Belselah discusses with Emirates arrangements for carrying Dubai 2003 participants

A number of key officials at Emirates Airline attended the meeting including the Directors of Travel, Cabin Crew, Reservations, Clients Service and Baggage and Ground handling sectors.

Mr. Belselah made a brief presentation, highlighting the importance of hosting these meetings in the UAE, especially as it will be taking place for the first time in the Arab World and the Middle East. He assured that this would be an ideal and golden opportunity for Dubai and the Arab world to showcase the untapped trade and investment opportunities and helps overcome misconceptions about the region.

He also stated that for two weeks, Dubai will become a media capital and the focus of the financial and monetary world, as it will host around 16,000 people comprising the most powerful decision-makers from around the world, who will have the opportunity to see the UAE and the Middle East in general as a peaceful place with a well-developed infrastructure enjoying stability and social development, and a promising hub for foreign investments and trade.

Nigel Page, Emirates Senior General Manager, Commercial Operations, Europe and North America, who attended the meeting, said that Emirates will provide the best international services for all passengers who will be participating at the Annual Meetings, as its fleet now includes 53 new aircrafts that are of less than three years of age in service, and consisting of Airbus 330-200, Boeing 777-300 and 200, and Boeing 747-400 and 200 for cargo services.

Emirates General Manager, Gulf, Yemen and Iran, Hamad Obaidulla assured that the participants at the Annual Meetings who will be flown to Dubai on Emirates will be able to experience the fine services offered by the carrier, starting from the time they book seats to the time they are given a special welcome by the cabin crew at the points of arrival and departure at Dubai International Airport.

Mr. Belselah pointed out that the participants will include Heads of States and Prime Ministers, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from 184 member states of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, as well as the most important international businessmen and economic experts, and around 2500 journalists from the different media houses in the world, who will be covering the event.

Mr. Belselah added that these participants will be able to see first-hand the modern and progressive city of Dubai, which is similar to other industrial cities where people come from all over the world to live and work peacefully.

Mr. Belselah said that Dubai, by virtue of successfully hosting this prominent international prominent event, would like to prove its capabilities in organising major international conferences and show the world that it is able to become a major financial centre because of all the economic resources that it enjoys as well as its important infrastructure. He also spoke about the capability of Dubai hotels to accommodate and host all the participants, saying that 7,000 rooms have been reserved to-date.

He pointed out that special facilities will be offered to participants including quicker processing of visas and convenient immigration formalities on their arrival at Dubai International Airport to help them reach their hotels in the shortest possible time.

He said that 750 senior employees from the Joint Secretariat of World Bank and International Monetary Fund will arrive in Dubai to assist in the preparations.

Mr. Obaidulla said that Emirates started its preparations for this global event from the management and logistics side two years ago.

He added: "We consider the success of this event as a success for Emirates as an official national carrier which contributes in enhancing the international reputation and position that the UAE enjoys".

Mr. Page disclosed that the Emirates network will include Auckland on August 1 and Brisbane in Australia on October 26 and the Nigerian capital Lagos on December 1 while the airline has plans to launch Trans Atlantic services to North America in April 2004.

Mr. Page assured that Emirates will start receiving 45 wide-bodied 380A aircraft in early 2006, and plans to have a fleet of 125 aircrafts by 2012.

The participants also discussed the possibility of using helicopters for the transport of senior officials as required.

Emirates Airline is the official carrier for Dubai 2003, and will ensure comfortable flights for the thousands of visitors who will come to Dubai to participate in the major event by offering its fine services and excellence in the aviation field, as well as its experience and expertise in supporting major international event in the UAE and all over the world.

Emirates has won more than 250 awards since its inception in 1985 and won many awards this year among them the Silver Award for the Best Carrier of the Year and the Best Economy Class and the award for the Best Carrier to the Middle East from Sky Tracks for Research, and the award for the Best Carrier of the Year from Air Transport, an American publication.

Emirates Airline works on a commercial basis without any government support, and is considered one of the fastest growing carriers and one of the five highest profit-making airlines and one of the 20 biggest carriers in the world. At present it has 67 stations in 47 countries in the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, the Asian Pacific Region and Australia.

This year, the Annual Meetings will be held on September 23 and 24, and the overall event will be held from September 18 to 25, 2003.

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund were first held in Washington DC in 1946. They are hosted by an international city one year in three. Dubai and the UAE were selected because of its highly developed transportation and logistics infrastructure, growing importance as a financial hub and its established position as an oasis of opportunity.