The Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel has launched an exclusive promotion starting from AED 450 on single/double occupancy per room per night including breakfast and subject to Taxes, Service Charge and Other Fees.
Located on Sheikh Zayed Street, overlooking the stunning Mangroves National Park, the hotel is combining business and pleasure, offering guests a luxury escape from the bustle of the city.
Book and stay until 20 December 2020 and enjoy 30% savings on food and beverages, a complimentary room upgrade to the next room category and late check-out until 4:00 PM (subject to availability, excluding suites).
Experience kayaking amongst the mangroves as you enjoy scenic views and wildlife
Prices:
AED 160 double seater rental and AED 110 single seater rental
AED 160 per adult, 2 hours guided tour and AED 130 per child (age 3 - 10), 2 hours guided tour
Daily from 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Advance booking is required.
For further information or bookings, please contact Mr Carlo Lazzarini at 054 305 7449 or email at clazzarini@anantara.com
The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa have launched a staycation package perfect for golfers. With their Stay & Play package, you can play at the championship course of Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, or Yas Links Golf Club.
Starting from AED 390 per golfer, enrich your stay with a package offering daily breakfast, one round of golf, 40% off all restaurant & bar, and more.
See the flyer below on how to make a reservation, or to contact The Westin for more information.
Get away from it all with the exclusive Stay & Refresh staycation package at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa.
Starting from AED 610 per room, the package offers daily breakfast and AED 150 credit to spend in any hotel restaurant & bar and more.
Staycation package includes:
One-night stay including breakfast Complimentary dining up to 2 kids per room AED 150 credit to spend in any hotel & bar 35% discount on food and beverages Late check out
For more information or to reserve, click here.
Skyne has launched Go-lokal.com, a new online platform to empower and support local UAE businesses. Go-Lokal, an independent online platform, is a Skyne initiative created to help UAE-based companies. Through the platform, consumers will be able to find and support local companies and entrepreneurs directly.
With over 175 local brands already registered, Go-Lokal is looking to become the central portal for UAE brands looking to connect with locally focused consumers. All brands are conveniently organized in different categories, covering for instance Food & Beverage, Fashion, Arts & Crafts, Health and Personal care and many more.
Go-Lokal is also looking to raise the profile of hidden gem destinations across the UAE that residents and tourists can visit such as; Emirates Bio Farm, the largest private organic farm in the UAE, Hatta Honey, local specialist in honey production or Dibba Bay Oysters, the first home-grown oyster farm, and the bespoke Al Suwaidi Pearls Farm in RAK.
"Over the last six months, across the world, brands have struggled to adapt to their changing environment. We wanted to find a way to help companies in the UAE through this difficult period by connecting them with their local communities and potential customers.
Increasingly, consumers want to support local over international brands. These past few months have really underscored that people are wanting to make sure that local business and entrepreneurs survive."
"Our team has been in the UAE for many years, and together we felt the need to do something to help the local economy. Many great companies exist in the UAE, that deserve more attention. We are convinced that the community loves to discover the amazing range of local products and services UAE-based companies have to offer."
Dennis de Rond, founder of Skyne.
The UAE has a very rich culture and heritage and continues to embrace innovation year on year. As a hub for local entrepreneurship, Go-Lokal, will be the platform connecting the local community with the local economy, showing everyone all the hidden gems in the UAE.
After weeks of hard work and preparations, we were a week away from the Global Forum for Agricultural Innovation (GFIA), an agricultural trade fair that takes place annually in Abu Dhabi. We had been building momentum towards this event, planning a large incoming horticulture mission from the Netherlands, energized by a previous visit during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) in Jan 2020. Unfortunately, we had to hit the brakes just a week before the planned event and incoming trade mission. As many can probably relate, it’s rather odd to lay blame solely on a virus, but it was true. COVID-19 had officially began disrupting our 2020 plans.
Like dominoes, we witnessed one exhibition, conference, event and meeting being postponed or cancelled after the next. Perhaps the biggest wrench thrown into our 2020 plans was the postponement of Expo 2020 by one year. No doubt, it was a wise and balanced decision, but a challenge nonetheless.
Faced with so much uncertainty, how do we continue the valuable work we do? How do we evolve diplomacy, be it economic, public or otherwise?
Diplomacy, at the heart of it, is the crisscrossing paper-cup-phones that we often played with as children. It is about maintaining channels of communication, strengthening relationships, and increasing cooperation towards common objectives and goals. While diplomacy is unquestionably made easier with the shake of a hand, sharing a cup of coffee, or breaking bread together - COVID-19 has certainly awoken us to the opportunities of “digital diplomacy”.
