Tag Archives: Issam Kazim

Hospitality Sales & Marketing International Middle East (HSMAI) has announced the inaugural ROC Middle East conference, as a hybrid edition to Stay Connected, Stay Informed and Stay Relevant, is taking place on Sunday December 6, 2020. The hybrid Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) is being delivered in these challenging environments with the hope to lead the hospitality industry to resume business activities, re-connect again and exchange best practices. Bob Gilbert, President & CEO of HSMAI says, “We take great pride that the Middle East region is able to deliver the inaugural 2020 ROC conference in a physical and virtual setting. In an unprecedented year that has challenged us all, we are pleased to continue our industry support and deliver a true hybrid event.” “The hospitality sector in Dubai has displayed tremendous resilience through the challenges of 2020, and it has also been one that has stepped up to the plate to drive the tourism rebound and ensure visitors can feel safe while enjoying everything the city has to offer. Thanks to the effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic initiated by Dubai and the UAE’s leadership, we have been able to resume vital conferences like this one, which contribute to economic growth not only here, but across the wider region. As we look to build on the strong performance since the resumption of international tourism in July and gather momentum into 2021, HSMAI Middle East ROC attendees – both physical and virtual – will play a critical role,” says Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Mona Faraj, managing director of HSMAI Middle East says, “ROC 2020 is a collaboration masterpiece uniting great brands towards one goal. Without the …

Dubai’s business events sector continues to lay the groundwork for a sustainable post-Covid recovery, with the city marking a number of major bid wins as meetings professionals around the world look to get their plans back on track. Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, has worked with stakeholders across Dubai to add a number of new events into the pipeline in recent months, including the following, all taking place in 2021: International DIP Symposium on Diabetes, Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome and Pregnancy; World Independent Advertising Award Conference; and Omnilife Latin America Incentive. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “Despite all the challenges faced by the global Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai’s ability to maintain a pipeline of business events over the coming years is a continued testament to both the response of the city’s leadership to tackle the situation and the resilience of our stakeholders, who continued to work together to elevate the city and sustain its appeal to a truly global audience. With international meetings already taking place again in Dubai, the city is primed to lead the business event sector’s resurgence, re-cementing the vital role they play in driving economic growth and providing a platform for networking, professional development and knowledge sharing.” Steen Jakobsen, Assistant Vice President, Dubai Business Events, said: “Just as the global calendar of business events has been disrupted over the past few months, so have bidding cycles and timelines for choosing destinations for future events. Nevertheless, we continue to see increasing interest from meetings professionals around the world and clear determination to get plans back on track. In a number of cases, where unfortunately other cities have not …

Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is ramping up its marketing efforts worldwide through a brand new global campaign, ‘Live Your Story’ designed to highlight the unique ways in which travellers can create their own special holiday experiences across the city. The ‘Live Your Story’ campaign was launched as a digital activation on Emirates’ popular inflight entertainment system, and will be gradually rolled out this month in 20 languages and via multiple platforms in key source markets that have reopened amid the pandemic. The campaign encourages visitors to enjoy much more than the world famous landmarks and attractions that are synonymous with Dubai’s tourism offering. It underscores the many exciting choices that await travellers and invites them to customise exceptional and ‘Only in Dubai’ experiences to suit their tastes, as well as bond with and benefit from the diversity of cultures that are intrinsic to the social fabric of this global metropolis. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “As Dubai continues to welcome international tourists, we are also constantly looking at innovative ways to sustain global interest and consideration for the city as the first choice destination for travellers. With an ever-evolving destination proposition, Dubai is renowned for its array of offerings that visitors can enjoy, whether they are first timers or repeat visitors. However, as we make the transition to the new normal, people will be seeking unique and personalised travel experiences, and this campaign highlights our readiness to cater to such preferences. ‘Live Your Story’ shows a transformative shift in the way we position Dubai from a city of iconic skyscrapers and landmarks to a destination that celebrates …

