fdi Council praises Dubai government's role in hosting Global Dental Congress

The high-profile Congress will be held at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre from October 24 to 27.

The fdi Council meeting, presided over by incumbent President Dr Michèle Aerden, was attended by members of the council and Dr Ahmed Al Banna - Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Chairman of Hospitality and Media Committees, fdi Dubai 2007, representing the host country.

At the meeting, Dr Aerden thanked the Government of Dubai for its role on spearheading the preparations for the congress. A special mention was made on the attention to detail and the infrastructure that was in place for the Congress.

Dr Ahmed Al Banna, reiterated the support of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, along with the commitment of Government of Dubai in according all necessary assistance for the conduct of the global Congress.

Outlining the efforts that were being made to promote the Congress, Dr Al Banna said: "The fdi Dubai 2007 Organizing Committee led several high-level delegations to US, Canada, Singapore, Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, Italy, France and organized press conferences in India, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Tunis, Egypt and Bahrain. A total of AED 15 million was spent on the promotion of the Congress through a series of roadshows, announcements through mass media, branding collaterals etc."

He added: "Dubai's entrepreneurial spirit and unique economic model have enabled it to reduce its dependence on oil and diversify its economic sphere. We are actively promoting high-end and selective tourism which is becoming a sustainable and integral part of the economy. We envisage that the delegates of the conference will visit us again as tourists in the years to come."

The Congress, to be attended by more than 20,000 delegates, is expected to generate Dh150 million per day as tourism revenue for the city. The four-day Congress will also lead to a host of indirect long-term benefits to Dubai.

The Congress, which has a membership of more than a million dentists worldwide, will see representations from 165 countries.