experiences in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's premier new airline, alongside the Saudi Tourism Authority, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

This agreement is set to enrich the journey for travelers to and from Saudi Arabia. By 2030, Riyadh Air plans to operate flights to over 100 destinations globally. Through this partnership, both organizations will work together on a variety of initiatives aimed at boosting service quality for tourists.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of STA, commented, "Enhancing Saudi's global connectivity is a fundamental component of our tourism strategy. It will play a crucial role in maintaining our swift progress and achieving our ambitious goal of 150 million visits by 2030.

“This partnership with Riyadh Air is pivotal to our objectives, enabling a greater influx of visitors to explore Saudi’s diverse attractions, from cool mountains and unspoiled waters to vibrant cities, making it an exceptional destination throughout the year.”

Hamidaddin further stated, “Currently connected to over 180 destinations, we are set to triple our annual passenger flow to 330 million by 2030. This agreement is a significant step towards accelerating these ambitions.”

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, expressed, “Today marks another significant milestone for Riyadh Air. Collaborating with the STA to enhance the travel experience for our passengers and visitors to the Kingdom epitomizes our ethos. We are committed to raising the bar in aviation, setting new standards in innovation, sustainability, and guest satisfaction.”

Key facets of the partnership include:

Introduction of New Routes and Destinations

Together, Riyadh Air and the STA will announce new routes and destinations to increase global traveler awareness.

Joint Marketing Efforts

The collaboration will see Riyadh Air and the STA promoting Saudi Arabia and other new destinations through a unified strategy aimed at attracting guests worldwide. Riyadh Air's contributions are expected to bolster the Kingdom's non-oil GDP by $20 billion and create over 200,000 jobs globally and locally.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The agreement enables Riyadh Air and the STA to participate in sponsorship opportunities, utilizing each other’s networks and resources to promote tourism in the Kingdom.

Global Event Participation

Riyadh Air and the STA will maintain a prominent presence at major industry trade shows and international travel and tourism events, showcasing their services, announcing new developments, and unveiling significant projects.

Enhanced Access to Sustainable Tourism Platforms

The MoU ensures easy access to tourism platforms like the Sustainable Tourism Observatories in Cities, keeping Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Air visible and accessible to tourists throughout the year.

Loyalty Program Collaboration

Travelers will benefit from the combined loyalty programs of both entities through joint promotions and incentives, encouraging further visits to Saudi Arabia with Riyadh Air.

Improved Booking and Payment Solutions

The partnership will simplify airline booking and payment processes, incorporating advanced technology and digital methods.

Tourism Accelerator Program Involvement

Both Riyadh Air and the STA will engage in the Tourism Accelerator Program, fostering innovation, growth, and sustainability in the tourism industry.

Tourism Product Development

Working together, both entities will develop and produce a range of travel and tourism products to improve traveler experiences.

Collecting Visitor Feedback

Riyadh Air and the STA will collect valuable feedback from travelers to enhance services and overall experiences as needed.

Accenture Completes Initial Group from Training Center in Saudi Arabia

Recently, the global professional services firm Accenture marked a notable achievement with the graduation of its inaugural group from the Accenture Capability Hub in Riyadh.

This event, attended by Ibrahim Almubarak, the assistant minister of investment of Saudi Arabia, and Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Marwani, the deputy governor assistant for training and quality policies and director general of private training at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, signifies a key progression in enhancing the skills of Saudi talent.

The hub provides a comprehensive, accredited training program exclusive to Accenture employees, encompassing a range of subjects including security, cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence, and change management.

This initiative is a precursor to the launch of Accenture LearnVantage Academy Saudi Arabia, aimed at offering extensive tech education and training solutions to firms and organizations within the Kingdom, thereby enabling them to retrain and advance the skills of their workforce, transforming their operations for increased business efficacy.

“A statement highlighted Accenture’s investment in the King Abdullah Financial District headquarters and the Accenture Capability Hub as evidence of the company’s dedication to Saudi Arabia and its effort to establish stronger ties with the local business community.

Omar Boulos, the lead of Accenture’s Middle East market unit, stated, “Creating an educational foundation in Saudi Arabia is a crucial step in reinforcing Accenture’s footprint in this vibrant market.

We are confident that the ambitious Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia presents a perfect backdrop for us to leverage our vast expertise and resources to support the empowerment of the Kingdom’s youth.”

Accenture is committed to assisting the world's premier businesses, governmental bodies, and other entities in building their digital infrastructure, streamlining operations, driving revenue growth, and improving public services.

With a workforce of approximately 742,000 individuals, Accenture serves clients across over 120 countries, driven by talent and innovation.

Source: arabnews