Category Archives: Govt

Expo Centre Sharjah has recorded a 7 per cent increase in the number of visitors coming to its exhibitions and events during the first quarter of 2017, in comparison to the number of visitors that came during the same period in 2016. According to the Expo Centre management, 302,474 people visited the Centre’s events, including 12 specialised exhibitions, in January, February and March. The meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry in the United Arab Emirates currently generates a total of $653 million (AED 2.4b) per year and is expected to continue growing at about 7 per cent per annum until 2020. Overall, the GCC’s MICE market is estimated to be worth some $1.3 billion (AED 4.8b) annually. Located on Al Taawun Street in the centre of Sharjah city, the Expo Centre now has 6 exhibition halls surrounding a central boulevard, with a combined gross exhibition area of 26,000 square metres (279,862 sq. ft.) indoors, plus a further 6,000 square metres (64,583 sq. ft.) of outdoor space. A 200-room Novotel Sharjah Expo is currently under construction adjacent to the expo site. Sharjah is also building a new 370,000 square metre (4 million sq. ft.) exhibition and conference centre in Al Tai district, near the intersection of Emirates Road and Mleiha Road. Expected to open in November, the new centre’s first major event is going to be this year’s edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (1-11 November).

This year has been carefully planned out by the Dubai Tourism authority to enhance the retail tourism sector with super sales that run for short periods of time attracting the GCC tourists and residents alike. Retail therapy starts early this summer in Dubai with the 3-day Super Sale, a new citywide retail initiative that will offer shoppers the opportunity to pick up amazing deals across a range of merchandise at participating outlets from May 18-20. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), the 3-day Super Sale will offer shoppers incredible discounts of between 30 – 90 % on selected items at retailers across the city.  Saeed Mohammad Measam Al Falasi, Executive Director, Retail and Strategic Alliances, DFRE, said: “The 3-Day Super Sale initiative is part of our robust strategy revolving around the Retail Calendar to further boost the emirate’s retail sector with regular promotional periods that benefit both retailers and shoppers. Running promotions that offer retailers numerous options to boost sales during this time of the year will further enhance the emirate’s appeal as a year-round shopping hub, and helps us build on Dubai’s strong position as only the second city after London to host the most number of retail brands. The timing is perfect for shoppers, coming early in the summer and just a few days before the start of the month of Ramadan, followed by the Eid holiday period. We expect to re-energise the retail sector at this event, as large number of shoppers are bound to avail themselves of three days of huge savings.” According to a report by the Dubai Chamber of …

According to Dubai Municipality’s Director General Hussain Lootah, the massive 150 metre-high, 193 metre-long Dubai Frame project is expected to open in October 2017. Although construction started at the end of 2013, it was only recently that UAE residents saw the iconic landmark get covered in gold cladding. Once the project is completed in five months, visitors can access the Dubai Frame near Star Gate in Zabeel Park. It consists of two towers connected by a 100 square metre bridge. It was initially reported that Dubai’s newest landmark was due to open in 2015 but the Dh160 million project was pushed back to end of 2016, before its launch date was once again rescheduled. According to a statement issued by Dubai Municipality, the Frame will have interior spaces on the ground floor (the horizontal rib bottom of the frame) for exhibitions, which will display details of old Dubai in pictures and show how the city evolved since the sixties and how it is now. The ground floor ends at the main panoramic elevator, which goes up through the rib of the Frame to get to the top floor. At the top, visitors will have a bird’s-eye view of old Dubai as they look towards Al Karama, Umm Hurair, Bur Dubai and Deira, and as they turn around, will see the high-rise towers and development projects of new Dubai in contrast. The project is expected to attract 2 million visitors a year and will join the long list of internationally recognised landmarks, such as the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa and the seven-star hotel Burj Al Arab. Source: Gulf News

