Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has honoured members of its Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme for capturing and creating high-profile conferences and congresses for the city in 2023. Ambassadors from thirty-four member organisations, including healthcare professionals, scientists, industry experts, academics and business leaders, were recognised at the programme’s annual awards ceremony last week, held at the Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach.
An initiative of Dubai Business Events (DBE), part of DET and the city’s official convention bureau, the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme continues to play a vital role in attracting key international business events to Dubai, enhancing its appeal as a global hub for knowledge and innovation, and contributing to achieving the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’. Members of the programme represent a wide range of fields, including aviation, logistics, healthcare, technology and innovation, and work with DBE and other stakeholders to identify, bid for, capture and successfully host business events in the city.
This year’s awards were held at an evening gala event, allowing participants to network and build connections, as well as celebrate their success with peers and industry leaders. For the first time, in addition to acknowledging the ambassadors who led successful bids for international conferences and congresses, this year’s awards also recognised those who had driven the creation of new homegrown events, which are set to make a contribution to the business events sector and wider economy in Dubai for many years to come.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said, “I would like to congratulate all ambassadors for their outstanding endeavours in positioning Dubai as a leading destination for international business events. The efforts of our ambassadors propelled the city to securing a record number of bids in 2023 to host flagship international conferences, congresses and meetings over the coming years. This gives us significant momentum as we complete the first year of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 timeframe and further encourages us as we pave the way to capture even more business events and congresses into the future.
He added, “Business events have consistently proved to be a tremendous catalyst for economic and social progress, bolstering key economic sectors outlined in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double Dubai’s economy in a decade. We are proud that our ambassadors have embraced collaboration and innovation to achieve this objective and attract more visitors to the city. Their continued commitment and vision is helping to maintain strong impetus across both business events and the wider economy.”
Since it was first established in 2010, the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme has been at the forefront of Dubai’s growth as a business events destination. Dubai was a major hub for leading international and domestic business events in 2023, with the city winning three hundred and forty-nine bids to host flagship international conferences, congresses, meetings, and incentive travel programmes in the city. This reflects a robust 49 percent growth in events in 2023 compared to the previous year.
