Once upon a time in the desert, the hum of jet engines replaced the whisper of camel caravans—and Qatar Airways just proved it’s not only keeping up with the future, but is determined to outpace it in tailored Arabic style.
The airline’s bold unveiling at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Dubai 2025 wasn’t just business as usual. It was business class reimagined, humanised AI brought to life, and a Middle Eastern garden plucked from the terminals of Doha and dropped—digitally, of course—into the heart of Dubai.
Welcome to Qatar Airways’ latest magic carpet ride: one part innovation, two parts regional pride, and a generous garnish of showmanship.
Sama: Your New Digital Hostess—with an Arabic Accent
Step aside, Siri. Meet Sama—Qatar Airways’ AI-powered digital cabin crew who doesn’t just speak Arabic, she understands it. Not the stiff, formal kind either. Sama handles regional dialects with ease, making her the best listener in any Doha majlis.
On the opening day of the ATM, she wasn’t tucked away in some glossy presentation. She was right there, speaking fluently to guests about flight options, seat preferences, and even doling out destination tips as though she had just returned from a week in Marrakesh herself.
Sama now lives across Qatar Airways’ digital platforms—be it the mobile app, the immersive QVerse, or the kind of digital corners where humans used to fumble with menus and bots.
And the best part? She doesn’t mispronounce Sharjah.
A Garden in the Cloud: The ORCHARD Comes Alive
Lost in Doha—virtually strolling The Orchard before take-off.
In a move that would make Eden jealous, the airline digitally debuted The ORCHARD—a hyper-realistic virtual reality experience of the serene indoor garden at Hamad International Airport. Think trees. Think tranquillity. Think of escaping airport chaos into a VR haven where the only thing flying are birds, not boarding calls.
Visitors wandered through this digital forest with awe, many muttering, “I could live here,” before realising they hadn’t even left the conference floor. Qatar Airways has managed to make airport waiting lounges not only tolerable but also Instagrammable in VR.
As they say in the old country: if you can’t get to Doha, bring Doha to you.
Qsuite Next Gen: The Ritz-Carlton of the Sky Just Got a Facelift
Sampling Qsuite Next Gen where meetings float and legroom reigns.
And then came the pièce de résistance—Qsuite Next Gen, the next iteration of the business-class suite that ruined all other airline seating for us ordinary folk.
Now featuring even taller sliding doors (your nosy neighbour can’t peek in even if they tried), customisable lighting to match your mood (or timezone confusion), and OLED screens sharp enough to see every line on Dame Judi Dench’s face.
Also making headlines is the Quad Suite option, allowing groups of four to dine, sip, or plot world domination in the air—your call.
Coupled with a multi-sensory pod complete with sound, motion, and a curious waft of jasmine, this wasn’t just a product showcase. It was an aviation theatre, and the audience was sold.
“Tech with a Soul,” Says the Boss—And You Know What? He’s Right.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, speaking at ATM with the calm of a man who knows he’s winning, summed it up perfectly:
“Sama, the industry’s first AI-powered cabin crew, can now connect with millions of Arabic-speaking passengers through various dialects—offering a more intuitive and personal way to communicate with us. The ORCHARD in VR, Qsuite Next Gen, and our multi-sensory pod are all part of how Qatar Airways is shaping a future of travel that is not only digital, but also deeply human.”
And in a region where hospitality is an ancient artform, “deeply human” still wins the day.
Global Partnerships and Routes Galore: Expansion in Full Swing
Of course, it wasn’t all flash and flair. Behind the velvet curtain of technology was good old-fashioned route planning and tourism diplomacy.
Qsuite curiosity takes off—passengers explore comfort before boarding begins.
Qatar Airways inked Memoranda of Understanding with both Visit Maldives and Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, all part of a B2B push to funnel more travellers through the increasingly swanky Hamad International Airport.
As for those dreaming of sun, safaris, or sushi, the airline also confirmed additional summer flights to a spread of hotspots, including:
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Dar Es Salaam
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Kilimanjaro
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Entebbe
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Tokyo Narita
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Maputo–Durban
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Larnaca
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Trabzon
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Sharjah
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Manchester
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Madrid
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Lisbon
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London Heathrow
From African heights to European boulevards, Qatar Airways is laying down the runway for a hectic northern summer.
Old-World Hospitality Meets Tomorrow’s Tech
In the end, what Qatar Airways brought to ATM 2025 wasn’t just another stand in a sea of branding exercises. It was a vision—one where technology doesn’t erase humanity but enhances it, where Middle Eastern values of connection and care are amplified, not replaced.
Yes, the airline of old has gone digital. But it’s still handing out warm towels and calling you by name—whether you’re seated in 1A, or logged into the QVerse from a lounge in Launceston.
And that, dear readers, is a future worth boarding.
By Jason Smith, filed from Arabian Travel Market, Dubai
