Tag Archives: exclusive-dubai
Why Dubai is an important international trading centre
Dubai has quickly established itself as an important trading hub, with businesses from all over the world increasing their presence in the city.Figures recently released by the Dubai Customs showed that foreign trade jumped by a record 22 per cent in 2011, driven primarily by strong links with Asia, Reuters reports.The UAE as a whole completed overseas dealings worth $300 billion (AED 1.1 trillion) during the year and economists expect this momentum to continue in the near future.Dubai Customs executive chairman Ahmed Butti Ahmed told the news provider that Dubai has benefited from market openness and the city's excellent infrastructure has also made it more attractive to foreign investors.”Demand from different countries is increasing, population is increasing, needs are increasing, it's natural,” he was quoted as saying.Mr Ahmed added that the economic downturn in China – one of the world's most powerful countries – will not hinder the UAE's progress unduly.Dubai is aiming for a 4.5 per cent rise in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, which would be higher than the three per cent upturn reported in 2011.To put this into context, the UK recently reported modest GDP growth of just 0.3 per cent for the first quarter of 2013 and this followed on from a negative reading in the final three months of 2012. Although the UK is not as influential as China and the US, it is still a major global player and the fact the UAE's economy is performing so much better is testament to the Arab country's strength.Dubai is proving to be an important market for Japanese traders at the moment, particularly those involved in the automobile sector.Speaking to the National, Hiroki Matsumoto – managing director of the Japan External Trade Organisation in Dubai – explained why companies in the Far East see the UAE as a good place to boost their presence.”From here they can reach the entire Middle East and Africa region. Perhaps before they might have been based in Johannesburg in South Africa, but now they have moved or are moving to Dubai,” he was quoted as saying. Continue reading
Dubai International Airport sets another new record
Dubai International Airport accommodated a record 5.8 million passengers in March, new figures have confirmed.The international aviation hub continues to grow at an incredible rate, with traffic rising by an impressive 20.6 per cent during the month when compared to the corresponding period in 2012.This was the biggest percentage increase since August 2012 and was also the fourth consecutive month where the five million passengers threshold was surpassed.Dubai has quickly become one of the most popular holiday destinations on the planet and it attracts more than its fair share of businesspeople too.The strong performance in March meant that year-to-date traffic soared to 16.48 million – up by 15.6 per cent on the first quarter of 2012.Western Europe proved to be an important market for the UAE city in March, with an extra 227,830 people taking advantage of new routes put on by Emirates and flydubai. Visitor numbers from eastern Europe also increased considerably, as Emirates launched new services to Poland and flydubai introduced a regular flight to Macedonia. The airport recorded a total of 31,713 aircraft movements in March – which was up by 8.3 per cent on the same month in 2012 – and highlights why Dubai International has quickly become the second-busiest aviation facility on the planet.Chief executive officer of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths said the first quarter was “very successful”.”I am particularly pleased that we are now not only the world's second busiest international hub but also one of the most efficient with 208 passengers per aircraft movement thanks to our growing number of A380 operations which led the world in 2012 with 7,259 A380 flights to 28 destinations,” he remarked.The airport has already been extended this year and is currently capable of handling 75 million people a year, which is crucial as experts predict that up to 66 million visitors will land in this part of the Gulf by the end of 2013. Continue reading
Dubai’s plans for Expo 2020 revealed
Details of Dubai's campaign to host Expo 2020 have been made public for the first time, with the organisers planning an exciting programme of entertainment that explores the heritage of the United Arab Emirates.The official bid document submitted to the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) in December 2012 has now been seen by the National, which said the event is set to feature a “dazzling pageant” that will trace the region's history from ancient Bedouin civilisations to the present day.Dubai is one of five cities hoping to host the event, with the winner due to be announced by the BIE in November. The other candidates are Ayutthaya in Thailand, Brazil's Sao Paulo, Yekaterinburg in Russia and the Turkish city of Izmir. If the emirate is successful, Expo 2020 will be the first world fair to take place in the Middle East. Dubai is believed to be one of the frontrunners, having devoted considerable resources to its campaign.According to the newspaper, Dubai's bid document includes a pledge to deliver a stunning range of live entertainment that will include music concerts, firework displays, puppetry and theatrical performances.A sample schedule for a single day includes a total of 63 different events, running from 10:30 to 23:30. As the expo is due to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the UAE, many of the entries in the programme will celebrate this milestone.”Dubai knows how to put on a party and that is going to be the biggest party ever,” commented Peter Vine, who has coordinated the UAE pavilions at previous expos.”So in terms of celebrations and entertainment and fun and enjoyment it's all going to be happening, and the expo will add to it in a huge way.” Earlier this month, former US president Bill Clinton endorsed the expo bid during a visit to Dubai. He said the emirate has a good chance of winning because “Dubai's model of shared prosperity is more important today than ever and an inspiration to many countries in the Middle East”. Continue reading