Dubai Association Centre (DAC) is poised to see a strong uplift in new licensed associations through the rest of 2020, having supported its registered associations through the global Covid-19 pandemic. And with the challenges faced globally putting a renewed spotlight on the need for knowledge sharing and collaboration, DAC’s ability to bolster the contribution being made by associations in key professions and sectors to the development of the city’s knowledge economy is set to be more important than ever before. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newly licensed associations and look forward to seeing them benefit from and contribute to the numerous opportunities Dubai has to offer as a global knowledge and business events hub. We look forward to building relationships with more associations – both from around the world and those already with a presence in Dubai – and to give them a better understanding of the benefits of registering with DAC.” Kazim added, “The ability of the Dubai Association Centre to grow its membership during difficult circumstances is a testament to Dubai’s reputation as a preferred hub for international and professional associations. We are closely watching economic developments and their impact on the emirate’s association sector and exploring new ways that we can support DAC members and help them prepare for a post-Covid-recovery.” Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President, Venue Services Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, said, “The opening of DAC’s new headquarters in DWTC’s One Central development at the end of 2019 was another important step in fostering a strong association community in the city, providing registered associations with an …

OceanAir’s camel riding and desert BBQ offering winning the top global award for Experiences in Tripadvisor’s 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards. An initiative of Tripadvisor and its subsidiary company Viator, the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards saw OceanAir’s much sought after activity, the Premium Red Dunes & Camel Safari with BBQ at Al Khayma Camp taking the No.1 spot in the Top 5 experiences worldwide. The Awards recognise the world’s top experiences featuring tours and activities as decided by Tripadvisor and Viator travellers. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) said, “Dubai Tourism congratulates OceanAir for this significant achievement, as well as for the package of experiences it provides to attract tourists to the city. The Award is testament to the strength of the relationships we have built with our stakeholders and partners, both in the domestic and key international markets.” Essam Salah, OceanAir Travels, Co-Founder & CEO, said, “OceanAir would like to dedicate this Award to the government and people of the UAE and extends its heartfelt thanks to all guests for their endorsement of our desert offering, and to the company’s dedicated team of tourism professionals for working hard to ensure that visitors are able to enjoy the best handpicked destination experiences in Dubai.” Jasem Al Shehhi, General Manager, OceanAir Travels assured that the company is going ahead with its future projects to expand in safari projects and heritage restaurants serving locals and tourists alike, focusing specifically on sustainable tourism projects and preserving environments, which is one of the vital sectors that Dubai Tourism places special priority on, ahead of preparation for Expo 2021. He pointed out that OceanAir established Al Khayma Company, which refers …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has partnered with Microsoft to further streamline data-driven services offered to stakeholders, enhance the e-learning platform for Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and adopt an innovative approach towards showcasing the city as a must-visit destination. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented, “As we plan for future scenarios, cloud based solutions have emerged as a crucial element of Dubai Tourism’s digital transformation strategy because of the secure, sustainable and scalable nature of the technology. The diversity of our partnership with Microsoft will add to our efforts to embed world class technology solutions to our business systems and further enhance the scope of cutting-edge digital services that we provide our stakeholders in real-time, to help ensure Dubai stays ahead of the curve and also maintain its position at the forefront of the world’s leading travel destinations.” “Microsoft Azure has been at the heart of the company’s efforts to form several strategic partnerships across UAE’s public and private businesses and accelerate their digital transformation agendas by migrating to the cloud,” said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. “Our partnership with Dubai Tourism enables their platform to seek better customer engagement, empower its workforce, optimise operations and reinvent products and services. This is made possible by our two cloud regions in the UAE serving customers across the region to innovate and grow.” Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager, Dubai College of Tourism, said, “Dubai College of Tourism established a strong online learning platform even before the pandemic and today the advantages of using such a system have become more important than ever. Indeed, in this challenging environment, we are able …

Dubai Business Events (DBE) has signed eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with entities across the public and private sector, formalising and reinforcing collaborations that are set to attract more conferences, congresses and meetings to Dubai and ensure that, while business events globally may have been impacted by Covid-19, in the longer term they will continue to be strong drivers of tourism and economic development for the city, as well as critical pillars for knowledge and scientific advancements. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “A core part of our success as a destination in recent years has been the steady growth in business events, and these MoUs between DBE and entities across Dubai underline our commitment to bidding for and winning events from a wide range of sectors and industries.” Professor Zaid Hani Baqain, Deputy Vice Chancellor for International Relations at MBRU and Dean and Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Hamdan bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine said, “At MBRU our mission is to advance health in the UAE and the region through an innovative and integrated academic health system, that’s nationally responsive and globally connected. Together with DTCM we will push Dubai to new frontiers when it comes to scientific congresses.” Rayed Alarashi, AAPP Board Director, said, “This is especially significant as collaborations with international professional bodies to co-host activities in the UAE will be our focus in the coming years.” Waleed Refaay, AAPP Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, added: “As a young association it is vital to continue with strategic partnerships with such great organisations, and this will help AAPP to grow and continue its mission of connecting …

