Category Archives: Govt

As the leading visa outsourcing and technology partner for several governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, VFS Global has achieved a milestone by processing a record 200 million visa applications. Set up in 2001, the company touched its first 100 million applications milestone in May 2015. Since then, the next 100 million applications were processed over a record four-year period. In 2018 alone, VFS Global processed 26.7 million applications globally – the most number of visa applications processed in any single year, registering a 16 per cent increase year-on-year. Commenting on this achievement, Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global Group, said, “We take pride in this achievement of processing our 200 millionth visa application, with 100 million of these processed in a timespan of the last four years. We are grateful for the co-operation of the 62 client governments we serve – 18 of which were added in last four years, pointing to the trust and credibility we have built since we started this journey in 2001.” Even through its rapid expansion, the company has introduced game-changing visa solutions offering greater convenience, reliability and flexibility in service. Some of these are: Visa at Your Doorstep, Mobile Visa Application Centres, the first visa services chatbot ViVA among others, introduced in the recent years. In terms of the total visa market (both outsourced and non-outsourced), VFS Global’s share is 15 per cent. Across the world, there are as many as 50 players catering to the visa outsourcing business, and together they hold a market share that is identical to VFS Global. VFS Global today has an unparalleled network of over 3,000 application centres with operations in 147 countries.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing launched the third edition of the Futurism Programme, an entrepreneurial platform for technology start-ups worldwide. Aimed at bringing about a paradigm shift within the industry ecosystem to help create innovative tourism experiences, the third edition is in collaboration with leading professional services company, Accenture, further contributing to the success of the annual start-up programme, which has the ongoing support of industry partners and investors including Tajawal-Seera Group, Atlantis The Palm, Emaar Hospitality Group and the Emirates Group. The 2019 Futurism Programme invites entrepreneurs to submit their applications by  July 31, 2019.  With the goal of contributing towards transforming tourism experiences, the start-ups will showcase technological innovation with solutions to help drive the following Futurism themes; Hyper personalisation, Connected travel,    Digitising operations, First choice destination, Conscious travel, and ‘Phygital’ experience. A judging panel comprising leading technology experts, Dubai Tourism’s senior leadership and its partners across the industry, will select the top 10 start-ups from all entries submitted in the process. Dubai Tourism will announce the winning start-up and a runner-up, who stand to win a prize totalling AED 100,000 as the initial start-up capital. In addition to licensing, the winner will receive relevant visas in Dubai, office space and the opportunity to secure potential future funding. Commenting on the launch of the 2019 Futurism Programme, Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director – Tourism Development & Investments, Dubai Tourism, said, “In line with the Dubai 10X initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop path-breaking strategies and projects that will put Dubai 10 years ahead of other world cities, the Futurism Programme …

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has endorsed a three-phase 10-year plan to improve marine transport services on Dubai Water Canal 2020-2030. “The initial phase covers a Short-Term Plan 2019-2020, which already started in April. It includes modifying the current marine transport line on the canal to link Jaddaf, Dubai Design District and Sheikh Zayed road stations. The revised line excludes Marasi station and endorses the deployment of the water bus instead of Dubai ferry to run the service. The water taxi service at these stations remains unchanged,” explained Mohammed Abu Bakr Al Hashimi, Director of Marine Transport at RTA’s Public Transport Agency. “In concurrence with these changes, abra service will be running on two new lines to commute riders between the Al Wajeha Al Maeyah, Marasi and Sheikh Zayed road stations. By 2020, marine transit modes will be beefed up to include two water buses on the revised line, and three abras on the new line.” “The second phase is a Medium-Term Plan 2025. It covers the operation of nine stations in the central sector of the canal over and above the existing stations, which will be served by five new lines. It involves modifying the current line of the water bus to serve two stations, namely Dubai Creek Marina station and Business Bay Promenade station. One water bus and five abras will be added in 2025 and 2026,” shared Al Hashimi. “The Long-Term Plan 2030 covers the addition of four stations on Dubai coastal line namely Jumeirah 2, Al Safa 2, Sheikh Zayed road 2, and Godolphin. The proposed modes here are one waterbus and two ferries that will bring the total number of water transport modes in …

