Last year almost 4.9 million people stayed in Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments, a 9.8 per cent rise year-on-year. While the United Kingdom remains the largest European source market, registering a 13 per cent rise rise to more than 270,000, expanding infrastructure is expected to bring in more visitors.

The convention bureau launched its Al Nukhba initiative at the end of 2017, aiming to boost the number of international conferences held in the UAE capital. The programme gathers like-minded, highly motivated experts in various fields across the emirate, in order to co-ordinate efforts to secure convention business for Abu Dhabi.

The new team is made up of experts influential in their field, who are now acting as representatives of the emirate, working with local professionals to advocate for Abu Dhabi on potential inbound international conventions.

“In line with the department’s mandate of growing the business tourism sector within Abu Dhabi, investing time and effort in MICE-boosting initiatives such as the Al Nukhba programme will help us towards our target of attracting three million visitors by 2021,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general of the Culture and Tourism department.