Meet Oman
Legend has it that Sinbad the sailor set off from Sohar where the distinctive Arab dhow boats are still built by hand today.
Oman has a UNESCO World Heritage Site and numerous castles. Its capital Muscat (the Arab Tourism Capital 2012) is a 900-year-old bustling metropolis. With mountains on one side and the Arabian Gulf on the other, Muscat’s 600,000 population enjoys some of the greenest spaces in the Gulf.
Conference venues range from the top end Al Bustan Palace Hotel (ballroom hosts 800 guests), to camps in the desert.
When the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre opens in 2015 it will offer tiered seating for 3,200 delegates. Meanwhile, the existing Oman International Exhibition Centre (OIEC), launched in 1985, is undergoing an upgrade to its 12,000sqm of indoor space.
There are also meeting facilities at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, which has a banqueting hall for 700 and a pre-function area for 850.
Other venues include the Royal Opera House Muscat, seating 1,100, and The View luxury eco retreat 1,400m above sea level.
One recent visitor is the Professional Convention Management Association’s COO Sherrif Karamat, who tells CMW he was impressed by the “methodical manner” that Oman’s authorities are going about growth, charting their own course. “The new airport in 2015 and new convention centre in 2016 will make a big difference,” he adds, describing Muscat as “definitely convention ready”.
“You feel extremely safe in Oman and the visa process is simple,” Karamat adds. “Oman is serious about business events and we had a useful dialogue on services and infrastructure.” The challenge, Karamat believes, is the fact that Oman is “a best kept secret, something which is both an advantage and a disadvantage”.
Kuwait diversifies
Petrodollar-rich Kuwait, like many Gulf states, offers souks, mosques and sandy traces of ancient Bedouin times for delegates to appreciate.
Over the next 10 years six five-star hotels will be built as part of a US$132bn urban infrastructure project dubbed ‘The Silk City’ (Madinat Al-Hareer). The project includes a 1,001m skyscraper taller
than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
The tiny Gulf state sits on around 10 per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves and has a GDP per capita of $54,654.
Kuwait is diversifying its economy and investing heavily in its transport system. By 2017 its airport should have an annual passenger capacity of 13m.
Over 1,600 more rooms will come on stream by 2015. International brands Hilton, InterContinental, Jumeirah, Ramada and The Ritz-Carlton will all make their Kuwaiti debut in the next three years. Hotel occupancy rose four per cent in 2011.
Corporate group bookings account for 70 per cent of business at the Holiday Inn Kuwait Downtown, according to its management. With three ballrooms and seven meeting rooms, the venue can accommodate 400 delegates.
The Convention Center and Royal Suites Hotel is a luxury property that features two ballrooms with capacity for 1,200 people each. The Regency Kuwait has a further two ballrooms able to host 1,000 people. It was the venue for the 13th International Energy Forum.
There is also a JW Marriott and a Courtyard by Marriott in Kuwait City, where corporate business makes up 85 per cent of business.
Kuwait’s hotels report average occupancy levels of 50 per cent, but hoteliers reckon this could rise to 58 per cent in 2015 achieving average daily rates of US$258.
Other meeting place include Crowne Plaza Kuwait’s 1,600sqm Al Baraka Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate 1,000 guests.
Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort Kuwait can cater for 450 in either of its two ballrooms and offers a marquee.
The Dasman ballroom in the 38,000sqm Kuwait Towers is popular for events and views can be spectacular.
Kuwait city incentives include the Kuwait National Museum and the Scientific Centre (which has a large aquarium). For shopping, delegates can experience old-style souks and modern retail centres, such as the 360 Mall.
Qatar keeps investing
With Qatar set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, 40 per cent of its budget is now allocated to infrastructure projects.
An oil and gas fuelled economy underpins investments including in the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), which celebrated its first anniversary in December 2012.
The 25th Universal Postal Union Congress and recent COP18, which finished on 7 December, had a combined economic impact of $55m.
Conference business booked for 2013 includes meetings for the offshore, water and power generation sectors.
The New Doha International Airport opens for passenger traffic in the second half of 2013, as will a 400-room Rotana.
Rezidor opened its first property in Qatar following the rebranding of the former 583-room Ramada Plaza Doha.
The Doha Exhibition Centre and the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre complement the QNCC venue, while Qatar Airways is the fastest growing airline in the world and serves 100 destinations.
Setting the boundaries in Saudi
Izania Downie, Director of Strategic Partnerships at meetings technology specialist Active Network Business Solutions, was recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and advises Western organisers to get used to taking their time over deals there.
No deals are done quickly over the phone, email or during a single meeting, she says. “Locals want to see the whites of the eyes of those they do business with,” notes Downie. “There will be miles of paperwork to be sorted through by procurement and legal teams but, once the decision-maker decides, the deal is then done on a handshake.”
Downie says a conference ‘invitation’ in Saudi and, indeed many Arab business culture means, in effect, registration and the habit of the RSVP is not observed.
“From a logistical standpoint the organisers never know exactly who or how many delegates will be turning up on the day,” she says, and recommends using onsite servers rather then relying on Wi-Fi for speed of processing.