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the ‘Golden Card Visa’ a long term residency scheme for investors last month. Following this announcement a special media briefing was held at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs few days ago to educate the media about the special criteria and eligibility for this special scheme. Major General Mohammad Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, said that this scheme was implemented to create an attractive investment environment in the UAE, which further encourages business development and draws in new talent. Major General Al Marri stated that “As we celebrate the year of tolerance, there are other categories of investors such as those with 5 million AED capital visa for 3 years. Other investors are with bank deposits of 10 million AED capital with 10 years golden visa. Money should be owned by the individual investor 100 percent. Those who own 500,000 AED approved by state, doctors and specialists with certain conditions, excellent students and scientists – 95% in secondary school, executives with a Bachelor degree, five years’ work experience with 30,000 AED per month contract of state, specialists, talented people will also be authorised depending on the criteria. Inventors/innovators etc. will be awarded irrelevant of nationality, age, gender, just the criteria required equal to all.  After 10 years (the visas) are extended for another 10-year period every 10 years. There are medical insurance and other procedures that need to be done in between but it comes without any extra conditions.” He further said the visa would be renewed as long as residents continue to satisfy …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has provided a positive outlook of the industry to leading stakeholders and partners at its first biannual city briefing event, highlighting the sector’s performance across key markets, and sharing first-hand insights into major developments, marketing initiatives and future growth strategies. Led by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai Tourism, the city briefing held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City last week comes within the framework of regular industry engagements initiated by the Department to further enhance collaboration with its stakeholders. The event was attended by nearly 1,000 managers and key executives representing all industry segments, from hospitality to tour operators, tourism attractions to destination management companies, as well as top officials from Dubai Police and Expo 2020 Dubai. Addressing the gathering of industry professionals and senior government officials, HE Helal Saeed Almarri, said, “Maintaining a robust industry is at the core of our cross-sector efforts, and as we look ahead, we are confident that our continued cooperation with both public and private sector partners will ensure that Dubai remains a must-visit destination.” Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansour, Assistant to the Commander-in-chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs at Dubai Police, said, “Dubai Police is pleased to be a part of this event as it gives us an opportunity to exchange ideas and views with leading players in Dubai’s tourism industry, and secure their support towards further enhancing the safety and security of visitors.” Sanjive Khosla, Deputy Chief – Sales and Marketing at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “With fewer than 500 days until Expo 2020 opens, our preparations are well on track.  We will be welcoming millions of tourists from around the …

The inaugural Global DMC Network Roadshow by JTB Group was conducted at Conrad Dubai. JTB owns the companies worldwide with over 100 years of experience in the global networking arena with 502 offices in 143 cities in 39 countries with 29,000 employees. It is a leader in global destination management capable of providing unparalleled services all over the world in the fields of leisure, FIT or global MiCE. This roadshow was organised in conjunction with Venture Planet, the local vendor which invited over 100 travel agents in Dubai. The event started out with an introduction to the programme by the Global Marketing Team of the Global DMC Network by JTB Group. Thereafter the agents were divided into groups with four different break-out sessions where they learned an in-depth study about the destinations and the offerings for this specific market. Some of the companies under the umbrella who attended were Europamundo, Tumlare Destination Management, Tour East/CSO Tour East and Global DMC in Japan. The special discussions held by Europamundo Vacaciones in Arabic saw a very keen audience.

In addition to applying for an Italian visa at VFS Global Visa Application Centre, travellers heading to Italy from Bahrain now have access to a wealth of information at the newly inaugurated Italia Tourist Information Centre located in Manama. VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, also launched The Little Book of Italy travel guide at the opening ceremony, in the presence of H.E Domenico Bellato, Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of Bahrain, on June 16, 2019. With the launch of the Italia Tourist Information Centre and the Little Book of Italy, VFS Global and the Italian Embassy aim at providing applicants with first-hand information on visa procedures and travel tips. Speaking at the inauguration, Bellato said, “It is a pleasure to inaugurate the Italia Tourist Information Centre in Bahrain. There are not many places globally which can match the combination of history, culture, scenery, fashion, shopping, and food offered by Italy. With the launch of this centre and the Little Book of Italy we hope visa applicants will receive timely touristic information from a reliable source. We are confident that the centre will help to further increase the number of Bahraini citizens and residents who choose Italy as their destination for tourism and business.” Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO – Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to take our partnership with the Government of Italy to the next level with the launch of Italia Tourist Information Centre. Bahrain has a large number of travellers to Italy for leisure and business, and this new centre will bring accurate information to their close proximity as …

