In the famous film emirate of Abu Dhabi appeared before the audience as the embodiment of "modern Middle East." THE CAPITAL OF THE ARAB EMIRATES IS NOT ONLY THE BIGGEST CITY OF THE COUNTRY, BUT AND ONE OF THE MOST BENEFICIARY IN THE WORLD BY VOLUME OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE POPULATION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ECONOMIC VISION 2030 LONG-TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN, THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO INVEST US $ 500 BILLION IN AN INDEPENDENTLY FULLY RESPONSIBLE PERFORMANCE.
Today, projects with a total value of US $ 327 billion are under construction in the capital of the emirate, and the annual volume of tourist flow exceeds 2.1 million guests. At the same time, Russia and the CIS countries are one of the most promising and fastest growing tourism markets for Abu Dhabi. To intensify efforts in this direction, an emirate office was opened in Moscow in August.
We talked about the goals and objectives of the organization, as well as about the prospects for the tourist growth of Abu Dhabi with the head of the Moscow office Eduard Grigoriev.
Eduard Gennadievich, we congratulate you on the opening of the office and the successful start of the organization. Please tell us what changes have occurred in Abu Dhabi over the past five years? What will a Russian tourist see today arriving in the capital of the UAE?
The changes are quite significant when it comes to the development of tourism infrastructure. First of all, there is an active development of both the city center and the islands - Saadiyat Island and Rome (Reem Island). Worldwide hotel chains are growing in the city, including the opening of new Jumeirah, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt hotels.
Luxury hotels have also appeared in the desert: take, for example, the Qasr Al Sarab Palace, managed by Anantara Hotels & Resorts. A lot of attention is paid to the development of related, entertainment infrastructure. Here you can mention the world's largest indoor amusement park Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and water park Yas Water World. I must say that there are so many objects that it’s impossible to list everything at once. In the near future, their number will only grow, and the city will literally change before our eyes. It should be noted that the development of the hospitality sector is facilitated by the improvement of non-stop flights: Etihad Airways flies from Moscow to Abu Dhabi every day, Transaero operates flights twice a week.
What do you think is the current advantage of Abu Dhabi over neighboring emirates?
Abu Dhabi first of all offers tourists a cultural vacation in addition to shopping and beaches. In the emirate, which occupies 85% of the territory of the UAE, there are sights included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
First of all, we are talking about the oasis city of Al Ain. In addition, in the coming years in the capital will be built "cultural" quarter, which will include branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim Museum.
What hotels and resorts in Abu Dhabi are most in demand among Russian tourists and why?
Among wealthy tourists, the Emirates Palace Hotel-Palace is one of the most luxurious in the Middle East. Also among the favorites are Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, St. Regis Saadiyat Island and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, located next to the famous Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Basically, Russian tourists choose hotels with their own beaches, also convenient location. The recently opened city hotel Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, which is located in the Etihad Towers skyscraper, is also gaining popularity.
How do Russian tourists arriving in the emirate capital spend their time?
Our compatriots love to go on excursions to the city of Al Ain and the Bedouin villages. They visit shopping centers, local restaurants, water parks. One of the most popular attractions is, of course, a large mosque named after the country's first president, Sheikh Zayed, a pearl of architecture and a temple open to tourists from different countries.
What can you say about the event tourism industry? What exhibitions, conferences, concert and exhibition events are in demand among Russian tourists?
Most of the shows are held in the largest Middle East demonstration complex - the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. Many Russian tourists come to the festival "Summer in Abu Dhabi", an exhibition of watches and jewelry.
Of course, Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix races, which will be held from November 2 to 4, will attract the attention of Russians this fall. No less, in my opinion, an interesting event is the Gourmet Abu Dhabi culinary festival, which popularizes the traditions of national and international cuisines. It should be noted that the event tourism industry is also growing quite rapidly in the capital, thanks to a variety of offers and high-quality organization of events - from exhibitions and scientific congresses to sports championships and concerts of world celebrities.
Please tell us what measures the Moscow office plans to popularize Abu Dhabi in Russia?
In early August, we opened a new office in Moscow, in the Silver City business complex. It has a representative office of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTA) and a tourist information center. From September 24 to September 26 we will take part in an exit advertising campaign in Ukraine and Kazakhstan to attract more tourists from the CIS countries to the capital of the UAE. Also in September, it is planned to participate in the Moscow international exhibition "REST / Leisure-2012", where travelers and industry professionals will be able to find out the latest news about the emirate. In addition, we will spend the days of Arab culture in Moscow in order to better acquaint Russians with the rich traditions of the United Arab Emirates.
