Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has formed a new Business Events Stakeholders Committee, reinforcing its commitment to engage with the industry and re-establish its place at the heart of Dubai’s economic growth and development as a knowledge hub.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai Tourism, chaired the committee’s inaugural meeting on September 14 at Dubai World Trade Centre, updating members on the latest progress in reactivating the sector in the aftermath of the global Covid-19 pandemic and facilitating discussions around opportunities and challenges.
Comprising key industry stakeholders, the committee, which will meet regularly throughout the year, provides a platform for two-way dialogue around the continuous strategic and operational development of Dubai’s competitive position as a host city for international business events.
Among the participants in the inaugural session were senior officials from airlines, venues, hotels, DMCs and PCOs. Organisations represented included Emirates, Dubai World Trade Centre, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Alpha Destination Management, MCI Middle East and Expo 2020 Dubai.
Enabled by guidelines from Dubai Tourism and an aligned approach taken by stakeholders across the public and private sectors, the industry is looking to rapidly and safely rescale, with local business events resuming this week and international business events set to return from October 1. Upcoming events include The Airport Show (October 26-28), Annual Radiology Meeting (November 1-3 ) and Cityscape’s 2020 Real Estate Summit (November 16-17).
Helal added: “The formation of this committee underlines the collaborative approach we have sought to take across all our activities and in relation to all the tourism sub-sectors, and reinforces our commitment to supporting our stakeholders and ensuring Dubai leads the global post-pandemic recovery.
“Business events play a critical role in driving economic development and knowledge growth in Dubai and, with the city’s status as the Middle East’s undisputed hub for conferences, exhibitions and meetings, the resumption of activity here will have an impact on the wider region.”
Underpinning the resumption of business events this month are guidelines for organisers and venues that prioritise the health and safety of all parties involved. These complement the measures already in place across other touchpoints across the city, including airports, hotels, attractions and dining establishments that have already paved the way for the resumption of tourism since July 7.
