Al Muhairi

	Set for take off! His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of ADTA, outlines Abu Dhabi's successes and ambition as a tourist destination.
		The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is the statutory body with responsibilities for the promotion and development of the emirate’s international tourism industry. The mandate covers three primary areas: destination marketing, infrastructure and product development as well as regulation, licensing and classification. Emirates Golf spoke to His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of ADTA, to discuss recent developments and the long-term plans for Abu Dhabi.

	Can you give us some background on Abu Dhabi and its position as a global business centre? Abu Dhabi has long been established as an international business centre, which is being enhanced with substantial investment throughout the emirate in state-of-the-art meetings, convention and exhibition infrastructure – a significant portion of which is coming directly from the private sector. The Government’s investment in the new facilities at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC) is a tangible demonstration of our belief that the city is positioning itself as a leading global business centre. ADNEC is currently the world’s most modern exhibition centre and this year will host 60 major events. ADNEC is being further expanded and final construction of the second phase of this project is now being progressed at a cost of AED500m. Once complete, ADNEC will have 12 fully connected exhibition halls covering more than 55,000sqm. ADNEC, of course, is the centrepiece of the AED8bn Capital Centre, which is a fully integrated community development at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s strategic plan, 2030. The positioning of Abu Dhabi as a leading global business centre is in tandem with the overarching 2030 plan, which maps the ongoing evolution of the city into a stately, global capital. Abu Dhabi has been a well-kept secret in the past. Why has the emirate chosen to start promoting itself in recent years? Tourism was identified by the Government as a key driver for its economic diversification programme. Our leaders have set the foundations for us to ensure that the new spirit of economic liberalisation and modernisation, the embracing of public/private sector cooperation and diversification. Abu Dhabi’s direct tourism industry has generated AED3.7bn and created almost 32,000 jobs in the last two years, and it is anticipated that the implementation of our five-year strategy will add a further 20,000 employees by the end of 2012. How is Abu Dhabi positioning itself as a tourism destination? Abu Dhabi is seeking to attract discerning tourists who will be attracted by a diversified product base of beach, nature, culture, sports, adventure and business tourism. Our mandate is to position Abu Dhabi as an international city of wealth and culture, while maintaining a balanced approach between development and environmental preservation and sustainability. In our five-year strategic plan, 2008-2012, we have prioritised wider international marketing of this destination and we envisage that by the end of this year we will have ADTA representative offices in Australia, Italy and China joining our existing overseas office network which serves our primary markets of the UK, Germany and France. Unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi has several cities which have particular cultural interest to visitors, including Al Ain. Can you tell us about the history and attraction of Al Ain? Al Ain – which means “the spring” and is so named because of the natural springs in that area – has much to recommend itself as a stand-alone destination or key attraction for anyone visiting the UAE. Al Ain is an example of the diversity of the terrain within Abu Dhabi; it is a city of lush, magnificent greenery – a true oasis which is set against the stark contrast of the rugged Hajjar mountain range and the rich red sand dunes of the eastern province. It is rich in history with 6,000-year-old archaeological sites and has a very relaxing ambience. Al Ain is known as the “Garden City of the Gulf” as it boasts no fewer than 25 parks, and is the UAE’s fourth largest city. Such is the potential of Al Ain that the city is served by its own international airport and leading hotel brand names, including Rotana, Intercontinental and Hilton. It also hosts a number of world-class events including the annual Al Ain Aerobatics Championship. Sport is playing an important role in Abu Dhabi’s international marketing. Tell us more. There is certainly a lot in store over the next 12 to 18 months. From December 12, the emirate will host the second Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, which is a gruelling 400km endurance trial for teams of four athletes who tackle a range of disciplines including mountain biking, sea kayaking, adventure running and rope works. This year we also have more variety in store for the athletes with certain challenge trials being based on Sir Bani Yas Island – the former Royal eco-reserve in the emirate’s western region and which will be the core of our new multi-disciplined Desert Islands resort. December will be the right time to gain exposure for Sir Bani Yas as the first phase of the Desert Islands project is due to open in October. A month later and the emirate will host the fourth edition of the annual PGA Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. This tournament goes from strength to strength. Much of 2009 will also be spent building up to two of the most exciting developments to take place in the emirate; the staging of a Formula One Grand Prix towards the end of 2009 and the hosting, in 2009 and 2010, of the FIFA Clubs Championship Cup. Certain zones of Abu Dhabi, both the city and the emirate, have been designed to attract tourists from Europe and worldwide. These include the Saadiyat, Reem and Lulu islands. Can you tell us about these, particularly in the context of future hotels and real estate? These islands will have a significant impact on the emirate’s hotel and real-estate inventory. In the case of Saadiyat Island, there are plans for nine five-star resorts in the Saadiyat Beach district, including the region’s first St Regis property. All of these will be close to the championship-standard Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, which is currently under construction. This par-72 course is the only signature Gary Player course in the UAE and the region’s only ocean course with several beachfront homes. The district will also have seven elite gated neighbourhood communities of villas, townhomes and apartments. We are now gearing up for the launch of a residential offering in the Saadiyat Marina district. How is Abu Dhabi going to differentiate itself from other parts of the region? Abu Dhabi is a truly unique proposition with its own distinctive character, philosophy, cultural heritage and future aspirations. True, we share many common qualities and values with our regional neighbours, but we seek to define ourselves by our uniqueness. Our brand reflects the defining characteristics of Abu Dhabi – it embodies the prevailing ambience of quiet dignity and our deep respect for the time-honoured traditions and values of our ancestors.