Category Archives: Exhibitions

Bahrain Tourism promotes Bahrain as wedding destination

As a result of the efforts by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) to promote the Kingdom of Bahrain as a destination for weddings and other happy occasions, the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted an Indian wedding of the son of Indian businessman, Sushil Mantri, from Bengaluru, from December 15 to December 17 2018, at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. The event attracted more than 800 guests who travelled on Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, from various Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, and from other parts of the world. The three-day wedding included a series of activities, the first of which was the arrival of the bride and groom in a traditional Bahraini environment and means of transportation; the groom arrived on a purebred Arabian horse accompanied by traditional Indian music and dancers, while the bride arrived to the scene of the wedding onboard a traditional boat at Bahrain Bay. After the ceremony, Bahrain’s skyline was adorned with a display of fireworks to celebrate the wedding and the Kingdom’s national holiday, commemorating the joy of both glorious occasions. On the second day of the celebrations, the guests were invited to a traditional Souk (bazaar) that was hosted at the Hotel’s large halls, allowing guests to witness traditional Bahraini craftsmen at work, manufacturing beautifully-crafted products made of gold and pearls, traditional women’s and men’s clothing; and enjoy traditional sweets and beverages that were presented. To conclude the third and final day, a special social and sports programme was organised at Bahrain International Circuit to enjoy karting as a final farewell. Commenting on this occasion, Dr Ali Hasan Follad, Adviser, BTEA, said, “BTEA has played a pivotal role …

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The Heritage Village at the Janadria Festival attracts Saudi families

Tens of thousands of visitors have visited the National Festival of Heritage and Culture, the 33rd edition of Janadria, organised by the Ministry of National Guard under the slogan ‘Faithfulness and Loyalty.’ The heritage village at the festival as well as the shows of the folk groups from various regions of Saudi Arabia and some Arabian Gulf countries are popular and have become a milestone in the most beautiful elements of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Janadria is the largest cultural festival in Saudi Arabia and the largest event of its kind in the world that is being held for 21 days during the period from December 20, 2018 to January 9, 2019 as part of efforts to intensify attention to the Saudi heritage and regional and international visibility. In addition, it promotes a dialogue of cultures and civilisations between nations and people. The heritage village at Janadria is attracting thousands of families from different age groups, in addition to the artisans who are present throughout the festival area, especially in the folk market. The National Festival of Heritage and Culture offers heritage lovers a unique application which includes a complete definition of the Janadria Festival, a map of the stands and elements of the festival, activities and updated news about the festival on a daily basis. The folk groups programme is one of the most important pillars of the festival and there are more than 700 people that reflect the folk heritage, customs and traditions of all regions of Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries of the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.

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3 million guests visit Global Village in the first two months in its 23rd season

Opened just two months ago, Global Village, in its 23rd season, has already hit a record number of 3 million visitors attending the venue in this short period. Guest number and sales statistics for the period October 30 to December 31, 2018 showed a massive increase in its popularity and validated the status of Global Village as the leading family destination in the UAE and the Middle East region. This major increase in popularity of the region’s first family destination for culture, shopping, and entertainment has been helped by the drastic changes and upgrades its infrastructure this season. A resounding endorsement of the stellar guest experience it offers is the large proportion of repeat visits by guests. They find the variety of its cultural and entertainment shows attractive and the shopping options are exceeding expectations for both residents and tourists in the UAE. Bader Anwahi, CEO, Global Village, said, “We strive to achieve the highest international quality standards and provide a distinctive and diverse entertainment experience that brings out the rich heritage and diversity of the participating cultures. But that is not the only reason for repeat visits and our dedicated and growing fan following. We offer something for everyone and help them experience, explore and enjoy in a convenient and exciting environment. Guests have appreciated our quality improvements as well as the several infrastructure enhancements that we continue to develop upon every season to help make their visits a pleasure. We expect to welcome a record number of guests this season that will also positively impact the tourism industry in the UAE. Global Village has become an international family destination by any standard and is considered as one on …

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DTCM rolls out ‘Only in Dubai’ experiences for visitors

