bu Dhabi ’ s Convention and Exhibition Bureau ( ADCEB ) director Mubarak Al Shamisi says recent weeks have seen good progress towards the re-opening of Abu Dhabi for business and tourism . He says that , on the back of the Go Safe certification programme developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi ( DCT Abu Dhabi ) in June and with the aim of standardising the level of hygiene and safety standards throughout the capital , the emirate is nearing its goal to achieve a ‘ 100 % Go Safe ’ destination mark by the end of the year and that more than half of tourism and retail establishments are already certified .”

Al Shamisi believes Covid-19 has intensified pre-existing online trends within the MICE industry , including how we engage with stakeholders and industry partners .

As Destination Marketing Organisations globally were forced to rapidly adapt their operations and plans to align with this sudden shift , and ensure that their offerings , processes , and delivery meet the latest needs of the industry , ADCEB has been making the most the sector ’ s downtime to reassess its plans and strategies and identify gaps and opportunities to ensure it is well prepared for the return of MICE events in the near future .

One of the approaches pursued by Al Shamisi and his team has been to leverage data analytics to reach a wider audience . “ This was a vital objective for us , as we wanted to maintain consideration of our destination amongst our audience groups , to have them consider Abu Dhabi as a destination for their next event or business activity upon the recommencement of MICE

activities ,” he says .

With the big increase in the delivery of virtual events as a result of the pandemic , ADCEB also made sure to leverage the opportunity behind webinars to stay strongly connected with the industry despite the temporary halting of on-ground business events .

Al Shamisi also believes a new hybrid version of events will come soon , bringing together both on-ground and virtual professionals . “ Therefore ,” he says , “ it was important for us to leverage this period and help upskill our knowledge in this area to be able to pivot our event offerings , without compromising on value , quality and outcome .”

Meanwhile ADCEB continues to work closely with key stakeholders on future bidding opportunities .

Al Shamisi says there has been incredible support from government for

Above : Night view of Abu Dhabi , image courtesy of DCT Abu Dhabi

the sector , including through stimulus funds and regulations that have enabled the sector to plan for recommencement of activities .

The ADCEB chief admits it is still difficult to predict exactly when the current restrictions will be lifted for events and exhibitions , but remains optimistic that the restart of MICE activities is near .

New developments Abu Dhabi is not only becoming an increasingly popular destination for MICE but is among the safest cities in the world according to The Economist Safest Cities Index 2019 ( ranking 27th overall and 11th for personal security ). Some of the emirate ’ s latest and upcoming additions include :

Yas Island developments , including CLYMB Abu Dhabi , the largest indoor climbing and sky-diving facility , ideal for teambuilding activity .

Etihad Arena multi-purpose indoor venue on Yas Island , with capacity ranging from 200 to 18,000 people . The venue has been designed to accommodate both large-scale and private events .

Other developments include Hilton Hotel within Yas Bay ; Warner Bros Hotel – Yas Island – set to open in 2021 ; Waterfront of Al Qana , near the Grand Canal , the largest aquarium in the Middle East ; W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island and Rixos Saadiyat Island .

Abu Dhabi has also been building on its base of skills and research strength to grow key sectors of the economy . In alignment , ADCEB has prioritised a number of industry clusters which it will focus on following the pandemic . These include healthcare , life sciences , technology and innovation , defence , financial services , education , and agriculture .