The UAE Connect event was held at the Westin Hotel in Dublin yesterday, October 26. The event brings together the best of the Emirates, including hotels, airlines, travel experience organizations and tourism, with representatives from across the travel industry serving the UAE.
UAE Connect was the event to discover the Emirates, all in one place. The event brings together all the key organizations serving the UAE and allows attendees to network with a variety of companies present.
fabulous prizes
Three fabulous prizes went to:
Lorraine Quinn (The Travel Suite): Emirates Return Flights for 2 to Dubai with a Two-Night Stay at Marsa Al Arab Jumeirah with airport transfers and a desert safari tour provided by Desert Adventures.
Trisha O’Reilly (Best4Travel, Navan): Etihad Airways return flights for 2 to Abu Dhabi with a 2-night stay at the Atlantis the real and complimentary tickets to Dubai parks and resorts.
Helen Kelly (Platinum Travel): Ras Al Khaimah luggage organizer and gift bags.
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Ireland
The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Ireland, HE Mohammed Hmoud Hamad Rahma Alshamsi, spoke at the event:
“Since 2018, trade flows between the two countries have increased steadily with a constant annual growth rate of around 8%.”
“Our bilateral relations with Ireland have a number of milestones since 1947, when we established diplomatic relations. This was reinforced by the opening of the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2009 and the United Arab Emirates Embassy in 2010. Following the opening of the two embassies, there has been an increase in the number of Emirati students studying in Ireland . And an increase in the number of Irish citizens studying in the UAE.”
“Tourism plays an important role in connecting our two nations… Tourist numbers have reached around 85,000 in 2022. Current UN flights between the UAE and Ireland amount to 21 weekly flights operated by Etihad and Emirates. “Such a figure has a huge impact on both the aviation and tourism sectors, connecting Dublin with Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the Far East in Asia.”
“Emirati and Irish officials have made it clear that cooperation between the two countries is heading towards a new frontier in the coming period. “Both countries look forward to a future of closer collaboration to develop strategic relations in the coming years.”
Jason Aaron Kearns and Callum Philip Elsdon / Etihad Airways
Jason Aaron Kearns (Ireland Account Manager) and Callum Philip Elsdon (Marketing Director, UK & Ireland) at Etihad Airways
Terminal A at Abu Dhabi International Airport will open in November. This will be the new home of Etihad Airways and the team in Dublin promises it will deliver unrivaled travel experiences and seamless connectivity all under one roof, as well as a new lounge offering for passengers. Terminal A will also offer simplified check-in areas for Economy, Business and First Class, as well as families.
Transfer to Terminal A begins on November 9 and the team requests that if you travel with Etihad between November 9 and 14, you ensure that passengers check their terminal within 72 hours before flight departure ; follow the link here. Flights operating between November 1 and 8 will arrive and depart from Terminals 1 and 3, while after 11 am on November 14, all Etihad Airways flights will operate to and from Terminal A.
Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal A
In terms of plane-to-curb time, from disembarking the flight, baggage claim, and arriving at the taxi gate, the time is expected to be less than 20 minutes.
Terminal A is located less than 20 minutes from Yas Island, the entertainment capital of Abu Dhabi, and is approximately half an hour from the city center and major attractions such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
It is easy to get there by taxi from the airport or Etihad Coach Service It is a fast and affordable way to travel between Abu Dhabi Airport, Al Ain and Dubai. It is free if passengers book in advance, or AED 25 (approx. €6.45) per day.
If passengers travel in First Class or on selected Business tickets, complimentary service is available Etihad Chauffeur Service for quick and convenient transfer to anywhere in the UAE.
Filippo Rocchi details Emirates lawsuit
Filippo Rocchi (Account Manager, Emirates) spoke to ITTN regarding the event: “The day was fantastic. UE Connect actually connected multiple agents. “Dubai has never been stronger in numbers.”