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited Dubai Holding where he was briefed on the new mega-project ‘Marsa Al Arab’. The new comprehensive tourist destination aims to elevate the family tourism proposition in Dubai as well as reinforce Jumeirah Group’s leading position locally and globally as one of the driving forces behind the growth and prosperity of the tourism sector in the emirate. The mega-project Marsa Al Arab is spread across 4 million sq. ft. and comprises two islands on both sides of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. It adds 2.2 km of beach frontage and will be the newest addition to Dubai’s long-standing track record of world-class tourist facilities. One island will be dedicated to entertainment and family tourism, while the other comprises an exclusive luxury resort. Through this resort, Jumeirah Group will introduce new leisure concepts and services to complement its existing family entertainment offer, which includes its portfolio of: Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Al Naseem, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Al Qasr and Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf. Marsa Al Arab will include a private yacht marina and a yacht club, in addition to recreational attractions, such as diverse food and beverage offerings, making it a globally attractive tourist destination. Amongst the features of this unique development is a helipad to accommodate the needs of the discerning guests. The project will also include a large retail space stretching across 20,000 sq. m, which will replace the current Wild Wadi Water Park area. The shopping centre will consist of international high-end brands, as well as a selection of restaurants and coffee shops to …

H.E. Awad Bin Saghir Al Ketbi, Undersecretary of the Supportive Services Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), recently inaugurated the 8th Travel Road Exhibition at MOHAP’s office in Dubai, in cooperation with Dnata. A number of international companies from the tourism and travel industries who presented MOHAP employees with the best travel and hotel offers participated in the exhibition. The exhibition was attended by Dr. Mohamed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention and Ministry Undersecretaries, who were interested in taking advantage of available travel options, competitive prices and tour packages to attractive tourist destinations in Eastern Asia and Europe as summer approaches, in addition to a range of hotel stays in the UAE that were also on offer. H.E. Al Ketbi commended the exhibition’s eighth consecutive year of success, noting how it has attracted the largest international companies in the fields of tourism and travel to provide the best offers and contribute to the happiness of employees, further motivating them to increase their performance and innovative abilities when providing services to clients. This, he said, will contribute to enhancing strategic partnerships with all private sectors. The Undersecretary also commended the cooperation of the participating travel and tourism companies. A raffle draw was held at the end of the exhibition that gave out various prizes to employees. Participating travel and tourism companies were honoured with certificates of participation, and were thanked for their effective contributions towards the success of the exhibition.

Dubai unveiled a new website to enhance awareness of the world-leading, premium golf destination that convenes – for the first time in one place – everything visitors and tour operators need to know about experiencing golf in the city. Launched at the Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) in Danang, Vietnam, golfindubai.com provides information on the first-class courses designed by legends including Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Greg Norman, as well as details on leisure and practice facilities and wider hospitality offers.  A video of Masters and Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion Sergio Garcia facing India’s Anirban Lahiri in a battle of the big hitters – filmed at Skydive Dubai with the backdrop of the city’s iconic skyline – gives a sample of the compelling content on the website. Visitors to the site can also win a VIP trip that includes a playing spot in the 2018 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am. golfindubai.com was launched by Falcon Golf, an entity announced in February of this year to optimise the benefits golf brings to Dubai working closely with key local stakeholders such as its golf clubs and tournament sponsors, as well as Dubai Sports Council, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Emirates Golf Federation. Commenting on the new website, Peter Dawson, Chairman of Falcon Golf, said: “Driving greater golf tourism is one of the key goals we set ourselves on our establishment, and I’m delighted that just a few months into our operations we have launched a website which for the first time provides one place where Dubai’s fantastic golf offering is showcased in full.

