Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has once again honoured members of the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme who spearheaded successful bids to bring global business events to Dubai in 2022. Ambassadors from 27 member organisations, including healthcare professionals, scientists, industry experts, academics and business leaders, were recognised at Programme’s annual appreciation ceremony, held on 2 March at the Museum of The Future.

In 2022, ambassadors led bids to win a total for 24 conferences and congresses, which will take place over the coming years. In addition to attracting thousands of delegates between them, these events will add further momentum to the development of Dubai’s knowledge economy and make important contributions towards achieving the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 over the next decade.

The events will also provide vital platforms for the sharing of knowledge, professional development and networking for the respective international associations and organisations that awarded them to Dubai. Among these events captured in 2022 thanks to the efforts of ambassadors were: International Congress of Endocrinology 2024, Global Summit of Women 2023, World Congress of the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists 2026, and Congress of the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association 2024.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “Dubai’s Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors continue to make a vital contribution to Dubai’s growth as a business events hub, and we thank and congratulate all members of the programme, and especially those recognised today, for their efforts over the past year. Working with stakeholders in the city and engaging with their peers internationally, our ambassadors have presented Dubai as not only a world-class events destination, but also as a leading knowledge hub.

“The Dubai Economic Agenda – D33 – sets a path for Dubai to cement its position as one of the top 3 global cities and double the size of its economy over the next decade. Driven by the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we have ambitious targets to meet that will require collaborative efforts across the public and private sectors. Business events will play a critical role in achieving this – not only in driving more visitation to the city and through direct economic benefit, but also by feeding the growth of key sectors. D33 is about consolidating Dubai’s global competitiveness, innovation and knowledge-based economy – all goals that align seamlessly with the aims of our Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors.”

The annual appreciation event also saw Saeed Al Falasi, Executive Director, Future Design and Acceleration at Dubai Future Foundation, deliver a presentation on how Dubai has become a global hub for future knowledge and innovation. Meanwhile, two panel sessions featuring local and international association leaders respectively explored the role of ambassadors and their importance in bidding for and hosting business events. Ambassadors attending the event were also able to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the Museum of The Future and its inspiring exhibits.

Established in 2010, the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme has been at the heart of Dubai’s growth as a business events destination, by the end of 2022 playing a role in successfully bringing over 240 events with approximately 336,000 delegates in attendance to Dubai. There are currently over 330 ambassadors in the programme, which continues to attract membership from across a wide range of sectors and professions.

Organisations recognised and events won:

International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (IFOS) World Congress 2023	Emirates ENT Society
International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies – ICOPLAST 2023	Arab Association of Surgical & Medical Aesthetics
	Emirates Plastic Surgery Society
IFCC WorldLab International Congress of the Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine 2024	United Arab Emirates Genetic Diseases Association
	Saudi Society of Clinical Chemistry
World Congress of Sports Medicine 2024	Sports Medicine Committee  – UAE National Olympic Committee
World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer -CoBrCa 2023	Mediclinic
Gulf Group for the Study of Diabetes Conference – GGSD 2023	Gulf Group for the Study of Diabetes
International Neonatology Association Conference 2022	Emirates Specialty Hospital
Congress of the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association 2024	Emirates Orthopedic Society
International Congress of Endocrinology 2024	Emirates Diabetes Society
Pan Arab Psychiatrist Congress 2022	Emirates Society of Mental Health
World Congress of the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists 2026	Emirates Society of Radiographers
International Symposium on Dental Hygiene 2028	Emirates Dental Hygienist Club
International Congress of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy 2023	Emirates Physiotherapy Society
Conference of the International Colored Gemstones Association 2023	Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Global Summit of Women 2023	Emirates Business Women Council
International Union of Marine Insurance Asia Forum 2023	Emirates Insurance Association
5th Forum of Female Engineers 2022	Society of Engineers
AIESEC Middle East Africa Regional Summit (MEARS) 2023	AIESEC UAE
IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency 2023	Canadian University Dubai
FMA Global Finance Conference 2022	Zayed University
International Conference of the  Academy of Global Business Research and Practice (AGBRP) 2022	Skyline University College
EUMMAS A2S Conference on Global Social and Technological Development and Sustainability 2023
75th World Association of Public Opinion Research Conference 2022	United Arab Emirates University
	Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government
Asia-Middle East-Africa Conference on Academic and Research Integrity 2023	University of Wollongong in Dubai
	Middlesex University Dubai