The restart of Dubai’s events sector has been made possible by the decisive citywide management of the global pandemic leading to a phased resumption of events and entertainment activities, starting with a line-up of events hosted under the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) programme. Event organisers received a further boost from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), which has given the green light for hosting live events, indoor and outdoor concerts in line with health and safety guidelines.
As one of the first few cities in the world to not only reactivate the events industry but also bring back live events, Dubai has seen huge success in the summer with fans making a beeline to indoor entertainment venues to watch their international and regional stars in action while adhering to a range of precautionary measures including social distancing rules to ensure the health and safety of both attendees and performers.
Ahmed Al Khaja. Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), commented: “As a multi-faceted destination that offers visitors a multitude of different experiences, events form a key element of Dubai’s tourism strategy that is guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai to ensure Dubai becomes the most visited city in the world. The successful management of the pandemic has allowed us to come out of this unprecedented situation to once again leverage the events and entertainment sectors, as part of efforts to accelerate growth in the tourism industry.
“Dubai has a long history of hosting leisure events featuring A-list musicians and performers, who have made the city a part of their world tours over the years. We are now excited to see the events environment regaining its vibrancy with the return of live events, paving the way for international and regional stars to take centre stage, showcasing Dubai as a safe destination and further enhancing its position as a leading global events hub. Dubai Tourism will continue working with its stakeholders and partners to keep up the momentum in the events sector, as we prepare to cater to the diverse and evolving needs of visitors ahead of the full reopening of the tourism industry.”
Making his debut in the UAE, world-renowned comedian Jimmy Carr certainly helped put the smile back on audiences in Dubai by performing at three successive sold-out shows. Jimmy Carr, who was originally scheduled to perform two shows at Dubai World Trade Centre on 13 and 14 August, accommodated a third show due to popular demand. All three shows were part of DSS, which kicked off the city’s summer events calendar on 9 July.
With Dubai leading the way in resuming live events, the Jimmy Carr shows were a major safety test that the events sector passed without a hitch. All team members of the event organiser, Done Events took COVID-19 tests with results being received within 24 hours. Each show was held at 30 per cent capacity to allow for sufficient social distancing space with the venue providing a chequerboard seating format for fans.
From the time of purchasing tickets online and to the point of arriving at the venue and leaving at the end of the show, fans with masks on enjoyed a safe, smooth and seamless process. It was contactless payment, guests were checked for their temperature on arrival at the venue, tickets were scanned at multiple entry points that helped eliminate queues, signs on the floor indicated how far should an individual or group stand apart from the other, and people were also able to walk comfortably between the aisles. Departing the venue was even quicker as all doors were opened at the same time to allow people to exit within minutes. In spite of the ‘new normal’ rules, it was still intimate enough for Jimmy Carr to build an enjoyable interactive rapport with the audience.