Emaar and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have joined hands to offer Dubai Metro users exceptional discounts. Hop on the Metro and head straight to a world of wholesome entertainment, while enjoying a slew of attractive offers on some of Dubai’s most famous attractions. Dubai Metro users will have the exclusive opportunity to experience 360 degree sweeping views from At the Top, Burj Khalifa – levels 125 and 124 of the iconic Burj Khalifa for AED 75 per person instead of AED 141 inclusive of a complimentary signature beverage at The Café. Dubai Metro users can also enjoy a 50 per cent off on all Emaar Entertainment attractions including the Explorer Plus ticket at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Ice Golf at Dubai Ice Rink, any Dolby Cinema experience at Reel Cinemas and double their credit on a minimum AED 100 spend at VR Theme Park. Visitors can indulge in appetising delicacies at a 30 per cent discount from over 50 food and beverage outlets at The Dubai Mall. Dining at Address Downtown restaurants, including NEOS and The Restaurant, will also be at half price. Also on offer at half price are the mesmerising Front of House tours of Dubai Opera to learn more about the iconic architecture, hidden secrets behind its breathtaking design, beautiful sculptures, art pieces and the modern technologies used to deliver a magnificent experience. To avail of these great offers, Dubai Metro riders only have to collect the discount voucher from Dubai Metro stations and present them at the ticket counters of their chosen leisure destination along with a valid Emirates ID. Vouchers are available at all metro stations. One can enjoy this limited offer …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has reported a steady increase in tourism volumes from Romania, welcoming 29,670 overnight visitors in the first three months of 2019. Underscoring a 24 per cent year-on-year increase when compared to the same period in 2018, the emirate and its diverse portfolio of attractions has experienced sustained interest and a steady uplift in the number of Romanian travellers choosing Dubai as their destination of choice. Underpinned by Dubai Tourism’s efforts to create targeted and customised experiences for Romanian tourists, the emirate has established itself as a ‘must-visit’ destination by offering a variety of unique and iconic attractions to its target audience. With an evolving market strategy that is well catered to the Romanian tourist profile, the department deploys a custom-market specific approach with targeted strategic activations, always-on marketing campaigns and ongoing trade and business partnerships with key industry players, keeping the city front of mind for these travellers. Building on the city’s commitment to ensuring ease of accessibility for its key source markets, Dubai is only a short travel time away from Bucharest, and benefits from two direct daily flights between Dubai and the capital with flydubai. Other direct flights between Dubai and Bucharest as well as Cluj-Napoca are available on Hungarian airline WizzAir. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai’s Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “We have seen sustained momentum from Romanian visitors as one of our key emerging source markets, with strong double digit growth in overnight stays during the first quarter of the year. This growth is testament to the market specific approach we’ve adopted and the appeal of Dubai’s variety of attractions and experiences that cater …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has further strengthened its position in Europe with a multi-city roadshow in the UK and Germany last month that brought together more than 370 tour operators and travel agents. In a bid to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021, increased emphasis has been put on growing further awareness in key European markets. The European roadshow covered key cities including Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Edinburgh to meet industry representatives and introduce Ras Al Khaimah’s diverse and spectacular beach, desert, mountain, and adventure offerings.  Held at iconic venues such as the Emirates Stadium in London and Edinburgh Castle, the roadshow allowed participants an opportunity to discover Ras Al Khaimah’s unique proposition and its tourism products via presentations, networking events, and interactive quizzes. Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “With a unique combination of authentic Arabian hospitality, pristine beaches and outdoor adventure pursuits, Ras Al Khaimah has a great appeal to holidaymakers from all over Europe. We have seen a significant growth in the number of visitors from Europe over the last couple of years, and therefore, our ongoing roadshow programme is a great vehicle to tell the story of the accessible Arabian hospitality. As we look towards our goal of 1.5 million visitors by 2021 and 3 million by 2025, it is essential to personally connect with travel professionals from our source markets to give them a real flavour of everything Ras Al Khaimah has to offer our visitors.”