Month: May 2021

DUBAI, The Middle East Tourism Summit, organised by the International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC), in partnership with Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, rounded off its in-person event by calling for continued collaboration at the government level to support the recovery of the tourism industry in the Middle East.

Taleb Rifai, ITIC Chairman and former Secretary General UNWTO, said, “Governments must come together. They must work together. There is no sense in any country working on its own anymore.”

Themed ‘Invest-Rebuild-Restart the tourism industry in the Middle East’, the summit, which will also take place virtually on 27th May, was attended by high-level decision makers, professionals and investors who discussed the challenges, issues, opportunities, the way forward for the tourism industry in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit also focused on green sustainable investment, underscoring a new vision for responsible tourism recovery.

“Putting sustainability at the heart of the future development of the tourism industry in the Middle East will be crucial to meet the expectations of local and international visitors, who are now more socially aware and informed, than ever before. The industry has undoubtedly made huge strides in this area, with a range of initiatives across the sector positively impacting the environment,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, ATM.

Elsewhere on the conference agenda on the final day of ATM, was an insightful session entitled ‘East Meets West: Lessons Learned Leading to Recovery and On-going Resilience’ with guest panelists from industry associations such as the International Air Transport Association, the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

The overwhelming consensus was that it is extremely important that countries and destinations work together to share best practice and align protocols in order to get global travel restarted seamlessly and safely, a point reiterated by aviation experts earlier at ATM. According to the panel, the most pressing issues making the current situation so challenging for the industry is the fact that the situation remains unpredictable and there is a lack of clarity, which makes medium to long term planning very difficult.

Another popular seminar was a hotel summit session about the challenges to traditional hospitality, brought on by social distancing and the increased reliance on technology – impersonal by nature.

ATM continues next week with the highly anticipated ATM Virtual event, which takes place from 24 – 26 May. During the three-day showcase, those unable to attend the in-person event this year, will have the opportunity to view sessions recorded from the in-person event, as well as participate in a range of webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, destination briefings, as well as make new connections in one-on-one meetings.

Arival Dubai @ ATM will also take place during the virtual week. The event will feature a series of sessions covering current and future trends for operators of tours and attractions.

In addition, the Global Business Travel Association, the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organisation, will deliver the latest business travel content, research and education to drive the post-pandemic recovery and support growth in business travel.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Emirates has pledged its support to tourism in Indonesia through a Memorandum of Commitment (MoC) outlining joint marketing activities to promote the country.

The MoC was signed at Arabian Travel Market 2021, by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – Far East at Emirates and Nia Niscaya, Deputy Minister for Marketing, the Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia. Also present at the signing ceremony was K. Candra Negara, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia for Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer.

With Indonesia being an important part of the Emirates network since 1992, both parties will partner on joint campaigns that will benefit the airline and tourism for the Indonesian destinations and showcase their appeal to visitors and holiday-makers. Based on the long-standing and fruitful relationship that Emirates has shared with Indonesia over the years and the success of its routes to Jakarta and Bali, Emirates hopes to build on achievements so far and support in the recovery phase as restrictions ease in addition to providing valuable contributions to the country’s tourism sector.

By forging the new partnership, both parties have committed to strengthening the relationship through collaborations on strategies and marketing initiatives that will showcase what the destinations have to offer and positively impact its tourism industry and economy.

The agreement will see marketing activities including support for attendance of tourism trade shows and fairs, trade familiarisation trips, product presentations and workshops, advertising campaigns, the provision of logistical support, amongst others, to be undertaken jointly by Emirates and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, as Indonesia is gearing up to welcome back international visitors.

Emirates commenced its operations in Indonesia with the launch of its route to Jakarta in 1992 and increased its frequency to twice-daily flights in 2010. In 2015 began serving its second destination in Indonesia with the addition of Bali to its network, with non-stop daily flights. In 2018, Emirates launched its linked service between Bali and Auckland, providing direct and convenient access for travellers from New Zealand to visit the exotic island destination.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, ENOC Group today announced plans to open 25 new service stations across the UAE by the end of 2021, 12 service stations in Sharjah, 11 in Dubai and two in the Northern Emirates.

ENOC will also build one marine service station in Dubai. Three of the 11 stations planned in Dubai will be compact stations, which will be located in Dubai South, DAFZA and Dragon Mart, International City and will be ready by 2021.

The Group also plans to open five more compact stations by 2022, one in Dubai and four in Ras Al Khaimah. With the new expansion, ENOC will strengthen its fuel retail presence from 152 service stations that are currently operational to 177 across the UAE by end of the year.

