Can you detail a little bit the importance of the wellness element to the development and how this could tap into the emerging medical tourism market?

The family wellness district aims to provide wellness and medical tourists from across the world, and families accompanying them, with a holistic experience ensuring access to quality healthcare, wellness facilities and high-end hospitality options, backed by an extensive network of leisure and retail outlets. This also is in line with the government’s strategy to attract more medical tourists to Dubai.

Is there any more detail about the UAE’s largest “high-end” conference hall? What kind of capacity will that be and what facilities will it have?

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Dubai Cultural District will include a range of conference, wedding and celebration halls with a capacity to host thousands of revellers, befitting the multicultural social fabric of Dubai. The dedicated area can host up to 15,000 people at any one time.

Dubai has become an important conference hub, but current options limit the size of these conferences. Concerts and entertainment is also an important attraction for tourists and we have seen the successes of these events through our entertainment arm which managed some of the biggest concerts in Dubai over the last few years. There is an appetite not just locally but also from the region. This District will bring culture and entertainment lovers to Dubai.

The announcement mentions that this is the result of research into international and regional tourists’ requirements and preferences. Are there any particular markets (both geographically and demographically) that this could help drive tourism growth from?

The diversity and scale of the project make it appealing to a wide range of potential tourists, from all markets and backgrounds. We know regionally, Dubai is the number one tourist destination. We have also seen increased numbers of tourists from the west and east. We want to attract more from China, Russia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, and are coordinating with Emirates Airline to tap into its many destinations. It sounds ambitious, but we are confident of the position of Dubai as a leading destination.