Dubai Business Events (DBE), Dubai’s official convention bureau, honoured members of its ‘Al Safeer’ programme for their efforts in helping to bring international conferences and events to the city, at its annual Congress Ambassador Networking event on 1st March.
The event, which took place at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai, brought together over 200 ambassadors, including prominent doctors, scientists, businessmen and government officials from across the Emirate. The event paid tribute to 45 high-profile individuals and organisations for their outstanding performance in attracting and hosting international conferences and business events in Dubai, championing the city’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry and fortifying its position as a premier business events destination.
During the event, DBE reflected on a year of success and growth for the business events industry, providing an update on key highlights from 2016, outlining the bureau’s plans of attracting and hosting international conferences in Dubai in 2017 and highlighting the key role that the Al Safeer Programme ambassadors play.
Translating to ‘The Ambassador’, the Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors Programme was established by DBE in 2010 with the aim to engage Dubai based scientists, business professionals and organizations and tap on their expertise and connections to identify and attract conferences and meetings to Dubai. Al Safeer Ambassadors range from pioneering subject matter experts and leading academics to innovative surgeons and prominent people in UAE business who are committed to driving awareness about Dubai as a thriving business events destination and global knowledge hub.
In 2016, the Programme recruited over 200 new ambassadors, increasing the network to over 350 industry leaders, professionals from various fields and sectors. Through the network members’ relations to international institutions and associations, DBE assisted with and managed 52 bids for international conferences, of which 25 were won. Notable wins included Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Annual Congress 2017, World Congress of Cardiology 2018 and World Down Syndrome Congress 2020.