But perhaps we need to take a step back and ask some important questions first:
In a nutshell, digital diplomacy is the digitization of the various activities performed under the diplomacy umbrella, including political diplomacy, public diplomacy, economic diplomacy along with a whole range of other “diplomacies”.
The digitization of diplomacy has in fact been taking place for quite some time now, evolving alongside social media. This is especially true for political and public diplomacy, while digitization in economic diplomacy is only just now beginning to take off.
With public diplomacy, communication, which was once one-directional and through limited channels, has now evolved significantly and become more online. Through social media, governments, via their representatives, institutions, embassies etc. began communicating directly with the public, reaching a much broader audience than before. This is undoubtedly a positive development. The digital shift has allowed for greater transparency, accountability, and access - with citizens being able to reach out to their representatives and vice-versa. Looking at COVID-19, the ability of government institutions to pass on useful information and updates to the public on new rules and regulations, testing, repatriation etc. highlights the benefits of having greater engagement.
The digitization of political diplomacy on the other hand, may have taken a darker turn. While foreign policy positions have become more transparent than ever, it might not necessarily be a good thing. Moving conversations that usually took place behind closed doors to the public social media arena has in many cases eroded the meaningful and constructive dialogue within and between nations. “Twitter diplomacy” is a good example of this, whereby statements are sensationalized for public appeal, and bilateral relations are reduced to a game of individual ego and machoism.
This finally brings us to economic diplomacy, which has experienced the most lag when it comes to digitization – up until now that is. While many digital tools have emerged over the past 20 years that can facilitate trade and business, it remained largely traditional, with bilateral trade meetings having continued to take place in person and trade missions rooted in physical conferences and exhibitions. The majority of government instruments that support business development, internationalization and export remained physical in nature – just like the GFIA exhibition we were working towards. However, like many other areas in today’s world, economic diplomacy was also ripe for disruption, and nothing could have been more disruptive than COVID-19.
So how do we evolve economic diplomacy? Especially in these turbulent times when people, businesses, and the whole world is looking to their governments for leadership and guidance. It is a difficult question to answer, especially from the microcosm of a single Embassy. Nevertheless, I do believe that we’re on the right track. As businesses and organizations globally adjust, re-evaluate their business models and prepare for a post-corona world, we too are having our moment of introspection.
It would be wrong to suggest that every human interaction can be reduced to a digital equivalent, especially in diplomacy. Moreover, digital fatigue is a serious issue that many of us are facing. Still, what we’ve been able to accomplish to date is truly impressive. We’ve continued to maintain our core services and are even challenging ourselves to push beyond.
Though we are still experimenting based on our own experience and emerging best practices, below is a snapshot of what we’ve accomplished so far:
1. Enhancing our economic bilateral cooperation Development of Joint Economic Committee between the Netherlands and the UAE Held multiple video calls with ministries and ministers on areas of strategic cooperation such as food security, culture and education
1. Enhancing our economic bilateral cooperation
Development of Joint Economic Committee between the Netherlands and the UAE Held multiple video calls with ministries and ministers on areas of strategic cooperation such as food security, culture and education
2. Maintaining and expanding our local network Reaching out to local companies and organizations that can partner with Dutch businesses and knowledge institutes Partnering with other organizations where possible to improve our services and reduce redundancy (i.e. partnerships with the Netherlands Business Council and BeNeLux Business Council in the UAE)
2. Maintaining and expanding our local network
Reaching out to local companies and organizations that can partner with Dutch businesses and knowledge institutes Partnering with other organizations where possible to improve our services and reduce redundancy (i.e. partnerships with the Netherlands Business Council and BeNeLux Business Council in the UAE)
3. Checking up on Dutch companies in the country Carrying out calls, video calls and virtual roundtables to see how companies are doing, understand their concerns/priorities, and support them where possible Sharing information on economic stimulus measures in the Netherlands and Gulf countries
3. Checking up on Dutch companies in the country
Carrying out calls, video calls and virtual roundtables to see how companies are doing, understand their concerns/priorities, and support them where possible Sharing information on economic stimulus measures in the Netherlands and Gulf countries
4. Supporting small and medium sizes enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands Raising awareness on market opportunities in the Gulf region through a series of webinars on: food security, water technology, clean energy, logistics, health care and beyond Organizing virtual match-making sessions between Dutch SMEs, Dutch industry associations and local stakeholders Developing an energy technology portal showcasing Dutch innovations to be used for export promotion
4. Supporting small and medium sizes enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands
Raising awareness on market opportunities in the Gulf region through a series of webinars on: food security, water technology, clean energy, logistics, health care and beyond Organizing virtual match-making sessions between Dutch SMEs, Dutch industry associations and local stakeholders Developing an energy technology portal showcasing Dutch innovations to be used for export promotion
Our colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO) in the Hague, are continuously collecting best practices and cooking up new ideas and tools for enhancing our economic diplomacy. Like the Kickstarter voucher developed by RVO to support Dutch SMEs whose international activities have been impacted by the Corona crisis.
