Tag Archives: His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted the latest quarterly meetings of its Business Events and Exhibitions Committees, providing industry stakeholders with updates on restarting and scaling up events since their resumption in September and the roadmap for the sector as Dubai continues to lead the global recovery. Held virtually to maximize attendance during the Holy Month, the two meetings, presided by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, were part of a series of meetings and townhalls the department has hosted throughout the global pandemic to both keep stakeholders updated on all stages of the recovery and obtain their inputs on various issues. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Guided by the city’s prudent leadership over the past year, Dubai has been able to lead the way globally not only in wider tourism recovery but specifically in the restart of business events. Thanks to the efforts of our stakeholders across the sector, the momentum we built at the end of 2020 has gathered pace this year, with strong optimism for the coming months to further leverage our status as one of the few cities globally to be safely hosting business events of all sizes. As the countdown towards Expo 2020 Dubai continues, business events are playing a vital role in attracting more visitors and showcasing this as a safe city for international gatherings, and also recapturing economic growth across all economic sectors.  We remain attuned to the needs of our stakeholders as we continue on our path and welcome their input, collaboration, and expertise.” HH Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Guided by the city’s prudent leadership over the past …

Key leaders in the business events sector and stakeholders from across Dubai shared their experiences of restarting exhibitions, trade shows and conferences over the last six months at the Dubai Global Events Re-Opening Forum organised on 18 March, as the global industry looks to follow the city’s lead and recapture momentum. Held against the backdrop of the Museum of The Future, the Forum featured leaders from Dubai Tourism, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Dubai Airports, Emirates, dmg events and Accor. UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) supported the event, with their global membership primed to benefit from the knowledge shared. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism and Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, said: “Driven by the city’s strong, decisive leadership and prudent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubai was not only able to reopen for international tourism ahead of its peers, but also restart the business events sector that plays a vital role in economic and knowledge development locally, regionally and globally. Working with stakeholders across the public and private sectors, we were able to create a framework that clearly demonstrated it was possible to both prioritise the health and safety of all participants and delegates, while at the same time provide platforms for showcasing new products and innovation, networking, professional development and knowledge sharing. We look forward to building on this over the coming months with more major business events on the calendar, as we accelerate towards the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai. We also welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other destinations and stakeholders internationally to ensure the global industry is able to restart …

Dubai has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its residents and holidaymakers. Dubai continues to take effective steps under the guidance of the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai to build on the strategic initiative to reopen the city to tourists and facilitate travel while maintaining stringent health and safety protocols. In addition, tourist visas for all nationalities will be extended for one month free of charge. Now is the time for holidaymakers to make the most of their trip and experience even more of Dubai. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), said, “With 2021 on the horizon, we look forward to continuing to welcome first time and repeat visitors to Dubai, with stringent health protocols and precautionary measures firmly in place.  We are pleased to continue to work closely with our strategic partners Emirates, as well as our hospitality partners, allowing holidaymakers to experience the vibrant energy of Dubai and all our iconic attractions, fantastic culinary and shopping experiences, and exciting festivals and events with added reassurance and flexibility.” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said, “Emirates has worked closely with all Dubai stakeholders to gradually restore our network and signature services, with all bio-safety measures in place. Since Dubai re-opened for international visitors, we’ve been seeing an upward trend in enquiries and bookings which reflects the confidence that travellers have in Dubai and in Emirates. Today, Emirates is flying to nearly 100 cities across the world, providing easy access to Dubai for international travellers and offering a …