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is rolling out a set of initiatives to deliver end-to-end ‘Only in Dubai’ experiences to ensure tourists get to enjoy an unforgettable stay in the emirate, and encourage repeat visitation, as part of efforts to further strengthen and sustain the city’s world-class propositions. One of the key pillars of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-2025, the ‘Only in Dubai’ set of initiatives will deliver authentic and world-class end-to-end destination experiences across travel touchpoints that are tailored to relevant segments of tourists. The tourism strategy announced by Dubai’s visionary leadership aims to make Dubai the most-visited city in the world, targeting 25 million visitors annually by 2025, and the unparalleled ‘Only in Dubai’ experiences will offer regular unexpected delight moments and active reduction of detractor moments or pain points that will positively impact guest happiness to inspire the millions of tourists to re-visit Dubai. Measuring visitor recommendation and satisfaction is being done through Tourism’s Happiness Index, which was launched under His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, the UAE and Ruler, Dubai. This index measures not only Dubai’s ability to exceed service expectations, but also helps ensure that every visitor to Dubai becomes a passionate loyalist and a firm advocate of the city. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “While our world-class propositions and experiences showcase the diversity of the destination offerings and provide segment-based preferences for tourists, we are working closely with our partners and stakeholders to curate, create and deliver personalised end-to-end experiences. Visitors will be able to enjoy at every step of their journey, which starts from …

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Dubai gears up for GIAS 2019

The first edition of the Global Investment in Aviation Summit (GIAS 2019) will kick off in Dubai with the participation of aviation ministers and heads of civil aviation authorities from around the world on January 28 & 29, 2019. Eminent personalities marking their presence at the two-day aviation event include HE Eng Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Board Chairman, General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); Sheikh Salman Al Sabah, Chairman, Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and Eng Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunication; Abdul Hakim bin Mohammed Suleiman Al Tamimi, Chairman, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation; Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO); Hadi Sirica, Aviation Minister, Nigeria; Blade Nzimande, Minister of Transport, South Africa; Volodymyr Omelyan, Minister of Infrastructure, Ukraine; Monica Azuba Ntege, Minister of Works and Transport, Uganda; Captain Sameh El Hefny, President, Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority and Ricardo Fenelon Junior, Director General, National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, and other decision makers. His highness Engineer Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansori, Minister of Economy and Head—Board of Directors, UAE- GCAA, stated, “The summit coincides with the remarkable achievement of increasing the number of passengers through Dubai international airport to reach over one billion, as it was stated by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the state, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who expressed his delight over holding the event in Dubai to exchange experiences and information between international experts in aviation sector, as well as holding partnerships that would support investment in aviation. The Global Investment Aviation Summit in Dubai highlights UAE’s leading regional role in aviation sector which is …

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‘Shop Bahrain’ to kick off on January 1, 2019

The fifth edition of 30-day ‘Shop Bahrain’ festival, aimed at celebrating the Kingdom’s hospitality and tourism offering, will be held from January 1 to February 2, 2019. Organised by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), in cooperation with partners from the public and private sector such as Tamkeen, VIVA, Gulf Air and AA Bin Hindi Group as strategic partners, the festival will include a unique line-up of events and entertainment, a shopping experience and numerous prizes. Prize partners include Gravity, Awal Gas, Hawar Beach Hotel, Kitchen for Life Company, the Ice Cream Shop and Rahim Holdings. This year’s edition will feature more than 73,000 prizes including 11 cars, electronics from AA Bin Hindi Group, 6,000 airline tickets at special rates from Gulf Air, thousands of instant prizes from VIVA and much more. “Shop Bahrain” is one of the Kingdom’s major initiatives that aim to contribute to the national economy through stimulating the tourism and retail sectors. The fourth edition successfully achieved over 145,000 transactions with the value of 19 million Bahraini Dinars and more than 137,150 local and regional shoppers registered on the online loyalty system. Commenting on the upcoming festival, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, Chief Executive, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, said, “We promise nothing but the best in the fifth-edition of “Shop Bahrain”, the largest nationwide event which aims to further drive the growth of the tourism and retail sector by attracting residents and tourists from our Gulf neighbours. Last edition hit a record with 19 million Bahraini Dinars of transaction value, and we are positive that this new edition will surpass all expectations. The 5th edition will serve a complete entertainment and fun experience for the …

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DWTC welcomes over 500,000 visitors in 2018

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has announced another successful year for its consumer and entertainment events as it closes 2018 having hosted over 500,000 visitors across more than 29 events. This shows approximately 7 per cent increase in visitor numbers for the consumer and entertainment events from 2017. Ranging from pop concerts and theatrical productions to consumer shows and sporting events, DWTC’s events calendar has been strategic in the evolution of Dubai as a global business, leisure and entertainment hub. Mahir Julfar, Senior Vice President — Venue Services Management, Dubai World Trade Centre said, “DWTC’s annual consumer and entertainment events calendar has become an important component of our MiCE sector offering as it continues to attract thousands of thrill seekers, super fans, sporting enthusiasts and music lovers from around the world. The number of attendees in 2018 is testament to the strength of this market segment. As we go into the new year, we look forward to contributing to the city’s exciting, multicultural leisure and entertainment offering with an unforgettable line up of events, shows and festivals for the entire family.” Over 420 exhibitors and 45,965 of the region’s pop-culture fans attended the Middle East Film & Comic Con in 2018, immersing themselves in international popular culture, film, TV, sci-fi, animation, manga, comics, collectibles, and more, through a series of talks, meet-and-greets, workshops, live events and an exhibition. Running for the 19th year, Modhesh World, Dubai’s largest indoor family ‘edutainment’ destination, was spread across eight halls over the summer months, featuring a plethora of attractions, experiences, games, shows, contests and workshops. The 22nd edition of Carpet Oasis drew in 24,000 traders and visitors from all over the world to explore …