Filippo explained that they have many Irish visitors and continue to operate a daily double Boeing 777 which is doing very well, in particular the K164 service which flies overnight and lands in Dubai in the morning and returns in the afternoon.
Passengers are reminded that Etihad offers free Wi-Fi on board, which is quite popular. Passengers must register for Etihad’s frequent flyer program, Emirates towards the sky, before check-in to take advantage of this offer. Enter your frequent flyer number on board and get free Wi-Fi for your flight.
Arabian adventures with Emirates Group
Adam El-Masri told ITTN: “We are one of the original DMCs in the destination. “We are part of the Emirates Group and can cater for any aspect of your customers’ journey anywhere in the UAE.”
“We have our portal where people can register, log in and book everything through it. We also have a dedicated reservations team who are amazing. They work two shifts in Dubai, so they are always available. They have very good relations with the hotels.
Adam has established a new office in the UK and supports the UK and Irish markets. He explains: “We are proud of our service.”
Ras Al Khaimah and the camp 1770
Emma Charlesworth was delighted with the growing popularity of Ras Al Khaimah; “We had the highest number of visitors we have ever had to the destination in 2022. We have already seen an increase in that in 2023, we have just seen some figures from the summer period. And we have had a massive increase in our visitors to the UK and Ireland.”
He added: “And we hope to have much more to come with all our future hotel projects in the destination.”
Regarding the new excursions in Ras Al Khaimah, Emma shared: “Earlier this year, we started doing hot air balloon rides in the desert above the nature reserve and they have you in the air for when the sun comes up. Behind the mountains, the views are incredible.”
“And we’ve also started taking small groups into the mountains to Camp 1770, which is largely about wellness and nature connection classes in the mountains.”
Explore the outdoors, camp, enjoy locally cooked sustainable food and be one with your soul and nature. Camp 1770 It is the highest camp in the United Arab Emirates and allows guests to camp outdoors and experience locally cooked food. It offers stunning views of the Jebel Jais Mountains, as well as abandoned shepherd communities, date farms, fishing villages and the Arabian Gulf coast.
Dubai Parks and Resorts
Georgina Wixley told us about several great hotel options in the Dubai Parks region, Lapita being one of them. Lapita is a Polynesian-themed luxury resort in Dubai offering unparalleled access to Dubai’s famous theme parks. This hotel has 504 rooms, including 60 suites and 3 villas, 2 swimming pools (family and children) with a “lazy river” function, a game lagoon, a water park, 5 restaurants and bars, as well as a gym and SPA .
Legoland Hotel offers 250 Lego-themed family rooms, sleeping up to 5 people (great news for parents with 3 children!). There are 5 room themes: Adventure, Lego Friends, Pirate Lego, Ninjago and Kingdom. The hotel also has an incredible outdoor pool, workshops and master builder sessions. A stay at Legoland Hotel includes breakfast and access to the Legoland Theme Park and/or Water Park (access to 1 Park with a 1-night stay; 2 Parks with a 2-night stay). For more information, see https://www.legoland.com/dubai/legoland-hotel/.
Next to Legoland’s Dubai theme park and water park
This is just a few steps from Legolands Dubai theme park and water park. This is the best in family-themed hospitality, located in the heart of Dubai Parks & Resorts
There’s a colossal 1 million gallon Lego wave pool and more than 20 slides and attractions. 300 gallons of water splash onto visitors every few minutes from the jocker’s bucket. Plus, there’s the DUPLO toddler play area and Build-A-Raft river, where visitors can build their own LEGO raft.
Legoland Dubai offers 2 dining options, quick service outlets and 1 themed family restaurant. There is also VIP treatment with private cabins.
Legoland Dubai has 15,000 Lego model structures made from over 6 million Lego bricks, 40 Lego-themed rides, shows, attractions and building experiences, 7 retail outlets and a collection of kiosks, 6 themed lands, 5 family restaurants themes and a variety of quick activities. – Outlets of services, plus amazing entertainment and character meet and greets.
