DCCI series shed light on changing business dynamics in Covid-19 era

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has announced the launch of the Dubai Chamber Interview Series, a virtual event series featuring live-one-on-one interviews with prominent local and international business figures from a wide range of industries.

The first event was headlined by Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and attended by 600 participants from 60 countries, including Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber, Dubai Chamber members, local and regional business leaders and industry stakeholders.

During the event, Al Marri shared insights on key developments reshaping Dubai’s tourism sector as the city resumes business events. He pointed to Dubai’s proven track record in reacting quickly to market changes, and praised the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minster and Ruler of Dubai, which has enabled the emirate’s public and private sectors to respond effectively to new challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Dubai tourism sector has an infrastructure today that is second to none and our pro-activeness and well recognised cross functional deliverance of managing the pandemic within our borders, allowed us to be able to receive international travellers earlier, all with stringent safety protocols in place. This has put us in a first mover position to reopen to global markets as and when they reciprocally open, allowing the city to be ahead of the curve in gaining access to the international market,” said Al Marri.

Dubai is utilising innovative technologies designed to enhance the visitor reach and experience across various touchpoints in the city, Al Marri explained.

The personalisation and data driven approach is allowing the emirate to continue to open up more markets and segments and grow existing ones, which he says should put it on a growth trajectory as a top five global tourism hub for both business and leisure.

For this part, Buamim, said the Dubai Chamber Interview Series is the latest initiative launched by the Chamber to help companies navigate a new business landscape reshaped by Covid-19, and help them stay informed of important economic developments and ensure business continuity.  Buamim noted that the series launch comes at a time when business in Dubai gets back on track as various segments of the economy reopen, while a return of confidence and consumer demand signals a brighter outlook for the months ahead.

“As Dubai gradually re-opens various economic sectors, businesses must do their part to ensure full compliance with the latest health and safety measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 and work with the public sector to accelerate the post-pandemic recovery,” Buamim added.

Established in 1965, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a non-profit public entity, whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favourable business environment, supporting the development of business, and by promoting Dubai as an international business hub.

Meanwhile the space industry could become one of the UAE’s most promising sectors and a key pillar of economic growth over the next 50 years, according to a new whitepaper released by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The report, titled ‘’Space Economy Investment Opportunities for the UAE’’, identifies 10 areas of the space economy that offer the most investment potential for the UAE, namely space mining, space stations, space settlements, space law, sustainability in space and recycling, space tourism, space companies, and space academies that include preparing astronauts for commercial flights, space industries, and developing and manufacturing spacecraft components.

The UAE’s mission to the International Space Station in 2019 and the launch of the Hope Probe to Mars earlier this year were major steps positioning the country as a global player in space exploration and research.

These important developments are paving the way for new investment opportunities and public-private sector partnerships that could take the UAE’s space economy to new heights, enhance the country’s economic competitiveness and cement its status as a global innovation leader. The global space race is no longer dominated by countries and governments, as billionaires and businesses are now among the major investors in this area, the report explained, highlighting Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic as prime examples.

WAM/Agencies