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) announced the launch of a new brand of hotels – Sharjah Collection – at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017. The announcement was part of Shurooq’s participation at the 24th edition of ATM 2017, which concluded on 27 April (Thursday) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The focus of Sharjah Collection with its luxurious lodge and B&B-style properties, coming up in Sharjah’s ecotourism and heritage sights being developed by Shurooq, will be to offer its guests unique and distinguished living experiences accented with an authentic taste of Arabian hospitality and rich in Emirati culture. In its first phase of development, Sharjah Collection unveiled its first three properties. Nestled within the Kalba eco-tourism project will be Kingfisher Lodge – a collection of tented lodge-style accommodations surrounded by mangroves and diverse ecological zones, allowing guests to live in an environment-friendly way. Their next development, Al Badayer Lodge, will be developed against the backdrop of a prominent natural feature of the Arabian Peninsula – its sweeping deserts of Al Badayer Oasis in Sharjah. The property will be developed to cater to the tastes of adventure lovers, where guests will enjoy urban amenities amid authentic Bedouin surroundings. The final property in the first phase, Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim, will comprise two four-star B&B villas in Heart of Sharjah, the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration project. Converted from old Emirati homes that belonged old heritage settlements, the B&B aims to provide visitors from around the world unique insights into traditional UAE living. “The launch of Sharjah Collection is in line with Shurooq’s strategic approach to elevate the standards of Sharjah’s hospitality sector. We are working towards building …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), announced the launch of “Dubai Expert,” an online educational game that has been created exclusively for travel agents. The announcement was made to travel professionals attending this year’s Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. Created in collaboration with the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and KTM Advance, a specialist in e-learning, the learning tool is a marked departure from traditional training programmes. It features an engaging interface that includes information on Dubai’s tourism attractions in an easily-digestible format that will enable agents to promote the Emirate as the ideal holiday destination to their customers from around the world. Speaking at ATM 2017, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Our partnerships with travel agents are critical to us as we look to expand our influence and reach across industry channels and stakeholders that influence tourists looking to visit Dubai. This also means that we need to keep developing new tools that allow us and our partners to highlight what makes Dubai a ‘must-visit’ destination. With the ‘Dubai Expert’ platform, we have used technology innovation to transcend typical training programmes and create an experience that enhances their knowledge of Dubai, so they can build customised itineraries that will attract more visitors. ‘Dubai Expert’ has been created to facilitate this process and is part of our continued endeavour to achieve our strategic goal of welcoming 20 million visitors by 2020.” ‘Dubai Expert’ operates as a turn-based card game, where participants will need to select the best cards – each with an attraction in the city – from an automatically generated deck, to create an ideal itinerary for a …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has announced its Mleiha Desert Resort, first five-star desert resort at the heart of Mleiha, for which it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Al Wanis, a Qatari tourism company established in Sharjah, to develop the AED 60 million project. As part of its unceasing efforts to mark Sharjah as one of the region’s premier tourism destinations and attract maximum overseas investment, Shurooq will be the local partner with “Al Wanis”. Mleiha Desert Resort will offer a range full of hotel services, restaurants, cafés, a health club, swimming pool and many other hospitality facilities associated with a world-class resort. The new luxury hospitality project encompasses a total area space of 300,000 sqm, of which the “Mleiha Desert Resort” and all its unique facilities, features and unique hospitality services and experiences will encompass a total area space of 60,000 sqm. The resort will include 45 exclusively designed vacation villas, modelled on classical desert marquees, each with the luxury of its own decking and private swimming pool. The “Royal Suite”, which is one of the four living options at the resort, encompasses a space of 167 sqm, and includes two uniquely designed rooms and a private swimming pool. Additional options include the “King Suite”, expected to encompass a total space of 155 sqm, “Junior Suite”, encompassing a total space of 90 sqm and the “Standard Suite” which offers a unique living on a total space of 85 sqm.

Dubai’s tourism sector sustained the momentum of its strong 2017 start, with the emirate’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) reporting a 11 per cent increase in overnight visitation in the first three months of the year compared to the same period in 2016. January to March 2017 saw 4.57 million travellers visit the city, reflecting more than double the growth achieved in the first quarter of last year. Among Dubai’s top 20 source markets for inbound tourism, China and Russia continued to top the growth trajectory charts with unparalleled 64 per cent and 106 per cent increases over Q1 2016, delivering 230,000 and 126,000 tourists respectively. Attributable in large part to the positive regulatory changes enabling citizens from both countries to obtain free visas-on-arrival in the UAE, this performance spike has resulted in both countries moving up in their rankings as key feeder markets for Dubai, with China at number four and Russia at number 11, edging closer to a return to the top 10. Retaining their stronghold on the top three positions were India, KSA and UK, accounting collectively for 30 per cent of total Q1 visitation to Dubai, with India becoming the first ever market to record nearly 580,000 visitors in any one quarter, with a massive 23 per cent growth in arrivals between January and March. Despite its 8 per cent drop over 2016, driven due to a backward shift in annual school holidays, KSA continued to drive volumes with 440,000 visitors, while UK rallied growth across the mega markets with its 5 per cent increase to mitigate the declines from KSA and Oman, which rounded off the top 5 with 214,000 overnight guests. …