Middle East Festivals Will Rival World’s Best, says Al Nabouda

A highly effective and profitable “festival industry” has emerged in the Middle East with the annual staging of cultural and shopping extravaganzas attracting millions of visitors and dollars to the region, according to Saeed M. Al Nabouda, chief executive officer of the Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises.

The region’s central location, attracting visitors from Africa, Asia and Europe, combined with the professional way festivals are managed, will ensure that the Middle East is able to compete with Europe’s largest festivals, Al Nabouda will claim in a major speech during Festívale, the Middle East’s first convention for event organisers and destination management professionals, from April 24 to 26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The Baalbeck Festival in Lebanon, Muscat Festival in Oman, February Festival in Kuwait and the Dubai Shopping Festival in the UAE, have helped increase the international profile of the region, generate employment, income and goodwill.

Planners behind some of the world’s most famous festivals, such as the Sydney Festival, Glastonbury music festival and Notting Hill Carnival, will share their experiences during the three-day convention.

“There can be no doubt that a dedicated festival industry has been created in the Middle East,” said Al Nabouda. “However these events are not just month-long city parties, they are major events requiring meticulous planning, preparation and management as well as lots of hard work.”

“It is an opportunity for a city to shine and show the world what it has to offer. The social and economic benefits are also positive,” he added.

Dubai’s Shopping Festival (DSF), which successfully marked its 10th anniversary this year, is the forerunner in establishing the region’s festival culture. In 1996, DSF drew in 1.6 million visitors, in 2004 3.1 million people attended, and organisers are expecting that figure to increase by as much as 10 per cent this year.

The 38-day long Muscat Festival in Oman, also recently concluded, was forecasting tourist numbers to top 1.5 million, following an aggressive regional-wide advertising and promotion campaign.

“Festivals staged in the Middle East are as well organised and as comprehensive as anywhere else in the world. They are promoted and marketed inline with other major international events, and this driving visitor numbers up,” added Al Nabouda, who will deliver his speech on “Developing a Festival Culture” during Festívale 2005.

More than 30 speakers from around the world, including Rod McGeoch, chief executive of Sydney’s winning Olympic Games bid, and member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, will address the convention.

“Festivals in the Middle East have taken off in a big way, and there are skilled professionals in the region who understand the importance of marketing them correctly,” said Sabine Enthammer, executive director conferences, IIR Middle East, organisers of Festívale 2005. “Festívale will provide delegates with a unique insight from the world’s leading industry experts into the aspect of what makes a good festival a ‘great festival’ and how the events could be improved even further.”

Other speakers include Lisa Twomey, associate director, Sydney Festival; Mike Richmond, managing director, International Festival of the Sea, and William J, O’Toole, managing director, Event Project Management System, Australia.