Day: November 1, 2021

DUBAI, The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) today opened its Dubai Office – its first overseas office in the Middle East – ahead of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

“2022 is an important year for us, being the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the UAE. By opening the JNTO Dubai office now, we aim to contribute to the further development of tourism exchange between Japan, the UAE, and the wider GCC,” said Tomoko Kikuchi, Executive Director of the JNTO Dubai Office.

By 2030, Japan aims to attract 60 million visitors with a JPY 15 trillion consumption annually. The Middle East is a priority market for the organisation and a key focus in achieving this goal, with the opening of the JNTO Dubai office playing a major part in the efforts to attract more visitors from the region.

Interest in Japan in the UAE is high this year, with two Emirati athletes bringing home three medals from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. New Japanese restaurants continue to open across the city, and Japanese traditional culture is attracting more attention, with the first Emirati ikebana teacher receiving certification.

“At the Arabian Travel Market Hybrid event that was held in May this year I was happy to hear from many travel agencies that they are eager to resume their trips to Japan,” Kikuchi said.

In 2019, Japan saw a record high number of visitors from the GCC countries with 28,222 visitors making the journey, a 28.4 percent increase on the previous year and the figure doubling in the past five years. According to a survey conducted by the JNTO in six GCC countries from May to June 2021, approximately 30% of respondents answered that they would like to go to Japan in the future. Shopping, relaxing at resorts and hotels, and appreciating the abundant nature were ranked high as reasons to travel to Japan.

Conversely, almost 40 percent of the respondents answered that “I don’t know much about Japan”, presenting an opportunity for the JNTO Dubai office to broaden awareness of the many attractions of the destination, further increasing interest in travel to Japan and increasing the number of visitors from the GCC in the future.

The Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has been a key highlight of the event, with its architecture being a three-dimensional expression of Japanese origami combining traditional Arabesque and Japanese asanoha motifs, as well as a natural cooling system incorporating Arabic and Japanese techniques.

Since Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, will be held in Japan, Kikuchi added, “JNTO will be holding an event at the Expo to promote tourism to the country in collaboration with the Japan Pavilion as well as the authorities of Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City. We would also like visitors to the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai to find out more about the charm of Japan.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The wide-scale disruption, decarbonisation and digital transformation impacting four of the Middle East’s crucial economic sectors will be laid bare at Expo 2020 Dubai tomorrow (2nd November) when the curtain rises on the inaugural three-day Hypermotion Dubai exhibition and conference series.

An essential gathering for all in the region’s transport, logistics, mobility, and materials handling industries, Hypermotion Dubai, and its co-located Materials Handling Middle East 2021 trade show, will reveal the biggest transformation in the sectors’ histories with advanced technology driving automation and sustainability to evolve the way people travel, transport, and deliver goods.

“This is a magnifying glass view of the here and now and very near future of industries that will be forever changed and will permanently impact global lifestyles,” explained Simon Mellor, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, which is organising the events as key Expo 2020 features.

Hypermotion Dubai will feature three conferences pivotal for the region’s mobility and logistics sectors with a combined multi-national line-up of over 150 industry pioneers speaking.

These include Anthony Foxx, Chief Policy Officer at Lyft, and a former US Secretary of Transportation; Harj Dhaliwal, Managing Director, Middle East & India, Virgin Hyperloop; Mohammed Al Muallem, Executive Vice President, DP World; Suliman Almazroua, CEO, National Industrial Development Logistics Programme, and Balkiz Sarihan, Head of UAM Strategy, Execution and Partnerships, Airbus.

Hypermotion Lab will give attendees genuine insights into the future solutions being developed in the mobility and logistics arena.

The Smart Mobility Conference has pulled together the industry-defining game-changers and innovators who are reshaping the region’s mass transit industry while Scalex will take a deep dive into the quest for supply chain and logistics excellence including last-mile delivery.

Packing the exhibition floor and conference rooms will be high-level participation from government ministries and authorities, business pioneers, entrepreneurs, technologists, mobility innovators, urban planners, manufacturers and suppliers.

The event will also hear the latest market intelligence on both the GCC logistics and electric vehicle sectors, as exclusively commissioned whitepapers will be presented and act as way finders to the future.

From consultants Frost & Sullivan, there is an update on Gulf container volumes, which rose by more than 15 percent in the first half of 2021, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for 83 percent of the region’s logistics market.

Hypermotion Dubai will also power the Asyad Logistics Startup Challenge where innovators will network with thousands of decision-makers, investors, and government buyers, to grow their business across three days of mentorship workshops, clinics, and networking while pitching to win up to US$40,000 cash prize.