Emirates’ multi-channel advertising campaign, which showcases Dubai’s diverse attractions to those seeking a winter getaway, will initially launch in the UK and key European markets on television, online and social media channels. The airline has also partnered with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) on a promotion to offer complimentary stays at the JW Marriott Marquis to all Emirates customers visiting Dubai from 6 December until 28 February 2021. Courtesy of Dubai Tourism and Emirates, the airline’s Economy Class passengers will receive a free night’s stay, while passengers flying First or Business Class can enjoy two complimentary nights’ stay at the modern JW Marriott Marquis which is conveniently located near attractions like the Dubai Mall, BurjKhalifa and the Dubai Opera. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) said, “The remarkable vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, have been a huge source of inspiration to us all, leading to the decisive and efficient management of the pandemic and ultimately paving the way for the reopening of the city to tourists in July. Since then, Dubai has seen a steady increase in visitors, underpinned by comprehensive measures to safeguard the wellbeing of our guests. Going into 2021, Dubai will continue to strengthen its offering for business and leisure visitors with the launch of new facilities and attractions, as well as the return of world-class conferences, events and festivals including the iconic Dubai Shopping Festival, and the first ever World Expo to be held in this region.” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said, …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) held a virtual meeting with leading tour operators to discuss a range of new guidelines that are being developed for tourist camps across the city that will positively impact the business of travel companies, further enhance the tourism experience and reinforce Dubai’s position as a must-visit destination. The new features that will be rolled out for tourist camps is based on the latest Executive Council Resolution No. (24) of 2020 that was issued by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism, commented, “As we continue to take a measured and coordinated approach towards a full reopening of the tourism sector, the strategic directive by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai on regulating tourist camp operations is a timely boost to the business of travel companies, and is a reflection of our commitment to work closely with our stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable and resilient tourism economy. The Resolution is also testament to the continued support of our visionary leadership to showcase Dubai as the most preferred destination that provides UAE residents and visitors a diversity of experiences. Dubai Tourism will continue to work with its stakeholders and partners to further strengthen Dubai’s destination proposition and ensure that it stays at the forefront of the world’s widely recommended cities for global travellers.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) reaffirmed its strong commitment to support its stakeholders in the UAE and across the world through a series of virtual meetings to discuss the current and post-pandemic situation. The meetings specifically reviewed the robust mechanism in place to safeguard the health of residents and visitors, and addressed a wide range of queries raised by participants on industry-related COVID-19 regulations, the phased reopening of economic sectors and various measures to kick-start the tourism sector. Presided by the Director General of Dubai Tourism, the meetings were attended by hoteliers and top executives of hospitality groups including Jumeirah, Emaar Hospitality Group, Marriott International, Hilton, IHG, Millennium Group, Accor, Kerzner International, AAAGroup, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Nakheel, Majid Al Futtaim, Lakhraim, Abu Dhabi National Hotel, JA Resorts and Hotels, IHG, Shangri-La, Al Habtoor Group, Atlantis – The Palm, Hyatt International, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, Caesars Bluewaters Dubai, Wasl Hospitality and Rotana, in addition to Emirates. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, commented, “As the continuous collaboration between the government and private sectors is key to reviving and maintaining tourism growth, it is encouraging to know that this unique model of public-private sector partnership combined with the comprehensive result-oriented citywide management of the COVID-19 pandemic, has already contributed towards achieving significant progress in the current and second phase of our recovery plan, which is the gradual reopening of economic sectors.” HE Helal Almarri added, “With travel behaviours remaining fluid and travellers set to become even more discerning and prudent in their travel choices, we welcome the commitment shown by our partners to work together to help prepare the ground for a meaningful tourism …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) held a virtual meeting with key aviation and hospitality partners to discuss current and post-pandemic strategies and joint initiatives aimed at ensuring the tourism industry’s gradual return to normalcy. The meeting also discussed global efforts to minimise the transmission of COVID-19 and precautionary measures deployed to safeguard the health of communities across the UAE. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, commented, “It must be emphasised that the health and safety of our residents and guests will always remain our top priority as we continue to work with the industry and our government partners not just during this critical period but beyond, to develop innovative approaches, real-time responses, and proactive yet prudent initiatives to ensure that Dubai remains at the forefront of the world’s leading destinations in line with our strategy.” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “As health and hygiene standards will play an influential role in encouraging people to travel, we have put in place a set of health and safety protocols at our airports including all necessary quarantine arrangements and the implementation of sanitisation and disinfection measures to reassure tourists that Dubai is one of the safest destinations to visit. We will also continue to receive incoming flights from select destinations, operate cargo flights, as well as flights to repatriate expatriates and guests to their home destinations.” Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Airline, said, “Emirates commences passenger flights between Dubai and nine destinations from 21 May – London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, and we will also offer connections in Dubai for customers travelling between the UK and …

