Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has announced the formation of a new Business Events Stakeholders Committee.
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai Tourism, chaired the committee’s inaugural meeting on 14 September at Dubai World Trade Centre, updating members on the latest progress in reactivating the sector in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and facilitating discussions around opportunities and challenges.
Comprising of industry stakeholders, the committee, which will meet regularly throughout the year, aims to "provide a platform for two-way dialogue around the continuous strategic and operational development of Dubai’s position as a host city for international business events".
Among the participants in the inaugural session were senior officials from airlines, venues, hotels, destination management companies (DMCs) and professional congress organisers (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 safely rescale, with local business events resuming on 15 September and international business events set to return from 1 October. Upcoming events in the city include The Airport Show (26-28 October), Annual Radiology Meeting (1-3 November) and Cityscape’s 2020 Real Estate Summit (16-17 November).
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, said: “Guided by the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, and the follow up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council, Dubai has steadily reopened key economic sectors, building on the support that was provided throughout the pandemic and the measures put in place to minimise its impact. In line with this, we have been working closely with industry stakeholders to ensure a framework is in place to resume business events that can be best-in-class while at the same time prioritising the health and safety of all participants.
“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 both staff and attendees, while at the same time facilitating meetings, conversations, networking and learning opportunities.
