Tag Archives: Dubai

DXB gets ready to ensure a smooth start for Hajj pilgrims

The Hajj Committee at Dubai Airports convened recently to discuss comprehensive preparations to facilitate the smooth and seamless travel of Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year. The committee, which comprises key service partners including Dubai Police, the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai Customs, Dubai Health Authority, flydubai, Emirates, Saudi Airlines, and flynas, among others, aims to deliver an exceptional airport experience for the pilgrims across all terminals at DXB. Mohammad Al Marzouqi, Head of the Hajj Committee, emphasised on the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders and service partners as the key to maintaining service quality especially during annual peak travel seasons. Dubai Airports is committed to providing world-class passenger facilities and services, to ensure the comfort, convenience, and safety of all guests arriving at and departing from DXB.

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Dubai underlines commitment to achieving D33 goals through business events by participating at IMEX 2023

Dubai Business Events (DBE) has kicked off its participation at IMEX Frankfurt 2023, bringing its largest ever delegation of co-exhibitors from across the city and engaging in a full schedule of engagements and interactions with buyers, industry partners and stakeholders, with over 1,000 meetings expected over the course of three days (23-25 May). The strong presence at IMEX is underlining the contribution business events are set to make towards achieving the goals of the ambitious Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The city’s official convention bureau, part of the Department of Economy and Tourism, is once again highly visible at the major industry trade show, which is being attended by over 4,000 meeting planners from around the world. DBE has been joined by 35 co-exhibitors from across the city’s business events ecosystem, including hotels, venues, attractions, destination management companies and airlines. Among them are Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates, Expo City Dubai and various hotels groups. Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai this January, D33 aims to double Dubai’s economy over the next decade and consolidate its position among the top three global cities Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “Dubai’s business events ecosystem continues to be an important driver of not only increased visitation to the city and tourism-related GDP, but also the development of key sectors and the growth of the wider knowledge economy. The city’s robust presence at IMEX presents a strong message to the global industry that Dubai can provide them with a comprehensive platform for sharing knowledge, professional development and networking. From association congresses and corporate meetings …

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Dubai expands its beach tourism offering with the opening of three new beaches for night swimming

Dubai Municipality has further expanded its beach tourism offering with the opening of three new beaches for night swimming in Jumeirah 2, Jumeirah 3 and Umm Suqeim 1. The 800-metre-long night-swimming beaches feature lighting systems, which enable residents and tourists to swim around the clock, and electronic screens that display content aimed at increasing safety awareness among beachgoers. His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said: “The new night-swimming beaches are part of Dubai Municipality’s efforts to contribute to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the emirate the world’s best place to live and visit. The initiative also forms part of the Municipality’s beach development plan aimed at providing distinctive experiences. The new facilities will further raise Dubai’s status as a beach tourism destination. Dubai Municipality will continue to develop the emirate’s picturesque beaches into some of the city’s most compelling outdoor attractions.” The emirate’s wide diversity of beaches, each with its own unique charm, provide people the opportunity to enjoy vibrant seaside dining and diverse activities. The beaches are key attractions that form part of Dubai’s unique tourism, lifestyle and leisure proposition for residents and visitors. In collaboration with its partners, Dubai Municipality has developed unique new facilities to improve the experience of beachgoers including lighting systems and electronic screens that allow them to swim securely 24/7. The beaches have qualified lifeguards outfitted with state-of-the-art rescue and emergency instruments to ensure the highest safety benchmarks. Night swimming timelines at the beaches will be from sunset to sunrise, the Municipality said. To enhance safety, Dubai Municipality recommends that …

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Dubai welcomes 4.67 million overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2023

Dubai welcomed 4.67 million international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 3.97 million tourists during the same period in 2022. This marks a 17 % YoY growth and the city’s best Q1 performance since the pandemic, placing it firmly on track to becoming the most visited international destination, according to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The growth, which sets the city on course to full tourism recovery, contributes to the goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai this January, to consolidate Dubai’s status as one of the world’s top three cities. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “The remarkable growth in international visitation achieved by Dubai in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrates the city’s emergence as one of the key destinations leading the way in the rebound of the global tourism sector. This achievement has been made possible by the far-reaching vision of the leadership to transform Dubai into one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolises and the globe’s pre-eminent hub for travel, talent, entrepreneurship and investment. The Dubai Economic Agenda recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, charts an ambitious new path for Dubai to enhance its contributions to shaping the future of the global economy. The tourism sector is not only the strongest pillars of our economy but also a key enabler …