While some of these measures are temporary due to COVID-19, the vast majority are not. The world is undoubtedly in a period of transition, including how we do business and facilitate it. However, one thing is certain, digital economic diplomacy is here to stay.
Do you have any ideas on how to expand and further develop digital diplomacy? Please let us know, and share your suggestions!
Author: Omar Saif, Regional Advisor on Water-Energy-Food Nexus Gulf Region - in collaboration with the Economic Departments in Abu Dhabi & Dubai
Members of the Benelux Business Council are now able to enjoy The Westin Abu Dhabi's weekly Bubbalicious Brunch with an exclusive 20% discount.
Coming back this week, the Bubbalicious Brunch will take place every Friday from 1 PM until 4 PM. For drinks you will have the choice of either Soft Beverage, House Beverage or House Beverage & French Bubbly.
The 2020 FM Global Resilience Index analyses core drivers of enterprise resilience, with the objective of helping companies assess the capacity of different countries to withstand disruption and, in case an disruption occurs, recover strongly. The index can be used by business executives in order to find the information needed to manage the exposure their companies face around the world.
The importance of resilience has become very obvious during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. “While pandemic risk is not explicitly measured in the index, the resilience of a country’s business environment is a reliable platform for businesses trying to rebound from the impact of the coronavirus,” says FM Global.
Luxembourg is ranked as the 7th most resilient economy among the 130 countries territories studied. The country slightly improves its overall score compared to the preceding year.
The country’s high ranking is in particular due to its strong economy, for which it ranks 3rd in the world. The index analyses political and macroeconomic influences on resilience and looks at productivity (for which Luxembourg is 2nd in the world), political risk (4th), oil intensity and urbanisation rate.
Luxembourg is in 18th place for risk quality, especially due to its low exposure to natural hazards. It ranks 26th for supply chain factors, where it stands out for its high control of corruption (6th in the world), the quality of its infrastructure (19th) and its supply chain visibility (33rd).
Source: https://www.investinluxembourg.ae/news/luxembourg-7th-most-resilient-economy-in-the-world/
It has been agreed with the Embassies of the Netherlands and France that KLM and Air France will operate a number of “Repatriation” flights between the 18th and the 30th of June.
The schedule is found below:
Air France and KLM repatriation flights (passenger and cargo) from Dubai in June:
To comply with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs requirements the flights will be closed for sale 3 days before departure so that we can complete the required UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs formalities.
These flights are bookable online or via your travel agent.
KLM With the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM will operate a number of flights between Dubai and Amsterdam in the month of June.
KL 428 with a departure from Dubai on June 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27. KL 428 departs Dubai at 02:50 from DXB Terminal 2 arriving in Amsterdam at 08:15 offering direct connections into Europe and beyond.
Feel free to contact KLM directly toll-free on 800-556 or the office here on 04-602-5444 for additional information and to change or purchase your ticket. We look forward to welcoming you on board of KLM flights soon.
Air France With the support of the Embassy of France, Air France will operate a number of flights between Dubai and Paris in the month of June.
AF 655 with a departure from Dubai on June 18, 21, 25 and 28 are bookable on line or via your travel agent.
AF 655 departs Dubai at 00:40 from DXB Terminal 2 arriving in Paris Charles de Gaulle at 06:15lt offering direct connections into Europe and beyond.
Feel free to contact AF directly toll-free on 800-23823 or the office here on 04-602-5400 for additional information and to change or purchase your ticket. We look forward to welcoming you on board of Air France flights soon.
