Interview: Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
What are some of the potential opportunities in the emirate’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market?
MOHAMED KHALIFA AL MUBARAK: Abu Dhabi’s MICE segment is a central element in the emirate’s ambition to become a globally recognised destination for leisure and business travellers. The promotion of Abu Dhabi as a MICE destination has yielded substantial results over the past decade. In 2022 the emirate welcomed more than 600,000 MICE visitors to 1200 events, underlining its status as a global centre for travellers, investors, business leaders and entrepreneurs.
The success of DCT Abu Dhabi’s strategy has depended on building partnerships with local and global stakeholders that operate in the culture, tourism and business spaces. These partnerships, in turn, have helped us to spearhead business-friendly initiatives. Our focus is on fostering collaboration and enabling opportunities through the MICE segment in order to welcome an increasing number of international business travellers to the emirate.
Launched in 2022 by the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Advantage Abu Dhabi Meetings & Incentives 2.0 programme is part of the ongoing strategy to increase Abu Dhabi’s MICE market share. It complements the emirate’s reputation for hospitality and advanced infrastructure, and offers compelling incentives, a calendar of events and global intellectual property partnerships.
Which cultural projects are helping to enhance Abu Dhabi’s global reputation for entertainment, leisure and business offerings?
AL MUBARAK: Abu Dhabi is being positioned as a place where culture is an essential driver of social and economic development. Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District is a project of significant scale and ambition that will support the objective of securing Abu Dhabi a place among the world’s major cultural destinations. It is home to museums such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened to the public in 2017. Other cultural institutions under construction in the district include Zayed National Museum, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the National History Museum Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
In the five years since its opening, Louvre Abu Dhabi has been recognised as a dynamic and innovative institution that facilitates an exchange between the global museum landscape and the regional cultural ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum will expand perspectives around art through its international collection, which will be focused on West Asia and the wider region.
In what ways is Abu Dhabi safeguarding local culture while promoting tourism?
AL MUBARAK: Abu Dhabi recognises the central role that culture plays in shaping societies and guiding growth. The emirate is developing museums and cultural centres, preserving historic buildings and local traditions, and supporting creative industries to ensure that the tourism and culture sector remains a major driver of sustainable economic development and diversification.
Culture is at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s value proposition. From Emirati hospitality to Saadiyat Island’s rapidly developing Cultural District, the aim is to ensure that tourism offerings are relevant, varied, and beneficial to both visitors and local communities. Through public-private partnerships, we are inviting the world to share in Abu Dhabi’s journey and enhance its destination proposition in all dimensions of culture, tourism and business.
Abu Dhabi offers a range of immersive experiences for visitors and residents to enjoy at their own pace, enriched by the emirate’s warm hospitality. As we embrace our history and culture and focus on the future, the prospects for the sector are bright.
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