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Korean Air to resume daily flights from Dubai to Seoul/Incheon

In keeping with their stance to return to normalcy after the challenging years, Korean Air announced the resumption of daily flights from Dubai to Seoul/Incheon from 20th April. This shows the solidarity between the two destinations and that the travellers are keen on discovering from both sides of the world. Kyung Seon Park – Regional Manager Middle East, Korean Air reiterated, “Korean Air’s Dubai route has served as a gateway that connects South Korea and the Middle East countries. In order to provide a more convenient schedule for business travelers related to Korean companies’ projects in the Middle East and travelers interested in traveling to the Korea & Middle east, the frequency of Korean Air flights has been increased to the same daily as before COVID-19. Passengers can taste bibimbap, Korea’s unique food (vegetable mixed rice), as an in-flight meal, and receive the best service on board. We truly provide excellence in flight.” The past few years witnessed a great increase of travellers opting to visit Korea especially due to the K -Pop music culture which became a great crowd puller towards the destination. In the UAE, concerts were held pulling massive crowds of both local and expat communities enjoying the music of this great nation. Business travellers on the other hand can enjoy the daily flights as they can frequent their travel once again just as it was prior to the pandemic. Korean Air has been serving the Middle East clientele for a long period of time. The flight timings are quite convenient for travellers whether business or leisure to visit Korea, as it departs Dubai in the evening and arrives in Incheon the next day. In terms of …

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Dubai receives 674k medical tourists from across the world in 2022

Dubai saw remarkable growth in medical tourism in 2022 with 674,000 medical tourists spending AED992 million in the year, an increase of AED262 million from 2021. According to a report issued by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), 39% per cent of the medical tourists who came to Dubai were from Asian countries, 22% from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and 21 % from Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. His Excellency Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, said Dubai’s ability to provide high-quality patient-centered medical care has accelerated its growth as an Arab, regional and international healthcare destination. Dubai’s strategic location, safety, exceptional infrastructure and world-leading amenities add to the factors that have raised its status as a medical tourism hub, he noted. The three specialities that saw the highest number of medical tourists were dermatology (31%) dentistry (24%) and gynecology (18%). Medical tourists from Asia, Europe and Africa, including from GCC and Arab countries also visited Dubai for treatment in the fields of orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, fertility treatments, hospitalisation and recovery. Al Ketbi further said Dubai’s vision to provide a world-class healthcare model and an integrated medical care system that offers cutting-edge facilities, advanced technologies, smart solutions and state-of-the-art treatment methods, as well as highly-qualified professionals across all fields of medicine have driven its global competitiveness in the sector. Highlighting the fact that the healthcare sector plays an important role in enhancing the quality of life of people, Al Ketbi said the Dubai Health Authority has adopted a clear strategy to expand the role of this vital sector in raising the welfare of the community. DHA is committed to attracting …

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United Airlines launches nonstop service between New York/Newark and Dubai

United Airlines has launched a new nonstop daily service between its New York/Newark hub and Dubai International (DXB). United is the only U.S. airline to offer non-stop flights between Dubai and the United States, flying to more destinations in the Middle East than any other U.S. airline. The new service marks United’s return to Dubai, which the airline previously served up until 2016. The launch of the new service is part of United’s historic commercial agreement with Emirates, announced in 2022, enhancing each airline’s network and giving customers easier access to hundreds of destinations within the United States and around the world. Customers from the U.S. flying to Dubai can travel onwards with Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 different cities, providing more options to connect across the Middle East than ever before, whilst customers flying from Dubai to New York can take advantage of onward connections with United to over 80 destinations across the Americas. The agreement between United and Emirates also provides loyalty programme members of both airlines additional opportunities for more rewards: United MileagePlusSM members flying on United’s Newark/New York to Dubai flight can earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond to select Emirates destinations in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, whilst Emirates Skywards members will be able to earn miles when they travel on United operated flights. Customers booked to fly in United PolarisSM can also take advantage of access to Emirates lounges when travelling on, or connecting to and from, United’s new Dubai service. “At United, we’re committed to expanding and enhancing our network to give our customers the best access to destinations around the world – all while …