An alternative is to use card scanning devices or tablets, with staff registering VIPs as they arrive.
Saudi Arabia and many Gulf states, Downie notes, are hierarchical societies which means protocol must be observed at all times. Registering staff must be able to cope with VIPs likely to arrive at any point.
“In Saudi the gender separation must also be considered,” she adds, “and this means technical aspects in the room must be considered carefully to allow for the physical wall between the genders that must be set up in a conference room. There must be separate registration areas for female and male delegates.”
“Extra sets of equipment onsite can add more cost to the organiser,” Downie warns.
The luxury Sofitel brand and the King Abdullah International Foundation has a management contract to develop a five-star hotel in Riyadh. The hotel, due to open in 2015, will be the anchor point of a major complex, developed over 100,000sqm. This mixed-used development will include a convention centre.
Dynamic Dubai
Dubai has a track record of attracting large associations such as the International Diabetes Federation, World Heart Federation and International Bar Association, for conventions, as well as the World Energy Forum.
“The strong infrastructure network air accessibility and abundance of hotel options make Dubai an ideal choice for international meetings,” says Hamad Mohammed Bin Mejren, Director of Business Tourism at the Dubai Convention Bureau.
In 2011 Dubai hosted 34 international association meetings ranking first in the Middle East.
There are now 100 flights a week to Dubai from the UK and 70 from Germany and new routes and frequencies out of Scandinavia.
Dubai International is the fourth busiest international aviation hub. Passenger traffic in September 2012 surged 12.8 per cent to 4,780,394 compared to the same month in 2011. For the region as a whole, the UAE is world’s 25th biggest importer of commercial services, according to the World Trade Organisation.
Dubai is a lifestyle and incentives destination with exotic projects such as Palm Island and the world’s largest shopping mall. The World Expo comes to the city in 2020.
Despite the Emirate’s luxury tag, recent years have seen some catching up of hotel stock in the three-star-plus market, designed to attract conventions where delegate budgets don’t stretch to five-star luxury.
One of the glamour events held annually is the Dubai International Film Festival, which held its ninth edition in the city in December.
These figures were released in connection with the 27th International Autumn Trade Fair
in December 2012 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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2030 Vision
Robin Miller arrived as Sales Director at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
three months ago. CMW asked for his initial impressions of the destination and its
potential for hosting international meetings.
What were your first impressions of Abu Dhabi as an international MICE destination?
What really stood out is the vision and ambition Abu Dhabi has to continue excelling as both a business hub and a tourist destination.
The city clearly has a modern outlook and the people I have met are all very well educated and impressively motivated. It seems to me that the UAE and Abu Dhabi are definitely capable of making the impossible happen.
Part of Abu Dhabi’s charm is the blend of heritage and tradition, as well as the iconic and contemporary; it’s a wonderful fusion that works! Abu Dhabi has published a 2030 plan that encompasses everything from education to health, to tourism and more.
It is a cultural hub with iconic museums such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum.
As a meetings destination, Abu Dhabi has all the building blocks in place. ADNEC is a world-class venue that is surrounded by superb hotels, including two ADNEC owned on site. Within the vicinity are hotels ranging from one star to five star, so there is an accommodation solution for all budgets.
What have the first weeks in your new role involved?
It has been a whirlwind of meetings! I have met with a variety of local suppliers.
ADNEC Group owns Excel London, so I have been strengthening my relationships with colleagues over there to ensure we are aligned as much as possible.
I have attended recent international meeting events IMEX USA, EIBTM and ICCA and am staggered at the overwhelming interest in doing business in Abu Dhabi.
The main difference for me is principally a shift in focus from Eurocentric to understanding the immense opportunity presented by Pan Asian and Pan Arab business.
I have noticed, that compared to previous roles, there is a powerful ability here to make things happen once a direction is agreed upon. That’s exciting.
We will be making an exciting announcement imminently regarding forming a strategic partnership with a global PCO business, but this certainly doesn’t mean we wouldn’t work with other PCOs.
Are there particular sectors that you are chasing in particular?
ADNEC works closely with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, which has an Advantage Abu Dhabi initiative aimed at catalysing and seeding innovative and viable business events aligned to the Government’s 2030 Economic Vision.
Assessment criteria gauge an event’s type and degree of support across a number of items including creative ideas, pioneering concept, social and global empowerment, commitment to Abu Dhabi’s long-term goals and corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Key sectors include energy, petrochemicals, metals, aviation/aerospace/defence, pharmaceuticals/biotech/life sciences, tourism, healthcare, financial services and telecommunications.
What advice would you give to international meeting planners and organisers considering the Gulf and Abu Dhabi for their events?
Abu Dhabi offers a unique combination of world-class facilities at the centre of three continents.
It is a place to experience culture and has great things to do.
It is definitely the happening place for business events.
Emerging destinations like India, Africa and the Middle East will find easy access with non-stop flights.
This was first published in the Issue 70 of CMW. Any comments? Email cmw@mashmedia.net
