Destination report
Abu Dhabi’s vision
sharpens its focus
SIMON GEORGE SPENDS THREE DAYS IN ABU DHABI FOCUSING ON
SHEIKH ZAYED’S LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE UAE NOW BEING MADE REAL, INCLUDING FOR EVENTS
bu Dhabi has, in short time,
built a proud portfolio of
international events, with
standouts including the
WorldSkills event held at ADNEC in
October 2017, the FIFA Club World Cup
for a second consecutive year and the
Special Olympics World Games in March
2019. Medical conferences are on the
increase (see box).
Long-awaited new cultural attractions
have come on line, such as the Louvre
Abu Dhabi, a 30-year agreement between
Abu Dhabi and the French government,
which opened on Saadiyat Island in
November 2017. MICE events at the art
museum are anticipated.
Warner Brothers’ theme park has
opened on Yas Island in July 2018 and is a
venture testament to UAE President
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s
ambition to make Abu Dhabi “an
international cultural hub for the Middle
East on a par with the best in the world”.
Left:
ADNEC stands as
a powerful symbol
of Abu Dhabi’s
development vision
Targeting medical
tourism & conferences
Abu Dhabi is now a big destination
for medical tourism and, in October
2018, a 10-year agreement was
signed between the Department of
Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and
the US based Medical Tourism
Association (MTA) that will see the
opening of the MTA’s first office in
Abu Dhabi, as well as the hosting of
the World Medical Tourism and
Global Healthcare Congress in Abu
Dhabi this year.
And IVI (In-Vitro Fertilisation)
Middle East Fertility, the world’s
leading provider of fertility care
services, hosted the region’s largest
conference for Assisted Reproductive
Technologies (ART) in Abu Dhabi on
30 November 2018.
Evolution
Last year was designated the Year of
Zayed, in honour of the UAE’s founding
father, and to mark the centenary of his
birth and to signify the four core values,
respect, wisdom, sustainability and human
development, on which his long-term
vision for the country was based.
In 2006, building on that legacy,
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
launched a long-term economic vision for
the Emirate. That Abu Dhabi Economic
Vision 2030 is still the roadmap for the
emirate to diversify its economy and
reduce its reliance on oil (~40% of
GDP in 2Q 2018).
Part of that vision made solid in venue
24 /
CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
bricks and mortar is the famous ADNEC
convention centre with its 130,000sqm of
event space, 12 exhibition halls, 21
meeting rooms, two conference halls,
innovation lab and wedding hall.
2018 saw ADNEC host debut events
such as the CPhL pharmaceutical
exhibition and the Abu Dhabi
International Boat Show. Not surprisingly,
given Abu Dhabi’s oil wealth, energy/oil
conferences feature heavily in ADNEC’s
/
ISSUE 100
“The aim
is to have
the most
innovative
venue in
the UAE”.
event calendar. ADNEC’s flagship annual
conference, ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi
International Petroleum Exhibition &
Conference), which hosts the major oil and
gas multinationals and is scheduled to run
from 11-14 November 2019, continues to
grow each year.
ADNEC is focusing, too, on innovation
and experimental events. In January a
new concept called The Hive featuring
flexible, more ‘techie’ event space came
into operation. Explaining the rationale
behind the move, a spokesman said the
idea was to collaborate with clients to trial
new formats in a new, more intimate
facility and “provide them with an
environment that is unique, stimulating
and loaded with the technology they need
to engage in successful sessions”.
As Luis Soares, ADNEC’s Head of
Sales – Corporate and Special Events,
explained: “The aim is to have the most
innovative event venue in the UAE.”
Rotana Hotels
On the hotel front, there is already a rich
tradition to build on. Rotana Hotels is one
group with a presence in Abu Dhabi dating
back to 1992 when its Beach Rotana
property opened. Since then the brand has
expanded to include the 4-star Pearl
Rotana, the 5-star Park Rotana, the
recently opened 5-star Saadiyat Rotana
and a range of value hotels/accommodation
in the city’s business district.
Pearl Rotana, which opened in
March 2018, is close to ADNEC and
offers 315 rooms and seven meeting
rooms, while business hotels, the 3-star
Centro and Capital Centre Arjaan by
Rotana offer studios and serviced
apartments, in the vicinity.