Tag Archives: Saif Saeed Ghobash

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that the fourth edition of ‘Mother of the Nation Festival’ (MOTN) is set to return to Abu Dhabi from March 12-23, 2019, in conjunction with the Special Olympics World Games, taking place from March 14-21. More than 7,500 athletes from 192 countries are set to participate in the Games, which are being held in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time. The festival pays tribute to the living legacy of the original ‘Mother of the Nation’, HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union and President of the Supreme Council of Motherhood and Childhood. It embodies her inspirational values of empowerment, conservation, collaboration and sustainability. MOTN is committed to providing a wide array of entertainment through performances, workshops, dining, retail offers and activities for the entire family to enjoy over the course of 12 days. The festival’s campaign will embody the spirit of the ‘Year of Tolerance’ through a number of activities, which will once again be held along a kilometre of Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. It will offer something for everyone to enjoy, from musical and entertainment performances and art exhibits to interactive workshops, in addition to the newly introduced Special Olympics Zone. There will also be an e-sports gaming championship in the Progress Zone, while the Happiness Zone returns with an array of exhilarating activities. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “This year, we are delighted to host the Special Olympics World Summer Games as part of the fourth edition of the Mother of the Nation Festival. This …

DCT Abu Dhabi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) to host the MTA’s annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress for the first time in Abu Dhabi . The event brings together experts and organisations from over 100 countries and attracts more than 10,000 visitors, approximately 200 exhibitors and sponsors and up to 100 hosted VIP buyers. The MoU agreement, signed by HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi and Jonathan Edelheit, CEO, Medical Tourism Association and Chairman & Co-Founder, Global Healthcare Resources, opens a pathway for the two entities to further build a medical tourism proposition for consumer markets in key areas, including Russia, China, India and across the GCC. The agreement also includes the opening of a new MTA office in Abu Dhabi as well as the production of a new Abu Dhabi Destination Guide, which will be used to further promote the destination for the targeted regions. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “This agreement is in line with our mandate to promote Abu Dhabi on the world stage and to support Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030, designed to guide our emirate’s growth and development. The experience and knowledge shared under this MoU will greatly enhance the emirate’s ability to appeal to our intended markets as we look to increase the contribution of medical tourism to the UAE’s economy.” Jonathan Edelheit, Chairman & CEO, Medical Tourism Association, said, “The partnership between the MTA and DCT Abu Dhabi will boost the medical travel industry. It is our goal to establish Abu Dhabi as the most trusted medical tourism destination, initiating joint trade missions into the GCC, China and …

Held in Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat from April 8-12, CultureSummit brought together global leaders from the fields of arts, media, public policy and technology to discuss the role of culture in building bridges and promoting positive change in society. Steering Committee member HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “As the world’s first high-level summit of leaders across the arts, technology and policy, convening figures from every corner of the world is no small feat. It wouldn’t be possible without the support and global reach of Etihad Airways, which in this case truly lives up to its mission of ‘Bringing the world together.'” Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President – Commercial, Etihad Airways, said, “With the recent opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, in addition to a number of major events held throughout the year, Abu Dhabi is quickly establishing itself as a vibrant hub for the arts and culture. The CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018, which is set to welcome approximately 500 participants from 80 countries, is a unique opportunity to showcase Abu Dhabi to the world, and Etihad Airways is honoured to play a role in bringing the world together for this inspiring event.” The theme for CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018 is ‘Unexpected Collaborations: Forging New Connections Between Heritage and Innovation, Near and Far, Creativity and Purpose.’

The Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is set to launch ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ app on February 27. The digital initiative will act as a one-stop reference point for all information relating to culture in Abu Dhabi  and will be available in three languages – Arabic, English and French. It will feature on iOS and Android and can be accessed online at abudhabiculture.ae. The initiative, planned to launch as part of UAE Innovation Month, will allow users to gain instant access to information on all aspects of cultural life and heritage in the emirate. ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ will educate culture-seeking locals, expats and tourists on one level, at the same time as becoming a reference point for researchers and academics in search of more detailed information. “This product has been designed to maximise accessibility to Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural landscape,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, DCT. “The Abu Dhabi Culture digital experience will be a truly connected hub, immersing users and inspiring them to experience our culture for themselves. The mobile app will provide a ‘360 degree experience’, a comprehensive interactive map, a personalised interface, user-generated stories as well as features which will allow travellers to plan their trip,” Ghobash said.

According to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT), the emirate recorded an impressive 9.8 per cent year-on-year rise. The number of guests staying in Abu Dhabi during the year rose by 10.3 per cent to reach 4,295,030 across its 131 hotels and hotel apartments. The Al Ain Region recorded a 5.5 per cent increase to 450,328 guests across its 20 hotels and the Al Dhafra Region rose 8.2 per cent to number 130,180 guests at its 11 hotels and hotel apartments. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, DCT, said, “Record numbers of people are visiting Abu Dhabi year after year and we continue to go from strength to strength in positioning ourselves as a distinctive global tourist destination steeped in culture and heritage. A near double digit year-on-year growth in the number of guests staying in all three regions of the emirate is testament to our drive and determination in helping the emirate evolve as a ‘must-visit’ place. Abu Dhabi’s unique cultural archetypes, combined with diverse natural landscapes, cultural and historic sites will continue to help us grow by 11 per cent per annum to achieve 8.5 million visitors by 2021.”

Hotel guests to all three regions of Abu Dhabi increased in total by 5 per cent in September as compared to the same month in the previous year, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. Increases for hotel guests have been recorded as 14 per cent in the Al Dhafra Region, 8 per cent in the Al Ain Region and 4 per cent in Abu Dhabi city with a total occupancy rate of 69 per cent. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, “Globally, we have invested heavily in marketing Abu Dhabi as a destination of distinction with an emphasis on its history, culture and heritage. Our strategy is to highlight Abu Dhabi as a wealth of natural and man-made attractions across all regions while providing luxurious yet affordable choices of accommodation.” While September saw a slight drop in domestic tourists into Abu Dhabi, the month was marked by a surge in Chinese hotel guests, recording an increase of 133 per cent in comparison to September 2016. India remained the largest international source market with more than 33,000 hotel guests during the month.

The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi will launch an incentive scheme to develop content and programme collaboration with the private sector to drive inbound tourism growth. Already home to more than 800 events including spectacles such as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi Food Festival, Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Abu Dhabi Classics international concert season, the tourism body is now incentivising international, regional and local companies to build on this success and further enhance the programme. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, “Throughout the year, we host a wide range of flagship events as part of our ongoing commitment to creating rich, engaging and vibrant cultural experiences for our residents and visitors. We intend to expand our events calendar in partnership with the private sector while adding value to our established events programme.” The Advantage Events Abu Dhabi initiative is being introduced to boost the emirate’s appeal as a thriving tourism destination by funding leisure and entertainment events driven by the private sector.