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Emirates Skywards partners with The Dubai Mall for special deals for members during DSF

As Dubai Shopping Festival has opened the retail tourism doors, Emirates and Dubai Mall will be collaborating to give the valued Emirates Skywards members some good deals during the festival which will go on until February 2, 2019. Emirates Skywards  is giving its members five strong reasons to shop this DSF in partnership with The Dubai Mall. Here is all one can hope for: 1. Earn Skywards Miles for spends at The Dubai Mall: Emirates Skywards members can earn Skywards Miles at the rate of up to one Skywards Mile per US$ 1 spent for all purchases over AED 100 at The Dubai Mall. Members simply have to download The Dubai Mall app, register for the Emaar Malls Rewards Programme, link their Emirates Skywards account to the app and then scan their purchase receipts for the Miles to be credited to their account. 2. Be the lucky weekly winner of 100,000 Skywards Miles: Emirates Skywards will be organising a lucky draw every week during the six weeks of DSF where one winner will be drawn at random earning 100,000 Skywards Miles. Emirates Skywards members who have scanned receipts in The Dubai Mall app for cumulative purchases of AED 300 or more per day will be automatically entered into the week’s draw. The more members shop at The Dubai Mall, the stronger their chances of winning. 3. Earn more Miles through our Emirates Skywards cobranded cards: Using an Emirates Skywards co-branded card when shopping at The Dubai Mall, this DSF will allow members to gain even more Miles for a single purchase. Emirates Skywards members can check the current list of financial co-brand card partners and terms and conditions. 4. Get …

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24th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival kicks off across the city

As the 24th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) begins, travel agents, tour operators and hoteliers ensure logistics are handled with care. To mark the special occasion, Majid Al Futtaim’s six shopping malls hosted a 12-hour mega sale, offering shoppers an incredible 25 to 90 per cent reductions across participating stores. Other events include fireworks display and plenty of chances to win big through a raffle, with the ultimate prize worth over AED 50,000 to spend at Majid Al Futtaim malls during DSF. This year, Dubai Shopping Festival is running from December 26, 2018  to February 2, 2019. Visitors to this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be treated to a host of entertainment on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, giving more reasons to visit the city’s malls and landmarks on December 31, 2048 and January 1, 2019. During the day, shoppers can enjoy the best deals across fashion and jewellery, while at night, visitors can watch multiple fireworks and many live concerts, events and gala dinners across the city. Shoppers visiting Al Barsha Mall, Al Bustan Centre, Al Mulla Plaza, City Centre Shindagha, City Centre Me’ aisem, Burjuman Centre, Karama Centre, Oasis Mall, Dubai, Dubai Outlet Mall, Etihad Mall, Reef Mall, Times Square Centre and Century Mall have the chance to win a cash prize from AED 10,000 by spending over AED 200 on December 31.  From January 5, and every Saturday until February 2, one lucky winner who spent AED 200 on or before December 31 will be drawn to step on to the Global Village stage and spin-the-wheel to win a cash prize …

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Passengers can purchase tickets at the terminals for Dubai Parks

DXB Entertainments has signed partnership with Dubai Duty Free to promote Dubai Parks and Resorts to passengers arriving at all three Dubai International Airport terminals. Dubai Parks and Resorts will have a presence at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 for arrivals from December 2018 to January 2019, and will promote and sell tickets to the destination’s main theme parks, including MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, BOLLYWOOD PARKS™ Dubai, LEGOLAND® Water Park and LEGOLAND® Dubai. Around 88 million annual passengers, flying through the airport will be able to buy tickets upon arrival, to experience more than 100 rides and attractions across the four parks. Mohamed Almulla, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, DXB Entertainments, said, “We are delighted to partner with Dubai Duty Free to promote Dubai Parks and Resorts at Dubai International Airport, the main gateway to the country. This partnership is part of our ongoing efforts to promote the destination to international tourists across key locations in Dubai, by collaborating with some of Dubai’s iconic tourist facing brands. Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Duty Free said, “We are happy to work with DXB Entertainments for the convenience it offers to passengers in acquiring tickets to Dubai Parks and Resorts on arrival to Dubai. The tickets will be available at prominent desks at Dubai Duty Free at Arrivals and we know that they will be a popular purchase with our customers.”

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