Tag Archives: events

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and his Azerbaijani counterpart H.E. Mikayil Jabbarov during the sessions on intergovernmental joint partnerships between the UAE and Azerbaijan expressed their interest in organizing joint tourism exhibitions, events, and conferences to highlight the key tourism and historical attractions of both countries and to leverage their diverse tourism offerings The collaboration is expected to boost tourism inflows from across the globe, particularly given that there are over 185 flights connecting the two destinations every month, operated by the UAE’s national carriers. Both parties discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the areas of digitalization, innovation, and technology. The need to exchange insights on the development of an innovative ecosystem and promote cooperative efforts between the government entities focused on AI and innovative solutions in both countries was highlighted. The ninth session of the UAE-Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission (JIC) for Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation between the two countries was held in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; and his Azerbaijani counterpart H.E. Mikayil Jabbarov. The session was attended by several senior officials and government and private sector representatives from both sides. During the meeting, the UAE and Azerbaijan agreed to develop their existing economic partnership in the sectors of entrepreneurship, SMEs, new economy, tourism, aviation, industry, innovation, technology, agriculture, food security, logistics, culture, energy, renewable energy and investment. H.E. Bin Touq stated that the UAE and Azerbaijan share strong strategic relations and economic partnerships that have evolved over more than three decades. These relations are characterized by the frequent exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. The most recent of them was …

Speaking with TravelTV Middle East at the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh, Haitham Mattar – Managing Director MEA and South West Asia, IHG Hotels and Resorts shared that this week is among the busiest in Riyadh with World Economic Forum and Future Hospitality Summit taking place simultaneously in the city of Riyadh. He reiterated that the hotels are enjoying a great return as they are operating in full swing. IHG Hotels and Resorts is the largest hotel operator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with many properties in Mecca, Madinah and Riyadh. Mattar reiterated that the government of Saudi Arabia’s flexibility in visa has created many visitors to explore the kingdom and the MICE and event sector has grown exponentially over the past few months. He reiterated that the city of Riyadh has seen multiple events over the past few months which has brought in visitors from across the globe. Their foot print has been growing right throughout the past few years and they will focus more in the Kingdom in bringing new brands to the kingdom and introducing their brands across the different cities.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) welcomed 2.47 million participants in 2023, marking a remarkable 25% increase in visitation compared to the previous year. The results were driven by 301 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), business and consumer events, a notable 23% rise year-on-year. The impressive increase in visitors reflects the strength of DWTC’s diversified content-rich calendar, led by 107 Exhibitions and International Association Conventions and Industry Conferences. These events collectively attracted 1.56 million attendees, marking a substantial 33% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, over 722,000 were international attendees, representing an unprecedented 60% growth year-on-year. These industry-leading events and exhibitions saw a participation of 53,789 exhibiting companies, representing a remarkable 45% increase over last year. An unprecedented 78% of these exhibiting companies were international (41,864), further reinforcing DWTC’s ability in consistently drawing both new and repeat international participants. The surge in foreign business attendees furthers the aspirations of the D33 Agenda, to propel Dubai to be a top three global economic city by 2033. The diversity of DWTC’s robust events calendar was further reinforced with its consumer and leisure events portfolio growing last year to host a total of 35 entertainment, live, and leisure events collectively attracting over 850,000 visitors. Commenting on the outstanding results, H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, said: “DWTC’s increasingly diverse exhibitions and events portfolio, along with its allied businesses, continue to go from strength to strength. Our results underscore the robust dynamics of the emirate’s thriving economy and strategic focus on key industry sectors, reinforcing Dubai’s leading status as a global hub for knowledge, innovation and business. The past year has been shaped by extraordinary momentum …

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) is extending a warm invitation to travellers from GCC, encouraging them to immerse themselves in the country’s rich cultural tapestry. In 2024, visitors exploring Germany will encounter a rich mosaic of experiences, each unique to different parts of the country. Germany’s event calendar is brimming with a variety of engagements, ensuring that every visit is both memorable and distinct. This diverse range of events showcases the country’s cultural richness and promises an enriching journey for all who travel there. GNTO has shared a lineup of events across Germany for the year 2024 as a guide for travellers from GCC to some of the most anticipated happenings that will inspire their next journey to the heart of Europe. Each of these events reflects Germany’s commitment to celebrating its rich heritage and contemporary vibrancy. From the serene beauty of historic art to the roaring excitement of football matches, from the enchanting routes of fairy tales to the reflective significance of historical anniversaries, Germany in 2024 offers a spectrum of experiences. Hamburg will be in the spotlight as it hosts the biggest port festival in the world. The Hamburg Port Anniversary, from May 9 to 12, will feature an extended range of events, including maritime presentations on the Elbe, the Grand Arrival Parade, the Tugboat Ballet, and spectacular fireworks show. The festival atmosphere will extend along the docks, with over 420 stand operators and performers, ensuring a lively and diverse experience for all visitors. Football fans will have a reason to cheer as Germany hosts the European Championship 2024 from 14 June to 14 July across ten host cities. Berlin, Munich, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, …

MeetChina, the business forum for travel buyers from China and tourism suppliers from the MENA region, returns to Yas Island Abu Dhabi for the first time since the pandemic. Taking place at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, the event will kick off on September 4, 2023, with two days of intensive meetings aimed at reestablishing tourism ties between China and the region. MeetChina is owned and operated by NPI Media, with the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) along with Yas Island as the Destination Partner. Now in its 10th year, the 2023 edition will welcome up to 100 top senior-level Chinese travel buyers. Playing an integral role in the resurgence of China’s outbound travel market, MeetChina guarantees tourism stakeholders from across the UAE an opportunity to secure business from China through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings and networking sessions over the course of two days. Event registration is open to government tourism organisations, hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), attractions, excursion providers, shopping malls and luxury retail brands. In 2019, outbound travel from China contributed over US$253 billion to the global economy – the highest of any country. Chinese tourists took more than 150 million trips during the year, making them outsized contributors to the international travel market. Earlier this year, the country eased all restrictions, allowing outbound travel activity to resume. According to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), Chinese travellers are projected to take around 110 million international trips in 2023, which is two-thirds of the 2019 level, while 2024 will see the country’s outbound travel figures touch the 155 million mark. During the past decade, China consistently ranked among …

