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DEAL 2016 R
Middle East
education As part of the DEAL event next month in Dubai, the website Blooloop will also be hosting a one- day conference called DEAL Live! on April 18. The programme had yet to be finalised at the time of wiring, but we are promised presentations from senior figures at IMG Worlds of Adventure, Meeras, Jumeirah, Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai 2020 and many more. Tickets are £220 ($305/€275/AED1,125). Yet that is not the only educational opportunity for parks and attractions professionals coining up in the UAE. From May 22 to 25, the second Theme Parks & Entertainment Development Forum (
themeparksme.com) will be held at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, the inaugural edition having taken place last summer at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Confirmed speakers include
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi GM Jesse Vargas, Roland Zither of Farah Leisure (operator of Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld), Lennard Francois Otto from IMG Worlds of Adventure, Ryan Coffey and Emmanuel Cholley-Duche of Aquaventure at Atlantis The Palm, Volkan Altunsecen from KidZania Dubai, Phil Taylor of Team Leisure and, from France, Arnaud Palu of Marineland.
Billed as “the gateway to the Middle East” for participants in the amusement and entertainment industry, DEAL returns to Dubai next month. Here’s a taste of what to expect, and a little insight into the state of the industry within the region
ecognised as the region’s the largest trade show for the industry, Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure (DEAL) takes place from April 19 to 21 within
halls 4, 5 & 6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Over 5,000 visitors are expected. Organised by International Expo Consults (IEC), the event
promises exhibitors from Belgium, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK, France, Turkey and USA, as well as the United Arab emirates (UAE) and wider Middle East. Last year’s event grew by 35% over the previous year and contracts were signed worth over AED1.2 billion. A new initiative staged as part of DEAL 2016, Amusement
Operator and Franchise Showcase aims to facilitate new licensing deals with the theme parks and attractions market, something which attraction developers in this part world are already pretty hot on. Witness, for example, the many IPs piling into the UAE at upcoming new parks such as IMG Worlds of Adventure, Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, 20th Century Fox World and Abu Dhabi’s planned Warner Bros park.
Growing market “The amusement industry is still in its infancy in GCC [Gulf Co-Operative Countries], particularly so in the UAE,” notes Lennard Otto, who will serve as IMG Worlds of Adventure’s general manager when it opens later this year. “To date in Dubai we only really have waterparks – and they have clearly defined peak seasons, unlike the potential for indoor theme park locations. Given the climate here, it is crucial to be able to offer year round entertainment, a factor that is perhaps more important than in other markets globally.” Otto fails to mention the family entertainment centres
already in many of the region’s shopping malls, but he has a point when it comes to major attractions, the type a family might spend a full day at. One of the exceptions to the rule is Dubai’s Global Village, which has developed from a
Iranian industry get-together
It's now in its fifth year, but many outside of the country still have not heard of Iran's very own amusement parks and attractions show. Amtech, held from February 16 to 19 at the Tehran International Fairs Ground, featured exhibitors spread across four halls of various sizes. One of those exhibitors was Marco Savegnago from the Italian ride automation and safety specialist
Auxel. So what did he make of it? “The halls were occupied by international manufacturers/resellers and a few local manufacturers,” he tells Park World. “The foreigners included some Chinese companies, exhibitors from neighbouring Middle Eastern countries and the Italians such as Zamperla, SBF/Visa, Fabbri, Emiliana Luna Par, Guzzi, Preston & Barbieri and Sela, but no other European or Western companies. There were a few small indoor rides as well as various games and 3/4/5/6/7D.” And what about the organisation of the show? “It was sufficient considering the country. There was no badge, no registration and everybody was welcome. Almost all the visitors were young people. For me it was positive. Let's see what's happen in the future in this country.”
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seasonal attraction into a year-round showcase of live entertainment, fairground style rides and attractions, shopping and dining. Arguably its success is due to the fact that it operates after dark, when temperatures are of course cooler. “In terms of a qualitative customer experience we are all
within the same level, although Orlando remains the world’s premier theme park destination in terms of number of visitors.” notes Global Village chief operating officer Ahmad Hussain bin Essa. “However, within the next decade I believe the GCC region will develop the key enablers to create serious competition to Orlando.”
Industry forecast According to a report by Global Industry Analysts, the GCC amusement and leisure industry is set to be worth AED118 billion ($32bn/€29.5bn) by 2017. Forecasts suggest theme parks in Dubai alone are set to attract a combined annual attendance of 18 million within the next five years and revenues close to $5 billion. “The UAE is experiencing this exponential growth because of its quality infrastructure and growing tourism and retail industry sectors,” notes IEC chairman and DEAL organiser Abdul Rahman Falaknaz. “Dubai is also becoming the MICE [meetings, incentives, conferences and events] capital of the world due to the year-long calendar of events. This brings in a considerable amount of footfall as families merge business with leisure activities.” “The leisure and attractions industry in this region is in a very good stage compared to other global
markets,” believes Ahmad Hussain bin Essa, chief operating officer of Dubai’s Global Village. “As pioneers of this industry within GCC, we have a unique product which has worked successfully for nearly two decades and appeals to locals visitors, ex-pat residents and international tourists.” For more insight on the current state and future potential
of the Middle East attractions industry, consider attending one of the two conferences highlighted in the panel on the left. For more details on DEAL, visit
dealmiddleeastshow.com
READ OUR SHOW REPORT FROM IAAPI AMUSEMENT EXPO IN MUMBAI ON PAGE 33
MARCH 2016
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