flydubai has begun welcoming tourists to Dubai following the lifting of flight restrictions that were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 8, flydubai flight FZ 728 from Kiev’s Boryspil International Airport (KBP) arrived at Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) at 21:45. Onboard the flight were 07 Business Class passengers and 159 Economy Class passengers who were welcomed on arrival from representatives from the airline, Dubai Airports, Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) and other key stakeholders. Amongst the passengers were 25 tourists who chose Dubai as their first holiday destination. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer of flydubai, said, “As more airports around our network begin to lift flight restrictions, we look forward to seeing our network grow to 66 destinations over the summer period. We have been hard at work to redesign our passenger journey in order to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19. These efforts are aligned to the stringent public health and safety measures that are in place to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive in Dubai.” Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “The overall destination experience is our top-most priority, and together with flydubai, are ensuring that the health and safety of visitors is present at every step of the travel process. As Dubai continues to feature as a must-visit destination, we want to assure our visitors that the city is safe and we are very excited to welcome international visitors back.” “All of the staff at Dubai Airports have been eagerly awaiting the restart of operations of our home-based airlines and therefore it is a welcome milestone to see people coming back …

As Dubai prepares to welcome tourists on July 7, families and residents from across the UAE are busy experiencing the diverse attractions and experiences that have reopened in Dubai following a temporary closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The top family attractions that have been reactivated join the list of tourism, retail and recreational facilities and amenities that have reopened in Dubai including public and hotel beaches, shopping malls, restaurants, swimming pools and golf courses, as well as the resumption of popular activities like water sports and camping. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “As Dubai has reopened, we will reinforce our commitment to not only provide residents and visitors a well-rounded destination experience but also ensure their health and safety remains our key priority. With the initial focus being on reviving demand for domestic tourism, Dubai’s travel and hospitality sectors are now eagerly waiting to welcome visitors from the wider international market. Dubai Tourism is also continuing to work closely with the city’s network of stakeholders across the public and private sectors, and its partners overseas to provide people from around the world the opportunity to enjoy the wide diversity of offerings in one of the world’s safest destinations.” In addition to the standard requirements of social distancing and wearing a face mask at all times, the family entertainment destinations, from those providing indoor excitement to outdoor adventures, have also deployed a wide range of other precautionary and preventive measures to safeguard the health of visitors across all customer facing touch-points in their respective facilities and surrounding environments. The attractions have advised visitors to book or buy their tickets online to facilitate …

Dubai Business Events (DBE) hosted the third edition of Dubai Global Wedding Excellence Retreat from 9-12 January, 2020. The retreat was held as part of the city’s wider efforts to attract destination weddings and further diversify Dubai’s visitor base. Over the course of four days, the retreat welcomed over 75 destination wedding planners, industry experts and influencers from around the globe with participants coming from India, Turkey, Lebanon, Nigeria, UK, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Jordan, US, China, Australia and GCC. The itinerary consisted of inspection visits and events at key hotels, venues and attractions around the city in partnership with stakeholders in the hospitality, events and entertainment sectors. Highlights of the retreat included- an opening party at The Ritz-Carlton Dubai; a themed lunch at Kinara by Vikas Khanna at the new JA Lake View Hotel; a gala dinner at Sofitel Dubai The Palm; and a closing party at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai. In addition, the retreat included a Leadership Forum at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, with experts discussing current trends and challenges in the destination wedding sector as well as a workshop of business meetings between the participants and Dubai based wedding industry suppliers.   Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “During their stay, the wedding planners were able to see and experience the city’s diverse offerings and services available to them, and all of this was made possible by the strong support we saw from stakeholders across Dubai, in addition to broadening the overall tourism horizon. As we continue to leverage opportunities to further expand Dubai’s visitor base, destination weddings hold strong potential, with the city’s combination of world class and …