Dubai Festival City Awarded Middle East’s Leading Tourism Property Development Company

Dubai Festival City, the popular waterfront mixed use development was awarded ‘Middle East’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ at the World Travel Awards in Dubai on May 5.

The prestigious recognition is the fourth consecutive award this year won by the Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate development. Festival Centre was voted ‘Retail Destination of the Year’ by Retail Middle East only a week ago, and won the 2009 Silver Maxi Award for Marketing in Hollywood, USA last month. Earlier this year Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) had presented Dubai Festival City the Best Innovation award.

“This has been a great year for us. Dubai Festival City has undoubtedly become one of the finest shopping, leisure and entertainment venues in this region and we are extremely happy our hard work has been recognised as primary contributors to the UAE’s retail and tourism sectors. This recognition encourages us to keep performing even beyond our best levels while continuing to provide our tenants and guests unmatched memorable experiences,” said Tom Miles, Director – Shopping Centres, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (above 2nd from left).

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the enormous achievements in all sectors of the global travel industry. Candidates for nomination are based upon the previous year’s voting – cast by travel agents in over 190 countries around the world. The World Travel Awards are the world’s most comprehensive travel awards ceremony, with trophies awarded in all areas of the industry.
 

Travellers Vote Dubai International As Middle East’s Best Airport

Dubai International has been voted as the Middle East’s best airport by readers of Business Traveller, the internationally acclaimed travel magazine, in a survey for 2009. The readers also voted Dubai International as the Best Airport in the Middle East for Duty Free Shopping.

The award in the best airport category is given based on excellence in delivery of customer service, particularly in areas such as baggage delivery, check-in, and frontline services. Airport facilities and duty-free shopping are some of the major factors that play a role in the voting for the awards. Survey forms are included in Business Traveller magazine and sent to all regional subscribers, a large percentage of which turns them in with their choice.

In the world’s best airport category, Dubai International finished second only to Singapore’s Changi Airport, the winner this year.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Dubai International has won the region’s best airport award. Dubai International has won over 14 regional and international awards between 2008 and 2009 – nearly triple the number of awards in the preceding year, and the highest in a year to date.

"At Dubai Airports, we aspire to be the world’s best airport in every sense, but most of all in the quality of our customer service. While all awards and recognitions evoke a sense of pride at Dubai Airports, the Business Traveller Award is truly special because it is the travellers – our customers, who choose the winner. Winning this award tells us that our efforts at continually enhancing our customer service are making a difference, and that we are headed in the right direction," said, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

The annual awards ceremony was held at the Godolphin Ballroom, Emirates Towers on May 4, on the eve of the Arabian Travel Market 2009. Griffiths received the award on behalf of Dubai Airports from the guest of honour Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Head of easyGroup – best known for creating the low cost airline easyJet in 1995.

Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire Enters San Pellegrino’s 100 Best Restaurants In The World

Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, the award-winning restaurant of 3 Michelin Star Chef Pierre Gagnaire in Dubai has been ranked in the San Pellegrino 100 Best Restaurants in the World after just eleven months of operation. The only restaurant in the Middle East to receive the honour, it is a true testament to the dedication and passion of the team headed by Restaurant Director Etienne Haro and Head Chef Olivier Biles.

Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire was also awarded in a local, independent awards ceremony earlier this month, as being the Best European Contemporary Restaurant, Best New Restaurant and Best Restaurant Overall in Dubai. Receiving such prestigious awards both locally and internationally in its first year of operation is a commendable feat for the restaurant, whose story, according to Restaurant Director Etienne Haro, is just beginning.