Dubai’s tourism industry closed a successful decade at the end of 2019, welcoming an all-time high 16.73 million international overnight visitors, an impressive 5.1 per cent increase in tourism volumes, definitively surpassing the global tourism growth forecast by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) by over one per cent. With momentum firmly tracking against Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25, latest data released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) reflects the sector’s exponential progress in a compressed time-frame relative to peers, culminating in Dubai being ranked the World’s Fourth Most Visited City for the fifth consecutive year by MasterCard’s Global Destination Cities Index 2019. Rapidly gaining traction on the ‘travel wish list’ for today’s global traveller, 2019 not only delivered record tourist arrivals and indicated strong desirability for future visits, but also reinforced tourism’s role as key economic growth driver. Contributing an impressive 11.5 per cent in GDP value, Dubai’s tourism sector was ranked one of ‘Top 10’ strongest economic share generators, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Cities Report 2019. The Report also ranked Dubai the third largest city in capturing direct international tourism spending with a total of US $27.9 billion. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “This past decade, and 2019 in particular, have delivered unmatched acceleration in Dubai’s stature as a ‘Destination of Choice’ for global travellers assuring advancement towards 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 it the #1 most visited, preferred and revisited global city. While the global economy remains in a state of flux, we can clearly …

Dubai welcomed 12.08 million international overnight visitors in the first nine months of 2019, according to the latest visitation figures released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). The strong 4.3 per cent increase in volume growth compared to the same period last year was supported by highly participatory contributions from both traditional and emerging markets, that has continued to capture strong shares of the tourist wallet, further stimulating Dubai’s GDP impact, and the city’s remarkable consistency in transforming itself to respond to global competition. The positive performance, which drew over 1.23 million visitors to the city in September, an above-market average increase of 7.3 per cent over the same month in 2018, coincided with Dubai being ranked the fourth most visited city in the world for the fifth year in a row in Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index 2019, a clear indication that Dubai is continuously renewing its attractiveness to remain a leading global destination. Dubai Tourism’s multi-dimensional market-specific strategies and customised campaigns continued to yield tangible results particularly showcasing the city’s ability to reinvent itself and remain ‘top-of mind’ to both new and repeat audiences across regular strongholds – India, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Oman. Together with China that remained the world’s largest tourism volume driver, these five leading feeder countries surpassed the five million threshold for the first nine months of 2019. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “With Dubai cementing its ranking as the fourth most visited city in the world, the positive growth achieved in the first three quarters this year is exemplary of the unfailing support and confidence of our leadership – His Highness …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has provided an outlook of the industry to stakeholders and partners, highlighting the positive year-to-date international visitation, sharing destination insights and drawing attention to the innovative marketing initiatives that have been launched to further boost visitor numbers. Dubai Tourism also discussed ways of increasing collaboration with its partners, and emphasised the importance of aligning with, and leveraging all efforts including the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai to achieve the goals of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25. The strategic meetings were held recently between HE Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism and key executives from leading entities in the travel and hospitality sectors including Emirates, flydubai, Jumeirah, Marriot International, IHG, Al Habtoor Group, Atlantis, The Palm, and Emaar Hospitality Group. HE Helal Saeed Almarri, said, “Such strategic meetings serve as a platform to highlight various marketing campaigns and initiatives launched by Dubai Tourism to attract more visitors to the city. We would also like our partners to be aligned with the various developments in the industry and to take advantage of the diverse campaigns and all efforts that are being made to realise the goals of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25.” Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer – MEA, Marriott International, said, “We strongly believe in the future of Dubai and under the vision of its leaders, Dubai Tourism does a remarkable job of positioning and evolving Dubai as an international business and leisure hub.” Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said, “We have a deep understanding of the country’s unique culture and business environment and an exceptional partnership with Dubai Tourism, who have been extremely focused on …