Dubai: Dubai will soon have an online system for licensing and ticketing of all major events.
In his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has issued Decree No. 25 of 2013, concerning the creation of a fully integrated e-licensing and ticketing system for all events in Dubai.
With the objective of supporting and developing the events sector and its contribution to tourism growth, the decree dictates that Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) will be responsible for the development and management of an online system through which all procedures related to the application, processing and licensing of event permits will be operated. The system will also include a centralised platform for the sale and distribution of tickets for all events in Dubai.
The decree dictates that DTCM will commence a review of all current legislation, regulations and procedures related to the licensing of events in Dubai, the findings of which will lead to the creation of the online system, which will be developed in coordination with all concerned government entities. The system will facilitate greater efficiency for event organisers and for government entities responsible for granting permits, in addition to enabling the creation of a comprehensive database of all events taking place in Dubai, resulting in greater efficiencies in resource planning across government entities.
Similarly, the centralised ticketing platform will encapsulate all procedures related to event ticketing, including the collection of ticketing fees and the distribution of tickets. The platform will be provided to all event organisers, venues and existing ticketing outlets, either as a consumer-facing ticketing solution or as a back-end interface with their existing e-ticketing system. Hotels, airlines, tour operators, travel agents and other ticket aggregators will be able to subscribe to the system, increasing the amount of marketing and distribution channels available to event organisers.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM, commented, “The development of the events sector is a key pillar of the strategy behind the Tourism Vision for 2020. We want to move from being the regional events hub to a world-leading events and entertainment destination, and central to this is facilitating improvements in event organisation. We will work with our partners in the government and with the events sector to ensure that the system has a transformational effect on the organisation and marketing of events in the emirate.”
The Decree applies to all areas within Dubai, including free zones, and all entities holding, organising or managing events, or venues licensed to hold events.
