Dubai: As many as 76.5 per cent companies in Dubai saw the Expo 2020 boost business growth, and 73.5 per cent entered into new partnerships, a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce said on Sunday.
According to the report titled ‘Business Integration for Growth, Digital Transformation and Global Partnerships’, 70.6 per cent of respondents leveraged the networking and business services provided by Dubai Chamber during the Expo.
Meanwhile, 47 per cent respondents reported having benefited from the Global Business Forums series, and another 47 per cent said they benefited from bilateral business meetings arranged at Expo 2020.
Hotel occupancy, airport footfall increase
Revenue per available room (RevPAR) in Dubai in January 2022 increased to Dh460 compared to Dh293 in January 2021, a 56.3 per cent jump, outperforming Milan, the host city for Expo 2015, which recorded RevPAR of 54.5 per cent in 2015.
There were 759 hotels and hotel establishments accounted for in Dubai in January 2022 compared to 711 in January 2021, while guest nights in January were at 3.04 million during the same month this year compared to 2.65 million in January 2021.
Arrivals at Dubai International Airport recorded a growth of 12.7 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020, while the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade jumped 27 per cent over 2020 and 11 per cent over 2019, a growth trend largely driven by Expo 2020 Dubai.
New agreements
Dubai Chamber of Commerce facilitated 1,500 bilateral business meetings between UAE investors and their global counterparts, and received 1,746 visiting delegations from over 60 countries during the event, which were joined by 3,350 government and business leaders.
In addition, the Chamber signed 13 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with public and private sector stakeholders representing other markets with the aim of providing Chamber members access to new growth opportunities.
Seven new economic and professional bodies were licenced by the Dubai Association Centre, which was established in collaboration with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce (one of the three chambers under Dubai Chambers alongside Dubai International Chamber and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy), the Dubai Economy and Tourism and Dubai World Trade Centre.
The Dubai Chamber of Commerce organised 98 events during the Expo, which were attended 25,000 participants from 130 countries.
“Our goal is to be the best chamber in the world when it comes to driving competitiveness and growth. At Expo 2020 Dubai, we have been able to put this mission and vision into action. Our efforts in supporting the mega-event have helped to strengthen Dubai’s reputation as a place to do business,” said Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber.
“Building on our long-term strategy to embrace digital transformation, we adopted a hybrid format for the Expo 2020 events. Doing so has enabled us to expand our reach and engage with public and private stakeholders from around the world.”
