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The Emirates Palace |
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education , and has made significant investments in these areas . This includes hosting great events , establishing excellent institutions , and launching impactful initiatives , all of which have yielded impressive results in recent years .
Hosting prestigious events like the ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi further highlights the city ’ s readiness and its positioning as an international hub for association grants .
Regarding accessibility , Abu Dhabi is ideally located within a six-hour flight of two-thirds of the global population . This makes the destination easily accessible for everyone . Additionally , Abu Dhabi ’ s convention centres are only 15 minutes away from the city , complemented by excellent infrastructure , iconic hotels , unique attractions , and the unparalleled Emirati hospitality .
How will the ICCA Congress impact the Abu Dhabi economy and local communities ? We have been deeply involved in ensuring the local community ’ s participation , not just in the ICCA Congress , but also in all other association events we bring to Abu Dhabi . Our partnership with local communities and entities representing them has been strong from the start of
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the bidding process through to the Organising Committee of the Congress itself . This partnership reflects the local community ’ s commitment to the ICCA Congress . We are working closely with these local entities to ensure their engagement before , during , and after the Congress . The impact of the event on the local community is a primary focus for us . Abu Dhabi places great importance on the legacy of any event we host . Legacy is a key component of our strategy , and we always work as an inclusive team , the ‘ Abu Dhabi Inc . team ’, with local stakeholders to deliver a lasting impact on the destination .
How are sustainability measures being implemented in business events in Abu Dhabi ? Sustainability is at the core of Abu Dhabi ’ s efforts across all sectors . It ’ s , what I like to call , a ‘ horizontal priority ’ that influences every area of our work .
The UAE successfully hosted COP28 , underscoring our commitment to the nation ’ s Net Zero Carbon Initiative by 2050 . This commitment shapes our strategies across various events and sectors , including collaborations with Congress and ICCA to deliver events
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“ Abu Dhabi is located within a six-hour flight of two-thirds of the global population .” |
that have a sustainable and social impact on both the destination and the events themselves .
We are already partnering with international entities to ensure a sustainable impact for the destination during and after the Congress , with more announcements coming soon .
Sustainability is deeply ingrained in Abu Dhabi ’ s identity . At the recent Arabian Travel Market in Dubai , Abu Dhabi launched a new sustainability initiative for its hotels and tourism sectors , introducing a sustainability calculator to help offset the destination ’ s carbon footprint . One notable initiative is the investment in a mangrove forest to offset carbon emissions from events . This is just one example , with more initiatives to be announced to highlight the positive impact of our sustainability efforts through data .
How is the rest of 2024 looking for Abu Dhabi ? Very promising . Our tourism strategy aims to attract over 39.3 million visitors by 2030 . In 2023 , we doubled our expected number of MICE events , hosting over 960,000 delegates . This momentum will help us position Abu Dhabi as a key destination for association events in particular , and continue our growth in the MICE and tourism sectors .. n
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