Tag Archives: Dubai Economy and Tourism

 The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Amadeus to facilitate a city-wide ecosystem for the rapid prototyping of travel tech solutions, and further enhance Dubai’s capabilities as a leading hub for travel innovation. Building on their well-established collaborative relationship, the two entities will focus on advancing travel technology, enhancing visitor experiences, and strengthening Dubai’s tourism ecosystem, creating a platform to build on the record 18.72 million international overnight visitors that came to the city in 2024. The MoU was signed by His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, and Maher Koubaa, EVP Travel Unit and MD EMEA, Amadeus, and is poised to contribute to achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure. DET and Amadeus currently cooperate across multiple areas including Strategic Travel Data and Analytics, Programmatic Travel Advertising, and B2B Travel Marketing, and the MoU establishes a framework for expanding this collaboration. It also paves the way for Amadeus to set up a Centre of Excellence in Dubai to promote initiatives in key areas such as enhancement of the traveller journey experience, with a focus on leveraging biometrics, airport experience optimisation, access management, touchless payments, and air capacity development. Furthermore, it will support local and global start-ups and enhance travel intelligence reporting for hospitality and destinations. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), comments: “This partnership with Amadeus marks a transformative step in our journey to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a multifaceted innovation hub and reflects our …

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a pioneering partnership agreement with noon, the local digital champion, to launch an e-commerce program to further bolster the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Dubai. The partnership falls under the wider Dubai Traders initiative, one of the ten transformative initiatives announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to empower Dubai-based SMEs to adopt new digital tools and channels so they can scale domestically and internationally. Dubai Traders will pave the way for Dubai to consolidate its position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and SME growth, supporting SMEs to build a branded online presence, digitise supply chain processes, and access e-commerce channels. The initiative is focused on forging close private sector partnerships with leading B2B, B2C, and specialised digital solution providers, to leverage their expertise and strengths to provide a suite of tools, incentives, and support mechanisms for SMEs to engage and transact with online customers. In the presence of H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Noon, the partnership agreement was signed by Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), and Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. At the outset, the program will focus on the e-commerce vertical to allow SMEs to build a comprehensive e-commerce presence and thrive in the digital marketplace. Through the partnership with noon, Dubai Traders will offer an onboarding incentive package to encourage both first-time and experienced sellers to get online and benefit from enhanced visibility on …

Emirates, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) have launched online training courses for new travel professionals to help them develop and build stronger skillsets, as well as enhance understanding around the industry’s key principles to support the wider travel and tourism sector. Using the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism’s already established Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) online platform, travel professionals in South Africa have free access to various online courses and training resources to help them develop the essential skills required to enter the industry or expand their abilities, improve their knowledge around industry systems and processes, ultimately helping them to maximise their career potential and employability. Courses start with the fundamentals: understanding the role of a travel agent, gaining familiarity with key industry terminology, understanding different procedures in relation to travel bookings, from the initial quotation stage through to the time of travel. Participants will explore the types of enquiries and proposals common within the industry, alongside developing the skills and knowledge required to prepare quotations, book supplier products and services and process travel related documentation. The rich, interactive content delivered in the courses contextually use Dubai as the primary market example when explaining the skills and terms associated with the travel industry value chain. Emirates’ products and services are also utilised to simulate and explain the airline retailing journey and the fundamentals of distribution systems for travel agents. In addition to acquiring valuable industry knowledge, professionals gain extensive insight into Dubai as a destination, already a popular city for South Africans, as well as Emirates products and services. Upon completion of the courses, participating travel professionals will …