Tag Archives: Dubai World Trade Centre

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018 today, marking the start of the 25th edition of the show. He was joined by Nick Pilbream, Divisional Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, and other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the exhibition as the four-day industry showcase got underway. This year’s show, held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25, 2018, has more than 400 main stand holders with representation from over 150 countries. With more than 40,000 visitors expected to attend, ATM 2018 will showcase over 2,500 exhibiting companies and 65 national pavilions. ATM 2018 has adopted Responsible Tourism – including sustainable travel trends – as its main theme and this will be integrated across all show verticals and activities. Arabian Travel Market celebrated its silver jubilee with over 2,500 exhibitors and 40,000 industry professionals from 150 countries. Travel trade professionals from across the world’s hospitality industry will showcase the largest exhibition of regional and global hotel brands, with hotels comprising 20% of the total show area. ATM 2018 will welcome over 2,500 confirmed exhibitors including 65 national pavilions. More than 100 new exhibitors are set to make their ATM debut this year, including Visit Finland, Guizhou Province of China, Hungarian Tourism Agency, Polish Tourist Organisation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubai Municipality Leisure Facilities Department, Yas Experiences, Indigo Airlines, Kurdistan Tourism, Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office and Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, to name a few.

Emirates Palace has partnered with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) to launch UAE’s premiere catering company–Emirates Palace Catering by Dubai World Trade Centre (EPC by DWTC). This joint venture is set to elevate the events and catering scene in the capital, offering the best in local and international cuisine. The collaboration will bring a fully integrated, turn-key catering enterprise, both for events at the hotel and off-site. Commenting on the partnership, His Excellency Sultan Dahi Al Hameeri, Managing Director, Emirates Palace Company Owners (EPCO) said, “The collaboration of two such distinguished brands is the answer to the capital’s demand for a catering concept that attends to the needs of our discerning local community and offers traditional cuisine. EPC by DWTC will strive for a level of luxury and distinction that is simply unprecedented in the region”. Mahir Julfar, Senior Vice President–Venue Services Management, DWTC said, “Our partnership with a celebrated brand like the Emirates Palace allows us to tap into the capital’s thriving culinary scene, showcasing our market-leading skills and offering guests events that are most memorable.”

Chinese arrivals to the GCC is set to increase 21 per cent by 2021, rising to 2.5 million visitors annually, according to data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2018, to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25. The data predicts Saudi Arabia will experience the highest proportionate increase in arrivals from China, up 35 per cent on 2016 figures. The UAE will follow at 20 per cent, with Oman at 12 per cent and Bahrain and Kuwait at 7 per cent. GCC countries currently attract 1.9 per cent of China’s total outbound market, up from 1.3 per cent in 2012, however positive trends are expected to continue as 154 million Chinese tourists prepare to go abroad in 2018. Figures from ATM 2017 show the number of delegates, exhibitors and attendees interested in doing business with China had increased 63 per cent on the previous year. Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said, “The outbound Chinese market represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers and the GCC has been a destination of choice for years. Owing to its many business opportunities and a new generation of leisure attractions, figures show the GCC is poised to further capitalise on these trends over the coming years as millions of Chinese make their first international trip.”

The number of Russian tourists travelling to the GCC in 2020 is expected to be 38 per cent higher than the arrival figures recorded for 2016, according to data published recently by Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018, set to take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25, 2018. As the UAE has started granting visa on arrival earlier last year, there has been quite a rapid growth of Russian tourists to Dubai. Looking at the economic drivers, the value of the Russian rouble is stable and firming gradually, helped by Russia’s decision to join OPEC and cut oil production. Over the last 25 years, Russia has been well represented at ATM, with exhibitors including Moscow City Government, National Tourist Union and the city of St Petersburg. Russian visitors to the exhibition increased 17 per cent YOY between 2016 and 2017 and 9.4 per cent of total visitors last year were interested in doing business with Russia. Russia’s links with the GCC strengthened in 2017 with the introduction of additional airline routes, visas on arrival in the UAE for Russians, new generation of leisure attractions, retail destinations and a broad range of hotels and resorts across the GCC region.

The inaugural Dubai Association Conference opened on December 11 at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. Industry leaders from around the globe attended the two-day event. The leaders of the Dubai Association Centre expressed optimism about the future for associations in the emirate. The Dubai Association Conference is being hosted by the Dubai Association Centre (DAC), a joint initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). In the opening session, His Excellency Helal Al Marri, Director General, DTCM and DWTC, and His Excellency Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed their vision for growing the association market community in Dubai and the wider Middle East region. The programme will focus on building the association community, skill development for association executives and sharing best practices from around the world.