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO, ENOC Group, commented, “As a National Oil company, we are committed to building the infrastructure of the UAE to meet the growing demand. The expansion of our service station network complements our focus to expand our retail footprint to serve the community.

“As the nation prepares for the next 50 years to celebrate the UAE Centennial 2071, we are committed to increase investments infrastructure and in Dubai. The Group is aligned with the government’s long-term plans, such as Dubai Plan 2040, which aims to provide the best quality of life for Dubai residents and pave the way for the next major residential and economic development in Dubai; making it one of the preferred destinations to live by 2040.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, said that the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is a key pillar of the national economy, and that the UAE continues to give increasing attention to the sector through initiatives and programmes launched to support entrepreneurship in the city.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan said: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has continued to emphasise the role of youth in building the future and the importance of empowering them through providing them with opportunities that enable them to reach their full potential. We are committed to realising HH’s vision and introducing solutions and initiatives that will transform their creative energies into achievements that support our development journey.”

His Highness’s remarks came as he launched ‘Dubai Next,’ an integrated digital platform that allows ambitious youth and innovators from diverse nationalities in Dubai to secure the required funding to launch their projects.

“The ‘Dubai Next’ platform will contribute to stimulating positive competition and encouraging youth to put forward innovative ideas as well as obtain community support through crowdfunding. It will also empower a generation that is capable of innovating to succeed in a competitive commercial environment, thus reinforcing the fundamental role of SMEs in economic development so that the UAE can continue to stand as a model for youth empowerment,” H.H. said.

Crowdfunding is the use of small amounts of capital from individuals to finance a new business venture. With the use of digital technologies, aspiring entrepreneurs can now present their ideas and projects to a larger segment of the community locally and globally, and obtain direct financing or support in marketing the idea.

H.H. praised the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME), the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the SME sector, for its role in strengthening the UAE’s status as a leading pioneer in promoting entrepreneurship. Trade is an essential component of the national economy and part of the social and cultural heritage of the UAE, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan said, noting that the UAE has always been keen to provide youth with incentives to launch their own businesses as an alternative to working in traditional jobs.

Since its launch in 2002, Dubai SME has continued to provide vital support and guidance to SMEs and emerging companies, while also introducing youth to entrepreneurial opportunities, new trends and tools in order to create a successful enterprise.

The launch of the initiative is also part of several efforts taken to support the growth of SMEs. A series of economic incentives and policies were introduced in the last few months that benefited many startups.

Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy, expressed his appreciation to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for launching the ‘Dubai Next’ platform.

“Dubai continues to promote entrepreneurship, embrace innovators and creative entrepreneurs and provide them with all forms of support, as per the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Additionally, Dubai has enabled entrepreneurs to implement their vision and transform their ideas into distinct projects that support sustainable development and efforts to build a knowledge economy. The city’s ongoing efforts will contribute to enhancing the emirate’s position locally and regionally and enable it to reach the largest segment of young entrepreneurs in diverse sectors,” Al Qamzi said.

Abdul Basit Al Janahi, CEO of Dubai SME, said: “The ‘Dubai Next’ platform is fully aligned with the Dubai SME’s mission to create platforms that promote entrepreneurship. The launch of the initiative reflects the Government of Dubai’s keenness to provide innovative solutions to the challenges facing creators and innovators and highlight their capabilities in various sectors as well as provide them with community support, guidance and follow-up support in line with the UAE’s strategic goals for sustainable growth and promoting knowledge and technologies.”

Al Janahi added: “Dubai SME’s efforts to provide innovative financing solutions to SMEs is in line with our leadership’s directives to create an ideal environment for supporting innovative ideas and initiatives, especially projects by Emiratis, through ensuring that at least 50 percent of the funding required is obtained through crowdfunding.”

‘Dubai Next’ offers an innovative crowdfunding solution, enabling the community to participate in supporting emerging projects in a safe and secure manner, which in turn promotes growth of enterprises and society alike. The platform provides the ideal choice for students and innovators to present their projects to potential investors and supporters.

The platform enables emerging enterprises to grow, expand and launch new products. Dubai SME provides a package of incentives for those who obtain financing on ‘Dubai Next.’ The package includes incubating the idea in the Hamdan Innovation Incubator (HI2) or in one of the 14 certified incubators in Dubai.

The incubators provide varied services and packages as well as an ideal work environment, effectively contributing to launching innovative projects and supporting them to successfully compete in the local market and expand globally.

For more details on Dubai Next and to pitch for crowdfunding on the digital platform, visit www.dubainext.ae

Source: Emirates News Agency