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 …

In keeping with the longest running retail tourism festival, Dubai shopping festival which attracts the domestic visitors as well as international travellers year on year, this year with almost every source market opening up also brings in a lot more events to be enjoyed by the visitors. Some of the most interesting   Dubai Calendar, the official listing platform for events in the city, is gearing up to kick-start the 2023 line-up of events and live entertainment with an incredible range of music, culture and sport events which will take place throughout the city during January and February 2023. These include a host of epic live entertainment events such as Dubai Beats and Cirque Du Soleil, and sporting spectacles including Dubai Desert Classic, and much more. Dubai Shopping Festival have collaborated with Core Direction to create the region’s first ever camping, music and movement festival, COREUNITY. The event will be taking place in Hatta from 13th-15th January, working with the team who presented Yoga At The Top – Burj Khalifa and Movement & Music at the Dubai Opera Garden, to deliver an epic weekend of fun, wellness and adventure. For a night full of laughter with some of the region’s leading comedians and actors, head to Dubai World Trade Centre’s Sheikh Rashid Hall for The Sixth World War. The hilarious performance will feature stars including Hassan Al Balam, Zahra Arafat, Muhammad Al Ramadan, Fahd Al Bannai and Abdulaziz Al Nassar, and will be taking place from 13th-14th January. Get your mystery-solving hat on with a unique game of uncovering clues as the globally renowned Murder Mystery experience arrives at Al Seef Heritage Hotel Dubai and will run until 12th March. Be …

The global events industry has entered recalibration mode as it rebounds from a two-year COVID induced hiatus which has forced it to re-examine its future operation strategies and human resource challenges, the Middle East Event Show & Awards 2022 has heard. The show, which connects the Middle East MICE and live events industry, took place at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai over June 15 and 16 with more than 70 innovative exhibitors and uniting over 2500 event and entertainment industry professionals with two days of interactive learning, connections, and collaboration. More than 50 industry leaders took to the event’s seminar stages to address emerging sector challenges including the need for greater sustainability through the creation of carbon neutral events with NetZero builds, slow technology adoption, inclusivity in the workplace and the likely impact of the emergence of the Metaverse. Dan Bolton, Owner & Director, BE Experiential & Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency said the turbulent COVID times had made future workforces address the very ethos of the industry and the sector now needed to address mounting concerns over sector sustainability. “As employers, we must be more transparent, authentic and communicative in how we perceive what we ask of our employees, since the wants and needs of the industry are rapidly changing,” he said. “The way to engage, manage, hire, retain and grow people needs to be more empathetic. Culturally, too, event industry employers need to move away from ‘virtual’ and focus on reconnecting with their employees in person.” “The industry is youthful in its essence; and we all have to come together and hire across the spectrum – with age, gender, race, and nationality not being an impediment in …

Marriott International is offering event planners and meeting organisers new benefits for bookings at participating hotels across Middle East and Africa (MEA) as part of its ‘Rewarding Events Made Here’ promotion. Meeting planners can now choose from a plethora of unique experiences and earning opportunities across the group’s portfolio of distinct brands. It is now possible to book a meeting, event or group stay at a participating Marriott International property in the region and take advantage of a range of fantastic benefits including 5 per cent saving on the master bill, Double Marriott Rewards points, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards points or SPG Starpoints and earning a signing bonus of 3,000 Marriott Rewards, SPG Starpoints or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Points for every 10 room nights booked. Providing event organisers and travel planners the opportunity to make stays even more special, the ‘Rewarding Events Made Here’ promotion is available for meetings, events or group stays with 10 rooms per night or more. Bookings must be made before June 30, 2019 for stays at participating hotels from now until January 31, 2020. Offer is available at all participating brands in the region with the exception of Marriott Executive Apartments, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Element, Residence Inn and Design Hotels. Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, MEA, Marriott International, commented, “We are witnessing a rapid change in the way businesses and individuals plan events and to meet the increasing demands within this growing segment, it is vital that we create packages that not only offer great value, but also rewards on bookings. Whether it is a meeting, a conference, group or an event, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences through personalised services, innovative …

Tamarind Global has gone international by expanding its presence to Dubai, a huge source market for Indian weddings and events. The company already has a presence in Dubai for its tours vertical. It will now offer a bouquet of event and wedding services to support its domestic and international operations from the Dubai office. Weddings and events will be supported by destination selection, planning and budgeting, guest list and vendor management, hospitality, travel and logistics, décor, F&B, entertainment and fashion consultations for the bride and groom wear. Apart from this, MiCE events will also be supported. A team of two will start the base of operations at the Dubai office. Kunal Rai, Vice President – Events and Weddings, will head the Dubai vertical, “With the launch of our Dubai office, Tamarind now offers its services to a ‘global’ audience. We aim to lead the market by providing an all-inclusive bouquet of services to make each event unique, glamorous and memorable.” Elucidating on the reason for expanding to Dubai, he said, “With the progressive growth of the Middle East as a popular destination, Dubai is the best choice to set up a regional HQ. It will act as a start point that will drive maximum output to penetrate primarily the UAE and Middle East market.”