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HH Mohammed bin Rashid amends Decree on events in Dubai

In his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued Decree No. (5) of 2023 amending some provisions of Decree No. 25 of 2013 pertaining to the eLicensing and eTicketing System for events in Dubai. Under the provisions of Decree No. (5) of 2023, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has waived the collection of 10% of the actual or estimated value of a ticket sold, or up to AED10 per guest, as stipulated in the previous Decree. However, it will continue to levy the fees for the annual subscription to the E-Permit and E-Ticketing system. The new Decree is one of a series resolutions issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum aimed at raising Dubai’s economic competitiveness, creating a pro-growth business environment, and further raising standards across sectors. Recently, His Highness issued a resolution to establish new corporations affiliated with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism to enhance key economic growth drivers including business attractiveness, development initiatives, ease of doing business, consumer protection and sectoral governance. By helping enhance Dubai’s position as an international events destination, the move supports the objective of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate the emirate’s position as one of the world’s top three cities and the leadership’s vision to transform Dubai into the globe’s best city to live, visit and work. The new Decree is part of Dubai’s initiatives to constantly enhance its legislative and regulatory frameworks to improve its economic capabilities and competitiveness. It is also aligned with the emirate’s efforts to provide various incentives to strengthen Dubai’s economic ecosystem and enhance growth. Ahmed …

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Travel & Tourism jobs surpassing 2019 levels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi:WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) revealed positive signs of recovery for the Travel & Tourism sector in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as overseas travellers head back, providing a much-needed boost to economies across the country. The report, researched in partnership with Oxford Economics, analysed key indicators such as Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend. The analysis of the impact of the Travel & Tourism sector in both cities shows that, the direct GDP contribution, jobs, and visitor spending are all bouncing back. The WTTC Cities Economic Impact Report shows that in 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed almost AED 51BN to Dubai’s and AED 12.5BN to Abu Dhabi’s economy. But although the pandemic had a damaging effect for many countries around the world, the UAE demonstrated remarkable resilience.  In 2020, Travel & Tourism’s GDP contribution in both cities dropped by more than half. In Dubai it fell to AED 19.5BN and in Abu Dhabi it fell to just AED 6BN.  But the global tourism body’s research shows a strong recovery for both cities.  Dubai’s Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to have reached AED 46BN, only 10% below 2019 levels and Abu Dhabi’s Travel & Tourism sector is expected to have grown to AED 11BN last year, just 12% below 2019 levels. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “City destinations in the UAE continue to grow in popularity for travellers from around the world. “Although these key cities were heavily affected by the pandemic, they have shown incredible resilience and signs of growth. The UAE’s Travel & Tourism sector is on the road to recovery, demonstrative of the wide appeal tourist destinations …

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Atout France launches e-learning platform for travel trade in the region

Ensuring that France would still be the top of the mind destination, Atout France kicks off the year with a tailor made e-learning programme designed for the travel trade in the Middle East, called “France Connaisseur.” This platform consists of 19 modules which provide content relevant to the travel trade to better understand the destination, think out of the box and design packages and itineraries combined with areas in France that are hitherto unknown. Karim Mekachera – Director Middle East and Turkey – Atout France addressing the travel trade shared that it was important to keep the travel trade updated after the challenging years, hence they conducted various research and compiled a platform tailor made for the region. Mekachera reiterated about the destination France plan for 2030. “The e-learning platform is brand new and today we launched it for the first time in the region. The whole world went through a crisis, but the resilience is there so now we have to update the knowledge of the travel trade professionals on the knowledge about the destination, this is the first reason, secondly, we want to go beyond the traditional destinations and we have to help the travel trade to think outside the box, for this we need to give them the right tools and the right content to design some new itineraries, new packages for their clientele. I think of course, Paris is Paris, the gateway to France, the French Alps for Ski and the French Riviera for the summer season but there are also many other destinations to discover in the country and that is the aim of this e-learning programme.” Zamira Ismatova – Travel Trade Manager Middle East …

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