Category Archives: Govt

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced its cooperation with the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (WTFGA) to host a training programme for ‘tourism guides’ organised in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). The six week programme, held across two phases, will be entitled ‘tour guiding principles’. The preparatory course will provide the necessary training and practical guidance skills for about 100 participants. The course also targets those who wish to improve their practical skills. Themed on “Train the Trainer,” the second phase of the programme will target 12 participants. It will focus on training the mentors to become trainers or trainers who wish to enhance their training skills and gain accreditation from the World Tourism Organisation. The training course aims to develop common standards for capacity building and guidelines, in addition to enhancing the experience of tourists by facilitating access to cultural and historical sites, develop specific tourism products and services, and prolong the stay of visitors in the Kingdom. “The Authority has always sought to develop its human capital and sharpen their skills, which stems from its belief in their vital role in the progress and development of the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Providing services to visitors and meeting their needs is important to enhance their tourism experience,” said Hesham Al Saken, Director of Facilities and Tourism Services, BTEA.

Dubai Health Authority, in collaboration with the Thumbay Group, celebrated the achievements of the emirate’s healthcare sector and recognised several game changers in the industry. His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami, Chairman of the Board and Director General, Dubai Health Authority, graced the Annual Health Awards 2018 ceremony as the chief guest. As many as 35 winners in 23 categories including private and public-sector organisations and individuals, as well as 17 legendary dignitaries were recognised for their pioneering roles in shaping the healthcare industry of the region. Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group, was also present. “We would first like to thank you all for attending the award ceremony, symbolising a new addition to the arena of excellence, creativity and innovation that distinguishes Dubai from other international cities. We would like to congratulate the winners and thank the Thumbay Group for its cooperation with DHA and keenness in supporting the Authority’s efforts to provide a competitive environment among the health sector and its employees,” Al Qutami observed. He further added, “We derive the values of positive competition from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The award was also inspired by His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council.”

The Health Bank in partnership with Dubai Health Experience (DXH) has announced the launch of DXH SmartCare to provide health tourists with a single point of contact for seamless healthcare coordination, second medical opinion, flight bookings, visas, accommodation, airport transfers, leisure activities and post treatment support. Conceived by Dubai Health Authority, the DXH brand aims to strengthen the position of Dubai on the medical tourism world map. Dubai offers unparalleled access to the best in health and wellness experiences combined with world-class hospitality and integrated services along with many tourist attractions. The Health Bank provides high quality end-to-end services with excellence in customer care, through an impressive and extensive partner portfolio. Health tourists can have their medical, dental, aesthetic or wellness journey mapped out even before they travel. DXH SmartCare, which can be accessed on www.dxh.ae, offers three-tiers- Blue as the essential package offering research and referrals on treatment options, and Silver and Gold memberships providing journey planning services along with dedicated account manager, concierge and comprehensive care coordination.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has launched the Dubai International Health Tourism Forum in association with Global Healthcare Travel Forum and World Health Travel Congress at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. The two-day conference from February 20-21 is in line with the vision and the strategic goal of transforming Dubai into a global destination for health tourism. It comprises interactive conference, exhibition and hosted buyer programme for hospital groups, medical travel organisations and health services companies to increase their international presence and patient network, while gaining market share in this ever-growing industry. The hosted buyer programme is organised by the World Health Tourism Congress (WHTC), an exclusive congress targeted at top level senior executives from corporate buyers and government institutions from all over the world. The event attracted 80 best qualified corporate buyers mainly from the GCC area, Africa, Europe, Asia, Russian speaking countries, and North America. The hosted buyer sessions will be dedicated to pre-arranged one-on-one meeting between global corporate buyers and solution providers.

In partnership with Meraas and Dubai Police, H.E. Li Lingbing, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai kick-started the 2018 Dubai Spring Festival Grand Parade celebrations. Lingbing said, “The Spring Festival is of great significance to the Chinese and is the most important traditional festival in our calendar, akin to the importance of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in the region. The city witnessed celebrations at various locations including Dubai Parks and Resorts, Al Seef, La Mer, Dubai Airport, Boxpark, The Outlet Village, Dubai Design District, The Beach and Dubai Mall.” The Spring Festival Grand Parade witnessed around 30 parading groups, consisting of over 1,000 visiting Chinese, expatriates and international friends, along with the Dubai Police band. Showcasing the arts, traditions and culture of 56 ethnic groups from 34 provinces in China, the grand parade included ethnic costumes and traditional art forms, such as Tai Chi, Peking opera, acrobatics and fairy tales. “The tremendous business potential offered by these activities has drawn worldwide attention, with a large number of Chinese people travelling abroad during the festival, bringing significant economic benefits to host cities. Last year, China witnessed 130 million people travelling abroad, an increase of 7 per cent over the previous year, of which several million travelled in the seven-day Spring Festival holiday,” said Lingbing.

