Dubai’s skyline is in a constant state of change as new infrastructure keeps emerging
New infrastructure is helping to speed up Dubai’s goal of becoming the preferred hub for international associations and dream destination for business events. By Karen Yue and Feizal Samath
Dubai has made inroads in the associations congress sector since setting up the Dubai Associations Centre (DAC) in 2013. Some 23 international associations have established offices in Dubai since then, generating a number of meetings in the emirate.
More than offering international associations keen on expanding across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia a serviced office from which to conduct business, the DAC provides licensing and registration services, association management services through its partner MCI, and event planning services for meetings and conferences held in Dubai.
Layla Derraz, promotion and events representative from the DAC, shared that a further 50 applications are being processed now.
The DAC has drawn great interest from international associations, and those that have already established an office at the DAC include UITP (an international association for public transport authorities, operators, policy makers and other key stakeholders in the public transport field), GSMA (an international associations for mobile operators and those in related industries) and MENAFA (Middle East & North Africa Franchise Association),” said Derraz.
To better cope with the demand, an expansion project is underway to add to the DAC’s current capacity in the Sheikh Rashid Tower, part of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Steen Jakobsen, director with Dubai Business Events, said: “There is a huge amount of development around the complex where DAC is, and multiple sites are in the pipeline. A second office will open next to the Dubai World Trade Centre and it will support new international associations that are entering the region.”
Jakobsen added that the DAC has contributed to Dubai Business Events’ ultimate goal of attracting more business events.
Jakobsen shared that a roundtable with several associations in April revealed that they had been hosting more events – both regional and international congresses – since coming into Dubai.
But more than just building Dubai up as a convenient hub for expanding international associations, Jakobsen said efforts are also being made to “ensure that once delegates are here for an event, they will have a great experience”.
He elaborated: “We work with many local partners to ensure that the entire experience is smooth and seamless, from boarding the plane and flying into Dubai, to stepping out of the airport and using the metro, to checking in at the hotel, to attending off-site dinners, taking camel rides, going on a safari cruise and shopping in a mall.
“We believe that when you have this great experience in Dubai, you are more likely to come back.”
Supplementing Dubai Business Events’ commitment to building a complete and perfect destination experience for meeting delegates is a slew of new products that are coming onstream.
A new convention centre in Al Jaddaf will be completed in two years’ time. The complex, which can host events with 10,000 people at any one time, will feature a variety of event spaces including the 17,652m2 Shaikh Rashid Hall and five smaller multipurpose halls, with each being able to accommodate 1,000 people. These halls will be linked to two hotels – a three-star and a four-star – and a 36-storey office building via the Concourse. The air-conditioned 150m-long Concourse corridor will house shops and restaurants.
New accommodation options coming on stream this year is the Viceroy Dubai at Palm Jumeirah with 477 guestrooms and 222 signature residences, and by 2017 are the 100-key Bvlgari Resort & Residences on the seahorse-shaped Jumeirah Bay Island and the 300-key Venu Bluewaters Island Hotel.
Meeting delegates headed for Dubai this year can also expect to find new fun at the Dubai Opera, a 2,000-seat performing arts centre in downtown Dubai, and IMG Worlds of Adventure indoor theme park. Both will open in August.
And before the year is out, Dubai will also be home to Dubai Parks and Resorts, an integrated resort with theme parks like Motiongate (Hollywood), Legoland and Bollywood Parks.
Yet another star attraction on the horizon is the Dubai-I ferris wheel, opening in 2017.
Shopping opportunities are aplenty too, with new retail outlets opening in the destination at a rapid pace.
Investments in public transport now aim to put air-conditioned and speedy cars, trams and buses on the roads to take travellers from the airport to hotels, shopping malls, entertainment centres and parks.
By 2030, 25 per cent of all transportation options in Dubai will be smart and driverless as part of a strategy to become the smartest city in the world.
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Justine Thomas-Butler, Arabian Adventures
Justine Thomas-Butler, Head of meetings, incentives & events & congress solutions international, Arabian Adventures
A spectacular orientation
Dubai is one of the world’s most dynamic cities, with a skyline to rival Manhattan, yet its roots as a sleepy fishing village, port and trading hub remain one of the destination’s highlights. The city exploration offers guests a fascinating insight into Dubai’s history and development into a modern metropolis with numerous opportunities for photos. Old and new Dubai promises visits to iconic landmarks and architectural wonders such as the Burj Khalifa which provides you with outstanding views of the city and beyond into the desert.
A cultural insight
Accompanied by an Emirati, visitors walk through one of the oldest traditional Emirati neighbourhoods to leave their footprints down unique narrow sikkas (alleys) and feast their eyes on beautiful wind towers that adorn these original residences.
Visitors then return to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for a cultural discovery.
Later, a traditional meal awaits in a wind tower house that sits in the Al Bastakiya trading village in the Al Fahidi Historic District, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Bur Dubai.
Shop like a star
Imagine shopping with your very own personal stylist, whose wealth of knowledge and expertise makes for a stress-free, enjoyable experience. The personal shopper connects with the traveller ahead of time, to understand the individual’s taste and fashion needs and to plan the day.
A private consultation can be had at The Lounge at Fashion Avenue, the exclusive lounge of The Dubai Mall which offers stunning views over Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa.
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Sandy adventures in the desert
A mysterious desert always makes an ideal venue for a magical and memorable evening, especially when the experience is enhanced with thrilling four-wheel drives over sand dunes and an elaborate Middle Eastern feast under the starry skies.
According to Steen Jakobsen, director of Dubai Business Events, highlights of the excursion to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, located deep in the heart of the Dubai Desert, also includes a sunset photo stop among the dunes, sand-boarding and traditional entertainment by a belly dancer and a tanoura dancer during the evening feast in a lively traditional Bedouin-style camp.
Event planners can also weave in camel rides, henna tattoo painting, Arabic coffee making and aromatic shisha pipes for their delegates at the camp.
The six-hour excursion has been strongly promoted at travel roadshows and exhibitions as must-do activity for corporate groups taking their meetings and events to Dubai, according to Jakobsen.
Additional reporting by Feizal Samath
