With its sunny climate, skyscraping hotels, luxurious beach resorts, world-class golf courses, man-made islands, gigantic entertainment complexes, an international airport that accommodates 22 million travellers annually, and a second airport on the way, it’s no surprise that a hefty slice of the world’s MICE business is being taken to the oasis-like emirate of Dubai.
The second largest of the seven emirates that form the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is on a mission to impress the rest of the world with its flashy and fun conurbation of sand and sun, with a good deal of the emirate’s wealth being focused at building on its current facilities and increasing its popularity as a destination of choice for meetings and events.
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is also focusing on bringing business to the region, hosting a record number of 197 familiarisation missions in the first three months of 2007, offering tours of Dubai to 2141 tour operators, media professionals, investors, sportsmen and government officials from 36 countries.
“The main purpose of hosting missions is to familiarise the world with the massive transformation that Dubai has undergone and the status of different projects underway,” DTCM director missions, Hamad bin Mejren said.
“These familiarisation tours are helping raise the global profile of Dubai and also attract investments and businesses in different economic sectors.”
And attract they have. Many of the conference and events facilities in Dubai have recorded highest-ever numbers of trade exhibitions secured for a one-year period, including the Middle East’s biggest exhibition centre, the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
DWTC-managed venues, which include eight exhibition halls and the Dubai International Convention Centre, which can accommodate more than 6500 delegates in its multi-purpose hall when set in auditorium-style, are set to host a record total of 106 major events during 2007. Furthermore, the group has already secured a number of new exhibitions that will push the total to an all-time high in 2008.
“Dubai’s ongoing success in attracting new trade exhibitions to the region underlines both the dynamism of the industry and the strength of DWTC’s offering for international event organisers,” said Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general, Dubai World Trade Centre.
New $2.2 billion theme park
Dubai will soon be home to one of the biggest theme parks in the world once what has been dubbed ‘Universal City Dubailand’ opens in 2010. The theme park will be set on almost seven million square feet, and will feature 4000 luxury hotel rooms and 100 restaurants. The project will be financed by United Arab Emirates developer Tatweer, whilst NBC Universal, operator of Universal Studios theme parks will assist in designing the attractions similar to those in its Orlando and Hollywood parks in the US. The new theme park is bound to boost tourism once its gates are opened to the public.
Work on Dubai World Central begins
Construction has commenced on Dubai World Central (DWC), a large multi-phase development encompassing a 140-square-kilometre urban aviation community in Jebel Ali, built around Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB). The final master-plan and branding of the new city, which will be twice the size of Hong Kong Island, was unveiled in May. Some 750,000 people will eventually live and work in DWC – more than the present population of Frankfurt and almost that of Stockholm.
Photographs provided courtesy of the Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
The Sultanate of Oman is the centre of the Arabian Peninsula offering exotic landscapes and majestic scenery fringed by the Arabian Sea.
Oman offers some unique “wow factors” that are essential to make an itinerary memorable.
• Al Hotta Cave. “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” – This unique excursion takes delegates by train into a magnificent cave that encompasses a walkway of 800m taking in spectacular stalactites and stalagmites that make you stand in awe at the wonders of mother nature. Culminating at the bottom with a lake that holds a unique and rare phenomenon is the presence of blind transparent fish.
• His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Mosque – a must see.
• Dolphin/Coastal excursion/Sightseeing
• La Falaj Fort converted to an amphitheatre by His Majesty for 1000 people to stage concerts and special events.
• Wahiba Sands to meet the Bedouin tribes/night under the stars.
• Choice of international hotels,Grand Hyatt Muscat, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, The Intercontinental Muscat, Al Bustan Palace and The Chedi Muscat all have world class conference facilities and fantastic food and beverage.
• Air carriers - Emirates, Etihad, Thai and Qatar. Oman Air is the national carrier and flies to Salalah.
• Al Bustan is opening a new convention centre in November costing US$300 million.
• In 2008 a new convention centre and airport is set to open.
• Amouage perfume factory, the world’s most expensive perfume.
• Visas: Issued upon arrival for passport holders from over 60 countries and valid for one month. The charge is OR6 (AU$21).
Sultanate of Oman Tourism Representative Office • Level 11, 99 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 • Tel: +612 9244 1841 • Web: www.omantourism.gov.om
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