The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has completed its preparations to provide an integrated portfolio of maritime licensing services at the upcoming Dubai International Boat Show 2018, to be held from February 27 to March 3, 2018 at the Dubai Water Canal in Jumeirah. The services will be showcased at the DMCA pavilion to help facilitate maritime licensing procedures for applicants looking to manage their maritime operations in accordance with the highest standards in safety, best environmental practices, and local and international regulations. The DMCA team will showcase maritime licensing services in accordance with innovative tools that ensure compliance with marine technical standards, maritime safety regulations and local environmental requirements, in line with Dubai’s efforts to improve performance, safety, efficiency and competitiveness of the maritime sector in the emirate. Applicants may facilitate the completion of their maritime driving license tests and complete the licensing procedures of marine vessels of all kinds efficiently. Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA explained the importance of the maritime licensing services as an integrated regulatory framework which consolidates maritime safety, safe navigation and operational efficiency. “We look forward to demonstrate our advanced maritime licensing process through smart transformation initiatives, which is our top priority as we strive to enhance the components of the local maritime sector based on innovation, sustainability, inclusiveness and innovation,” concluded Ali.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is cementing the emirate’s position as one of the top destinations to celebrate Chinese New Year with 10 days of Chinese festivities happening across the city. Running from February 15-24, there will be a host of activities celebrating Chinese New Year for residents and visitors to enjoy, from traditional Chinese dining offerings to breathtaking shows including contortionist dancers, acrobat wheel and a two-time Guinness World record breaking show, as well as shopping promotions in major retail outlets. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, said: “China is a key source market for us and Dubai welcomes an increasing number of Chinese visitors each year. Along with our strategic partners, we’re excited to announce that this year’s celebration of Chinese New Year will be bigger and better than ever before, with an expanded line up of activities set to spread the festive cheer across the city.”

Dubai Business Events (DBE) secured a total of 212 bids throughout 2017, representing its most successful year to date, the city’s official convention bureau announced. As a result of secured bids and proposals in 2017, Dubai is set to welcome an additional 95,000 delegates, delivering an economic impact of approximately AED 715 million. Dubai submitted a total of 354 bids throughout 2017, and among the wins were those for bids submitted before 2017. At the end of the year, 104 bid submissions were still awaiting decision. The bids and proposals secured in 2017 mark an increase of 64% over 2016 when a total of 129 bids were won, further cementing the Emirate’s leading position as a global business events destination. This success also comes as DBE celebrates its 15th anniversary as Dubai’s official convention bureau. Since its establishment in 2003, DBE has been pivotal in shaping the city’s world-class business events offering. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “The exponential increase in bids won in 2017 is a direct reflection of Dubai’s rapid growth as a leading business hub. 2017’s success in attracting international business events builds on the steady growth the city has experienced, establishing Dubai as a destination of choice for business events from around the globe. These successes have been made possible due to the close collaboration with our stakeholders and partners, who play a crucial role in realising Dubai’s strategic objectives. International and regional business events not only contribute to the growth in overall visitor numbers to Dubai, they also play an important role in the development of our knowledge economy.” Steen Jakobsen, Director, Dubai Business Events, said, …

Organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), the Sharjah Light Festival (SLF) 2018 highlights the identity of Sharjah as a guiding light for intellectual, cultural and scientific inspiration, and boosts its position on the international tourism map. The event kick-started at the Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and H.H Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. The festival was launched amidst a spectacular display of light that celebrate the role of science, knowledge and culture in building generations and future pioneers. Running from February 7-17, the event is being held in 18 locations inside and outside the emirate of Sharjah. Beautiful light panels were produced using the latest technology to blend light and music, reflecting the emirate’s identity by embodying the heritage of its architectural buildings to form exquisite works of art. The exhibition also varied between history, originality and modernity, and an account of the history of the ancient emirate, with rare paintings of the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on the occasion of the year of Zayed.

India retained the top spot on Dubai’s list of source markets in 2017, contributing 2.1 million visitors and becoming the first country to cross the two-million mark in a single year. The country’s performance represented a 15 per cent year-on-year increase and validated, among other factors, the success of Dubai Tourism’s ongoing collaboration with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the #BeMyGuest campaign. Commenting on the annual performance, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said, “Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has continued to capture share of the global outbound travel market, complemented by a significant increase in tourism-driven economic contribution to the country’s GDP.” Driven by India, the South Asia region, in the third place, contributed an 18 per cent share of over 2.8 million visitors, up a strong 10.6 per cent, followed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and North and South-East Asia regions sharing the fourth position, each contributing close to 1.7 million visitors and independently commanding 11 per cent share, the former recording a 3.2 per cent increase and the latter, an impressive 23.6 per cent over 2016 visitation figures.