Multi-Nation Business Continuity Task Force
Convenes in Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Business to Government Discussion Platform in Response to Global Impact of COVID-19
Dubai-UAE: 15 June, 2020 - In response to the global impact of COVID-19 and its pressures on the international business landscape, including here in the United Arab Emirates, a multi-nation group of business councils and chambers based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have joined forces to engage with the UAE government and work collectively to ensure business continuity in the UAE.
Initiated by AmCham Dubai and AmCham Abu Dhabi to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Multi-nation Business Continuity Task Force aims to gauge sentiment, assess business continuity challenges and support the wider business community on specifics that require UAE government assistance. The task force will provide a channel of communication for its members and is committed to supporting members on an individual basis where possible, in addition to presenting common strategic themes at the government level.
Co-Secretariat members AmCham Dubai and AmCham Abu Dhabi, task force members; the German-Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce, the Australian Business Group Abu Dhabi, the Australian Business Council Dubai, the Belgian Business Council Dubai, the Benelux Business Council Abu Dhabi, the British Business Group Abu Dhabi, the British Business Group Dubai & the Northern Emirates, the Canadian Business Council Abu Dhabi, the Canadian Business Council Dubai and Northern Emirates, the Danish Business Council Dubai, the French Business Group Abu Dhabi, the French Business Group Dubai & the Northern Emirates, the Italian Business Council Abu Dhabi, the Malaysian Business Council, the Nepali Business Council Dubai, the Netherlands Business Council UAE, the Portuguese Business Council, the Russian Business Council, the South African Business Council, the Swedish Business Council, the Swiss Business Council Abu Dhabi, the Turkish Business Council and the Ukrainian Business Council UAE
"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities in the UAE have rushed to contain the outbreak through closely monitoring and proactively testing and enforcing self-quarantine. These efforts helped ensure that our families and communities were safe. Now, as businesses return to more normal operations, we believe that the proven commitment of the UAE government to continue supporting a robust business environment for those operating throughout the country, will see a significant surge in business confidence,” said Sammy Bousaba, President AmCham Dubai.
The mission of the Multi-Nation Business Continuity Task Force is to expand and improve awareness of business goals and support the development of policies that shape a robust trade environment. The joint task force will serve as the integrated window of communication between its representative multi-nation business community members and the UAE government. APCO Worldwide is the advisor and consultant to the Secretariat and will continue to support the important mission of the Multi-Nation Business Continuity Task Force.
“AmCham Abu Dhabi and other Abu Dhabi based business groups and councils recently participated in a successful joint effort on the In-Country and Abu Dhabi Value programs’ impact on business. When the UAE AmChams started working on their joint response to the pandemic, it was a natural course of action to involve additional groups in both emirates and build a consensus effort to work alongside the various UAE entities - business and the government alike. All of us are working to ensure business continuity and adapt to new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead,” said Jay Huston, Chairman of AmCham Abu Dhabi.
Comprising 25 diverse business councils and representing over 6,500 companies, the joint task force is a business-to-government initiative established with the intent of serving as an advocate and resource that may be leveraged by the UAE government to secure clear, concise feedback from business and industry.
“Raed Hergli, AmCham Dubai Board Member and Government Affairs & Policy Managing Director, GE MENAT, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Task Force. “This is a crucial time to further deepen government and business collaboration, and this initiative will allow us to tackle the challenges and opportunities in a robust and sustainable way. I am looking forward to the collective work and outcomes that we will drive together.”
The task force is working with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI) and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) as well as various UAE government entities.
During a recent meeting held by the task force, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shared his insights on the current business landscape reshaped by the impact of COVID-19, and stressed the importance of close cooperation between the public and private sectors in addressing new challenges and developing the right solutions to address them.
“The establishment of this task force is a significant development that will advance ongoing efforts to meet the changing needs of the UAE’s business community and serve its interests. We look forward to working closely with various business councils and chambers of commerce throughout the country to ensure a favorable business environment and pave the way for economic growth,” said H.E. Buamim.
Based upon exploratory meetings now held, the task force steering committees have developed sector specific and target-specific working groups. The working groups, which include members from a diverse section of international business and industry sectors, along with UAE Chamber representatives, will work on longer-term policy development designed to stimulate and promote a healthy and sustainable collective business environment for all post-pandemic period.
His Excellency Mohamed Helal Al Mheiri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the Chamber will continue to support the efforts of the government in Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general in supporting businesses and limiting the negative effects of the novel Corona virus COVID-19 on the economic scene.
