DUBAI: On the occasion of its first anniversary, the Dubai Association Centre (DAC) announced granting of 12 licences for the establishment of global professional associations in the emirate of Dubai.
Over the past one year of its operations, the Centre has succeeded in its objective of promoting Dubai as a favourite regional destination for professional associations as is evident from the rising interest by global associations in setting up branches in the emirate.
Included in the list of 12 licences granted by the Centre are the Arab Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (ASPED), Gulf Heart Association, UITP – Advanced Public Transport, The Institution of Fire Engineers, GSMA, Middle East Gas Association (MEGA), the World Free Zones Organisation, and International Advertising Association (IAA), The Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter of the International Association of Drilling Contractors, Middle East & North Africa Franchise Association, International Institute of Business Analysis, and International Inter-professional Wound Care Course.
Besides granting permission to 12 professional, DAC is currently studying 54 applications for licensing, four applications are under approval for issuance of licence and the Centre is in conversation with over 60 regional and international associations interested in setting up an office or chapter in Dubai.
Also since its inception and as part of its efforts to raise awareness of the services offered and the benefits of joining the Centre, 10 promotional tours and events were organised in Dubai, Europe, the US and Asia, with visits to eight global cities including Chicago, Washington, Nashville, Atlanta, Geneva, Brussels, Hong Kong and Frankfurt, where the Centre officials attended meetings with over 500 representatives of global associations, and has strengthened its strategic partnership with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) which is one of the world’s largest association of associations for professional and trade bodies.
The Dubai Association Centre was established in the beginning of 2014 under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), with the aim to provide assistance to professional associations to set up office space and develop their activities and membership in Dubai and beyond.
Atiq Juma Nasib, Senior Vice-President Commercial Services Sector, Dubai Chamber, stated that the first year of the Centre’s formation was very encouraging as it succeeded in attracting a number of global professional associations whose presence will add value to the lucrative business environment of Dubai.
Nasib further stated that the Centre’s focus is on attracting reputed professional associations contributing to the sustainable development process of Dubai and the region’s economy, especially professional associations from the logistics, IT, tourism, education, health care, retail and green technology sectors.
He also said that one of the main objectives of DAC is to attract a number of strategic annual events of leading global professional associations to Dubai which will in turn benefit the important sectors they represent as well as the overall economy of Dubai.
Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice-President, Venues, Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “We are delighted to see a positive response from the global associations community to set up their base in Dubai. The emirate’s strategic location, coupled with access to nearly two billion people within a four-hour flight radius makes it a very lucrative hub for associations to connect with some of the world’s fastest growing markets in this region.”
Steen Jakobsen, Director of Convention & Business Tourism at the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “The Dubai Association Centre (DAC) has made remarkable progress over the past year and has firmly positioned itself as the ideal platform for international associations which are looking to access the lucrative and relatively untapped Middle East market. As our international reputation as a leading city for education, training and knowledge dissemination grows, I am confident that more and more global bodies that are looking to expand their presence in the region will be setting up offices in Dubai.”
DAC allows a formal environment where international non-profit, scientific and professional associations can form a membership-based community and open a regional representative office to conduct business in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.
For associations, the advantages of setting up in Dubai go beyond the obvious attractions of a well-developed city at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and all the prospects for new business this creates. DAC provides practical support, in the form of serviced office accommodation in Sheikh Rashid Tower and access to the networking facilities of the World Trade Club, both located at Dubai World Trade Centre, the region’s leading events and exhibition venue.
