Tag Archives: World Trade Centre

VFS Global officially inaugurated its new Abu Dhabi Joint Visa Application Centre at a more comfortable and premium location in terms of amenities and infrastructure. The newly relocated centre is situated at Level B2 (Lower Ground), The Mall, World Trade Centre, Khalifa Bin Zayed the 1st Street (Airport Road), Abu Dhabi. Spread across 24,000 square feet, the new centre serves 28 client governments and is expected to process over 100,000 visa applications annually. The centre is equipped with 72 application submission counters and can accommodate up to 1,500 applicants a day. For customers seeking luxury and convenience, the Abu Dhabi centre offers 24 submission counters in its Premium Lounges. The new centre is dedicated to the memory of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Former Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Founding Father of the UAE. Representing the UAE government and having unveiled the statue of His Highness Sheik Zayed – H.E. Dr. Ahmed Al Banna, Ambassador of the UAE to India, said, “Abu Dhabi is thrilled to welcome the seamless and automated VAC experience that this centre will deliver to travellers from Abu Dhabi.” Commenting on the launch of the new centre, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO for Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “The launch of the new Abu Dhabi centre, which is one of the biggest in the region, reflects our vision to provide world-class facilities to match the UAE capital’s strong demand for best-in-class visa application services.”

Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) 2018 is being organised from October 29-31, 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The event brings together ship owners and managers, port operators and cargo owners, C-Suite stakeholders, financiers, and other maritime professionals for a three-day international exhibition and conference programme. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the event is the official maritime exhibition to take place during the UAE Maritime Week 2018. Nearly 300 exhibitors from leading international maritime companies and over 8,000 attendees, including renowned local, regional and global maritime experts and specialists, are expected to join the trade show and its associated events. During the three days, participants are going to network, do business, strengthen and nurture new relationships, while hearing about industry topics within relevant and comprehensive conference sessions, seminars and panel discussions, among others. The topics to be discussed in the scheduled forums will revolve around autonomous shipping and automation, fuels of the future, digital and cyber technologies and environmental challenges within the shipping industry. Participants will also have an opportunity to meet the world’s leading suppliers covering supply, construction, and maintenance of vessels.

The UAE will continue to lead the GCC’s luxury hospitality segment to 2022, with 73 per cent of existing luxury hotel stock and 61 per cent of the region’s current luxury pipeline located in the country, according to data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2018, set to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25. The research demonstrates that luxury properties have increased three-fold in the GCC in just 10 years, with 95 per cent of these properties operated by international management brands. Despite taking the lead position, the UAE will face strong competition from Saudi Arabia, which is expected to witness the most significant increase in luxury hotel supply to 2022, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent from 2018 onwards. Historically, Saudi Arabia dominates CAGR trends, with luxury property development from 2013-2017 accounting for 11 per cent of the Kingdom’s growth in supply, compared to 8 per cent in the UAE, 7 per cent in Kuwait, 6 per cent in Oman and 5 per cent in Bahrain. In 2017, the UAE topped the table, with 35 per cent of the year’s pipeline made up of luxury projects most concentrated in Dubai.