He pointed out that the Abu Dhabi Chamber, since it represents the voice of the private sector in the emirate, has launched a number of initiatives since the beginning of the pandemic. “These initiatives were directed towards motivating businesses and encouraging them to confront the current crises,” he added, praising the solid and fruitful cooperation between business councils and groups in Abu Dhabi and Dubai by working together to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic.
The Director General also praised the interest of the American Business Council in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in opening new communication channels between the public sector and the private one in order to work together in drawing solution and suggestions on how to better serve the business community and implement the precautionary measures that ensure business continuity and efficiency.
Initiated by AmCham Dubai and AmCham Abu Dhabi to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Multi-nation Business Continuity Taskforce aims to gauge sentiment, assess business continuity challenges and support the wider business community on specifics that require UAE government assistance. The task force aims to provide a channel of communication for its members, and is committed to supporting members on an individual basis where possible, in addition to presenting common strategic themes at the government level.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI)
Established in 1965, DCCI is a non-profit public organization whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai. It does so by creating a favorable environment; promoting Dubai as an international business hub and by supporting the development of business.
Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI)
Established in 1969, ADCCI was born out of the need to forge a unified body to support, promote, enhance and protect the business interests of enterprises in the emirate. By doing so, we remain true to our purpose, which is to be the voice of the business community of Abu Dhabi.
AmCham Dubai
The American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates (AmCham Dubai), the first bilateral trade organization established in the UAE, operates under the local patronage of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and is an affiliate of the global network of American Chambers of Commerce and represents corporate and individual members with business interests across the Middle East.
The organization’s membership is comprised of American Fortune 500 companies, SMEs, and professionals from all sectors of business and industry – all carefully chosen based on a stringent membership qualification process with a goal of building the strongest possible trade and investment relationships.
AmCham Dubai maintains strong ties with local and international, public and private sector leaders, providing a wide range of services and organizing events and business advocacy efforts on behalf of its members.
AmCham Abu Dhabi
AmCham Abu Dhabi (the trademark of the American Business Group of Abu Dhabi) is a member of the global network of American Chambers of Commerce. Active since 1986, AmCham Abu Dhabi’s Mission is to promote commerce, investment, and goodwill between its membership, the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates.
AmCham Abu Dhabi is an independent, not-for-profit association comprised of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium sized companies and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs.
AmCham Abu Dhabi provides a uniquely situated platform through which executives pursue and discuss issues impacting business operations between the U.S. and U.A.E.
Substantive government advocacy programs, educational and networking programs and customized business service are just a few of the many benefits AmCham Abu Dhabi provides its members. Through the support of its members, AmCham Abu Dhabi has become the recognized voice of U.S. business in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.
The Belgian Embassy is looking for a consular assistant/bookkeeper based in Abu Dhabi. The following are some of the tasks for the position.
Bookkeeping & Administration:
Following up on the bookkeeping of the embassy, verification of invoices, preparation of payments, checking consular incomes, month-end closing... Request quotes according to needs (health insurance of local personnel, car insurance, Etisalat, utilities, ...) Management of the payment terminal by bank/credit card
Consular roles:
Registering countrymen in the consular register (follow up on requests, create a dossier, registering, updating, transferring, ...) Legalise documents, deliver testimonials Support drafting of notarial deeds (back up) Processing of applications for passport requests, ID cards and visas (back up) Every other administrative task needed for the good functioning of the embassy.
The Belgian Embassy is looking for a candidate with a training in the areas of administrative and financial management, a good experience in bookkeeping and office management, as well as possible experience in consular tasks. Experience in teamwork, communicative skills and independent working are also required. The candidate is required to have a strong command in at least one of the national languages Dutch and/or French. Knowledge of English is helpful, and Arabic is an asset.
This vacancy is available shortly (mid-July, the exact date will be confirmed).
If you are interested in applying for this role, please send a short letter with your CV through to Mr Harold Vandermeulen (AbuDhabi@diplobel.fed.be) until Monday the 22nd of June 2020.
Applications for this vacancy close Monday the 22nd of June 2020.
Please not that only selected candidates will be contacted for the next round in the selection process.
For more information on the job vacancy please visit www.diplomatie.be/abudhabi
Click on the links below to view the full job descriptions
French: EMPLOI AMBASSADE AAP - FR new.pdf
Dutch: BETREKKING AMBASSADE PAM - NL new.pdf
Contact Us:
Email: info@beneluxbc.com
Phone: +971 52 462 5253
Follow Us
The BeNeLux Business Council © 2020. All Rights Reserved.
