DUBAI, 26th March, 2024 (WAM) — More than 100 of the world’s leading travel technology companies will be exhibiting at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in the UAE from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 May.

ATM 2024’s sold-out Travel Tech space will be 56% bigger than last year with 33% more exhibitors participating this year, thanks to unprecedented demand from companies looking to showcase their innovations in front of a global audience.

Sponsored by Sabre, the ATM Future Stage – formerly known as the Travel Tech Stage – will host over a hundred expert speakers from across the global travel and tourism industry, plus a diverse selection of cutting-edge innovations designed to improve efficiency and profitability within the sector. Delegates will explore how advanced tech can be leveraged to drive improvements across a range of segments, including payment, professional development, accessibility, sustainability and more.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “My colleagues and I are delighted to introduce the ATM Future Stage, which will harness the ever-increasing levels of innovation our industry is witnessing while building on the long-standing success of our Travel Tech offering.”

The global travel technology market was valued at $9.4 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $21 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research. The ATM Future Stage will host a selection of presentations and sessions designed to highlight opportunities within this space.

These include; Navigating the Future: A Futurist’s Prediction, Strategic Capabilities and Implications of AI within Business, Putting the Traveller First with AI and Unlocking the Value of Travel: Harnessing Technology for Enhanced Traveler Journeys, which will be held in association with Amadeus.

This year’s show will see the return of the ATM Start-up Pitch Battle, which will be held in association with Intelak. The third edition of the competition will see a number of the region’s most promising startups take to the Future Stage to showcase a range of innovative and potentially industry-changing solutions in front of expert judges.

Several Travel Tech exhibitors also plan to get involved in other areas of ATM 2024. Tech giant Huawei, for instance, will sponsor this year’s Capitalising on China’s Predicted Tourism Surge summit on the ATM Global Stage.

“With an exciting combination of ambitious startups and well-established brands, this year’s Travel Tech space is perfectly aligned with ATM 2024’s theme, ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’,” added Curtis.

ATM 2024 will also feature a ‘Best Use of Technology’ award at its annual exhibitor awards for the first time. Exhibitors will be evaluated on how and to what extent they have embraced and deployed technology on their stands.

In line with its theme, ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, the 31st edition of ATM will once again host policymakers, industry leaders and travel professionals from across the Middle East and beyond, encouraging them to forge new relationships, exchange knowledge and identify innovations that can reshape the future of global travel and tourism. From startups to established brands, the upcoming show will highlight how innovators enhance customer experiences, drive efficiencies, and accelerate progress towards a net-zero future for the industry.

More than 40,000 travel trade professionals, including 30,000 visitors, attended the 30th edition of ATM in May 2023, setting a new show record. The exhibition attracted more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 155 countries, providing a global platform for the unveiling of ATM’s net-zero pledge.

Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024’s strategic partners include the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as Destination Partner, Emirates as Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as Official Hotel Partner, and Al Rais Travel as Official DMC Partner.

ABU DHABI, 26th March, 2024 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi School of Management (ADSM), a higher education institution affiliated with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), announced the launch of its Bachelor of Science in Management (BScM) programme.

The new programme, which will begin in September, is in line with the school’s vision to become a leading centre of entrepreneurship, management, and innovation in the region.

It aims to provide an exceptional and rich academic experience that will teach the knowledge and skills necessary to make decisions in accordance with emerging regulatory trends in the markets and the requirements of Industry 4.0 through methodologies that jointly focus on advanced technology and emerging digital technologies.

Furthermore, it also aims to contribute to Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 by enabling the private sector to help create a sustainable knowledge economy for future generations.

Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the School, said, “We are proud to launch the new bachelor’s programme, which is the first of its kind in management sciences and focuses on the attributes and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI).

The programme is the culmination of our efforts to foster an academic environment that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship, amid dynamic economic transformations around the world. It also highlights our commitment to advancing the UAE’s leading international position as a business destination and a hub for cutting-edge technological advancements.”

The new programme is also in line with the modern trends of organisational management and the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through its focus on the management of sciences and digital technologies, presenting a remarkable opportunity for students to enhance their competitiveness in the job market through acquiring the essential knowledge and skills required to make effective administrative decisions in the business world, he added.

The programme, which is currently open for enrolment, focusses on three key educational tracks, which are the general education programme; the management sciences programme, which analyses management theories and their applications; and the digital technologies management programme, which focusses on big data, analytics, and AI technology as strategic responses to rapid developments in the business sector.

