Dubai and the UAE reopened for large-scale events such as GITEX in December 2020 at Dubai World Trade Centre .
Global industry association of the exhibition industry UFI brought its recent regional MEA conference to Dubai in person . Conference director Naji El Haddad says most countries in the region responded swiftly to the pandemic , with all six Gulf states implementing economic stimulus packages ( Oman $ 20bn , UAE $ 27bn ) to support businesses and individuals across many sectors .
“ The governments in the Gulf region , UAE and Qatar in particular ,” says El Haddad , “ have shown resilience and agility in planning the restart of their economies , and very early identified business events as a key catalyst for economic rebound .”
“ In terms of future skills needed in the rebounding phase , executives in the region will be looking at candidates combining both soft and technological skills ,” he says , and believes the power of data has never been more important for the meetings and events industry , as well as demand for professionals with the skills of analysing that data and transforming it into a product / service .
In terms of the mood music , El Haddad believes a sense of risk will remain , be it of a new wave of Covid , or cyber , climate , political , or any other risk .
The event industry will need to learn
Gulf rebound
DESPITE A PERIOD OF CANCELLED EVENTS , REVENUES DROPPING OFF , REDUNDANCIES , AND OTHER CHALLENGES IN THE GULF REGION , TALK NOW IS ABOUT AN EVENTS INDUSTRY REBOUNDING
from the current crisis to partially re-invent itself , to become more resilient , more relevant and more needed .
El Haddad says the general mood in the region is a positive one , however : “ We have seen mega scale events taking place very successfully and safely in the UAE , such as GITEX , IDEX , Gulfood , Arab Health , The Hotel Show , and Arabian Travel Market . Other countries in the region are less active but all are preparing the ground for a strong return soon .”
Easing of access Although health and safety and testing issues vary from country to country in the region , there is a general easing of access restrictions . Dubai has announced its hotels could go back to 100 % occupancy and Abu Dhabi , from 1 July , has not required visitors to quarantine .
Issam Kazim , CEO , Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing ( DCTCM ), tells CMW : “ By resuming international business events in October 2020 , we demonstrated that it was possible to host events of all sizes safely , while at the same time delivering the benefits that only face-to-face events can bring .
“ We understand that we exist within a wider business events ecosystem , and along the way have been eager to share our knowledge and other experiences , including with other destinations , to ensure the industry as a whole can recover . This has been done through events such as our Dubai Global Events Re-Opening Forum in March 2021 .
“ We maintained a strong calendar of activities throughout the pandemic , and even when physical sales and study missions , tradeshows and other
Top and above : Issam Kazim , Naji El Haddad
Below : Ready for the big event - Expo 2020 , Dubai
face-to-face interactions were not possible , a programme of webinars and virtual meetings allowed us to stay connected to meeting and event planners across our key markets ,” Issam Kazim says .
And what of the new priorities post-pandemic for building back business ?
Issam Kazim says the events industry can leverage the power of Expo 2020 Dubai , describing the Expo both as a hook for potential events but also as an opportunity to show event planners the city ’ s capabilities .
“ We have resumed our programme of study missions into Dubai and in-market activities , such as sales missions . This will gather pace through the remainder of 2021 , especially from the start of Expo 2020 on 1 October ,” Issam Kazim adds .
Much depends , of course , on traveller confidence and Issam Kazim is proud of the stringent and effective guidelines put in place across the tourism and business events ecosystems . “ This covers everything from the arrival into Dubai International Airport , transportation around the city and sanitisation in hotels and restaurants , to social distancing and hygiene in events venues .
“ In addition , we introduced the Dubai Assured stamp , which indicates that venues are meeting the high standards set , and the city has been awarded the Safe Travels stamp by the World Travel & Tourism Council ,” he adds .
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