The Dubai Association Centre (DAC), a joint initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), in collaboration with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), has announced the launch of the first-ever Dubai Association Conference which will be held 11-12 December 2017, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event, a first of its kind in the region, reinforces the crucial role associations play in Dubai’s socio-economic development and its transition to a knowledge-based economy. The announcement was made at the prestigious Associations World Congress that is currently underway in Vienna, Austria. The Dubai Association Conference will welcome association executives from regional and international associations, government representatives, university faculties and students as well as other professionals with an interest in developing associations. The inaugural Conference, under the theme of ‘Building a Community’, is designed to cater to an increasing number of associations that are looking to expand within the Middle East, and the growing industries across disciplines from technology and healthcare to education and finance. It will also provide a platform to gain insights from international and regional experts on the latest trends in areas such as membership, online communities, restructuring education, volunteerism and governance, among others.

International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Arabia is set to take place on the first two days of the four-day ATM (April 24-25) located in Hall 1 of the Dubai World Trade Centre. ILTM Arabia will target high net-worth travellers from throughout the GCC and wider Middle East region, with buyers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar expected to have a particularly strong presence. Expenditure on outbound travel from the Middle East is expected to reach $165.3 billion by 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Highlighting the buoyant outbound travel market, another report, issued by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (2015 Tourism Highlights), which includes research teams from Frost & Sullivan and Insights Middle East, revealed a 9 per cent growth in the number of outbound travellers from the region in 2015, while the total estimated value of outbound travellers from the GCC in 2014 was $64 billion. Alison Gilmore, Portfolio Director for ILTM, said: “The Arabian outbound market is established and affluent, with a growing generation of individuals looking to spend their leisure time in the world’s finest places. This year we are inviting some of our closest partners to experience the new ILTM Arabia and explore the increasing business opportunities from the region’s highest net worth travellers.” Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, commented: “Although low oil prices and sluggish economic growth at home might be stifling business confidence, the strength of the US dollar of which many of the GCC currencies are pegged to, means travelling overseas is invariably better value than it was in the past. The UAE for example witnessed a 19% increase in outbound trips to Europe in …

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is expected to welcome over half a million visitors this month to events that cover a range of subjects from sustainable economic development to B2B and B2C technology. With over 350,000 visitors attending technology events alone, DWTC continues to solidify Dubai’s position as the leading regional hub for ICT development and innovation. DWTC kick-started October with GITEX Shopper 2016, the region’s most popular consumer electronics and IT show, setting the momentum for strong footfall at the venue. Economic sustainability events early in the month were also leading contributors to the budding visitor numbers. Organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), The World Green Economic Summit and Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), have been two key events in ushering in thousands of visitors interested in resource and economic sustainability. Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President – Venues, DWTC said, “As the MICE sector is an important facilitator of economic diversification and contributed 3.1 per cent to the Emirate’s GDP last year, it is a core focus for us to bring diverse conferences and events to the city. This month, in addition to popular technology events, we are also welcoming professionals from the fields of healthcare, mining, environment as well as entertainment.” The rest of October will continue to see growing visitor numbers that include technology professionals, entrepreneurs and industry specialists as they gather for region’s largest technology event, GITEX Technology Week.

In order to further enhance Dubai’s position as a year-round tourism destination offering unique leisure, shopping and entertainment experiences, the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is organising the “Big Clearance Sale” from September 1-3, at Dubai World Trade Centre’s Za’abeel Halls 1, 2 and 3. Bringing together some of the biggest retail groups – Azadea Group, Apparel Group, M. H. Alshaya Co, Al Ghurair Retail and Landmark Group – under one roof, the “Big Clearance Sale” will give residents and visitors the opportunity to buy an array of designer products from their favourite international brands at unmatchable prices. Shoppers can expect over 80 per cent off on a host of merchandise, ranging from fashion apparel and accessories, to cosmetics, perfumes, shoes and much more. The three-day event features over 40 international brands, including  Zara Home, Salsa, Old Navy, Juicy Couture, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Debenhams, Topshop, H&M, Springfield and Steve Madden, to name a few. Saeed Mohammed Mesam Alfalasi, Executive Director, Retail and Strategic Alliances, DFRE, said: “Now a permanent fixture in Dubai’s retail calendar, The Big Clearance Sale has helped to further reinforce Dubai’s position as the leading shopping destination in the region.  This popular event provides the perfect environment for shoppers to snap up a bargain or two, while giving retailers an opportunity to hold a one-of-a-kind end-of-season sale prior to introducing their new collections. Following closely on the success of Dubai Summer Surprises, we believe The Big Spring Clearance Sale will help keep up the momentum in the retail sector. The Big Clearance Sale is a reflection of the energy and inspiration …