The programme aligns with the seventh level of the National Qualifications Framework for higher education and the best international standards, and its participants will have the opportunity to develop their skills, gain a deeper understanding of relevant challenges and hone their decision-making abilities, enabling them to transform challenges into opportunities and foster long-term growth and success.

The Abu Dhabi School of Management and its academic programmes are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi. It has also received many international accreditations, classifications, and memberships, including from the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA Global) and the US Data Science Council (DASCA), and is listed in the QS World University Rankings.

ABU DHABI, 27th March, 2024 (WAM) — Shareholders of Waha Capital, an Abu Dhabi-listed investment management company, approved a cash dividend of 10 fils per share at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday. The dividend includes a 1.5 fils per share special dividend for the 2023 financial year.

In response to the company’s growth and strategic objectives and in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements, shareholders approved increasing the number of board seats from seven to nine at the AGM.

Additionally, shareholders also approved the appointment of Waha Capital’s Board of Directors. Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Ahmed Al Dhaheri, Nader Al Hammadi, Mohamed Hussain Al Nowais, Rasheed Al Omaira, and Homaid Al Shimmari, were all re-elected as members of the Board. Furthermore, three new members, Darwish Al Ketbi, Sanaa Al Ketbi, and Ahmad Al Qassimi, were elected to the Board.

At the meeting, shareholders also authorised the company to contribute up to 1% of 2023 net profit towards CSR initiatives.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Chairman of Waha Capital, said, “Despite economic challenges and market fluctuations, Waha Capital demonstrated its resilience last year, delivering robust financial results and strong operational performance. Based on this, the Board proposed a dividend of 10 fils per share for 2023, which shareholders approved at the AGM.”

Following the AGM, the Board met and re-appointed Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi as Chairman, Ahmed Al Dhaheri as Vice Chairman, and Mohamed Hussain Al Nowais as Managing Director.

Waha Capital reported a net profit of AED440 million in 2023, an increase of 28% from the previous year. Waha Investment, the company’s wholly-owned asset management subsidiary, continued to generate solid revenues, producing a net profit of AED639 million as its assets under management reached AED8.8 billion following substantial new third-party capital commitments.

ABU DHABI, 25th March, 2024 (WAM) — Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) has approved the distribution of 45 percent cash dividends (AED 0.45 per share, implying total cash dividends of AED 256.5 million) for the financial year ended 31st December 2023, after concluding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) today.

Shareholders discussed and approved all items on the agenda for the AGM, including ADNIC’s financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2023.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADNIC, said, “We are proud to have delivered strongly on our promises in the past year, a testament to the strategic direction set forth by management and the unwavering dedication of our employees. Shareholders stand as valued partners in our successful journey, pivotal in propelling ADNIC’s growth and development forward. The distribution of cash dividends underscores our commitment to providing consistent returns on their investments.

“The year 2023 marked a significant milestone for ADNIC, achieving one of the highest profits in its history, totaling AED 401.2 million. Looking ahead, we will continue to explore new markets and fortify our position as a key player in the GCC region.”

Charalampos Mylonas, CEO of ADNIC, said, “ADNIC continues to solidify its market leading position by strategically leveraging its core strengths. This is demonstrated by our record net profit performance for the year and is further evidenced by our distribution of cash dividends. Our commitment lies in creating exceptional value for both our customers and shareholders, while continuously enhancing various aspects of our operations by actively adopting and utilising new technologies.

“We are as dedicated as our shareholders are to supporting diverse communities and initiatives across the UAE and beyond, while also aligning with the government’s vision to promote a more sustainable future.”

ABU DHABI, 26th March, 2024 (WAM) — Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has announced a new incentive initiative crafted exclusively for established businesses situated on Al Reem Island, operating within the non-financial and retail sectors.

This initiative is strategically designed to bolster support for these businesses during their transition from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) to ADGM.

Through this incentive initiative, qualifying businesses on Al Reem Island will be exempt from paying any fees for obtaining an ADGM commercial licence until 31st October 2024.

This proactive measure aims to streamline the transition process for these businesses, enabling them to continue to thrive without the added financial burden during this period.

Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, CEO of ADGM Registration Authority, said that the initiative will help mitigate any potential disruptions that these businesses might encounter when moving from an ADDED licence to an ADGM licence, enabling them to operate within ADGM’s jurisdiction, swiftly.

ADGM encourages all businesses that fall under the non-financial and retail categories on Al Reem Island to take advantage of this opportunity.

This initiative reflects ADGM’s commitment to fostering a supportive and business-friendly environment in Abu Dhabi, contributing to the sustainable growth and development of the local economy. By providing these incentives, ADGM aims to reaffirm its role as a catalyst for business success and innovation in the region.