“For many start-ups, this will be a launchpad as they will be able to pitch their ideas to regional and global investors who are equally keen to meet with some of the brightest innovators, and network with tech giants and corporate buyers from multiple industries,” Mellor explained.

Hypermotion Dubai will run under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and the Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, the Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, signed an agreement to acquire the district cooling systems of Dubai International Airport.

The district cooling systems were acquired for a total value of AED1.1 billion, through a combination of internal accruals and debt financing from local and international banks with which Empower has close strategic relations.

The acquisition agreement was signed by Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO, Empower and Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA and Chairman of Empower.

Under the acquisition agreement, Empower will own and manage all the existing District Cooling infrastructure of Dubai International Airport, with all its facilities and complexes, which have a total cooling capacity of 110,000 refrigeration tonnes (RT), that include five units, and this capacity covers the equivalent of 11 times the consumption of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said, “The deal is a part of the AED25 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project portfolio announced by the Government of Dubai’s Department of Finance (DOF) at the Dubai International PPP Conference which was held last month at the Expo 2020. With this acquisition, the Dubai Aviation City Corporation has made a big leap through its partnership with Empower, the global leader of the environmentally friendly district cooling industry and in adopting innovative technologies.”

He added, “The deal supports the DACC’s continuous endeavours to achieve its ambitious strategy emanating from both the UAE Vision 2021 for sustainable growth, and the Dubai’s unique vision to promote the values and standards of sustainability and environmental protection. Through this acquisition, both the parties seek to reaffirm Dubai’s leading global position by accelerating the pace of developments by strengthening partnerships, using advanced technologies and adopting innovation in all their activities.”

For his part, Al Tayer said, “The acquisition is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to consolidate Dubai’s global position on the map of sustainable development. It is also an active part in the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2030, of which district cooling is one of its prominent pillars.”

He explained that the acquisition agreement formulates a new concept of partnership between the two parties and transfers its investment outputs to a broader space that comprises the protection of the environment and natural resources, sustaining the momentum of creating environmentally sustainable communities throughout the Emirate, and recording unprecedented levels of performance in improving the efficiency of the energy sector, especially with regard to standards to meet the growing demand for district cooling services, which is mainly in line with Dubai’s vision to be the world’s most sustainable city.

Al Tayer continued, “Empower plays an eminent role in the Dubai’s economic development, and is striving to strengthen its leadership in the district cooling industry locally, regionally and globally, to reaffirm the extent of the growth and prosperity in Dubai’s industrial sector, that is rich in investment opportunities and ability to permanently develop and expand the scope of investment activities related to the present and future of the vital district cooling sector.”

For his side, Al Zaffin said, “We are immensely proud of what we have achieved within the DACC Group and our contribution to help establish the Emirate of Dubai as the foremost global aviation hub, with DXB firmly established as the largest international airport in the World. This strategic partnership with Empower is a testament to our ambition to deliver streamlined operations at DXB and continue the path of high growth. I am certain that Empower will serve Dubai International Airport according to the highest industry standards.”

For his part, Ahmad bin Shafar, said, “We see the acquisition as a long-term partnership with a reputable institution of significant importance on the developmental and economic levels, and Empower is ready with its teams to assume the responsibility imposed by this partnership and looks forward to fulfilling it to the fullest.”

He pointed out that Empower’s superiority and leadership in the district cooling industry and its remarkable success in adopting unprecedented technology in operations, production and provision of services, has made it a unique strategic partner for the largest institutions and mega projects, the latest of which is the Dubai International Airport with all its facilities and complexes.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Emirates has announced that it will reintroduce flights to Algiers, Algeria, from 9th November. Flights from Dubai to Algiers will operate twice a week.

The resumption of flights to Algiers boosts Emirates’ African network to 21 destinations, and represents a full restoration of the airline’s operations into North Africa.

With the easing of travel restrictions, and the acceleration of passenger demand, the airline is advancing its plans to expand its presence across Africa, and will operate 116 weekly flights into the continent with the addition of Algiers. Customers flying to and from Algiers can safely fly to Dubai and enjoy convenient onwards connections to Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and West Asia.

Emirates will operate to Algiers with two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the return flight to Dubai will be linked with Tunis. EK 757 will depart Dubai at 0930hrs, arriving in Algiers at 1400hrs. EK 758 will depart Algiers at 17:00, stopping in Tunis at 18:20. The flight will continue to Dubai, taking off at 19:20 from Tunis, arriving in Dubai at 3:55 the next day.

Source: Emirates News Agency