The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an entity under the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the organiser of Dubai Summer Surprises, drew the award-winning destination marketing program to a successful close, with the 14 participating students presenting their key learning’s and innovative ideas gleaned from their participation in the highly coveted internship program.
The DSS Apprenticeship Program, which has been a successful component of the iconic Dubai Summer Surprises since 2006, welcomed its largest-ever group of winners from 14 markets this year – including the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, and first-time participants from Iraq and Sudan.
During the course of the two-week internship, the winning students worked closely with the marketing team responsible for successfully staging DSS, attended workshops, took part in visits to key DSS events and iconic tourism landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and Ski Dubai, as well as met leading players responsible for building the Destination Dubai brand such as Dubai International Airport, RTA, Dubai SME, Dubai Cares and the MBC Group.
The winners met with a number of influential members of Dubai’s government and business communities, drawing their agenda to a close with a chance to meet the Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, son of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The students also participated in a stimulating series of training sessions delivered by The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management – which hosted the students for the second consecutive year at its state-of-the-art facilities – gaining a glimpse into the working of the city’s hospitality industry, one of the lynchpins of Dubai’s tourism success story.
At the end of their internship, the 14 students delivered a series of group presentations to senior Dubai tourism and marketing officials at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.
The final presentations required the students to consolidate theoretical learning and practical marketing tactics in a powerful and strategic manner, offering them the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to DFRE’s promotional calendar. This year’s final presentations called on the students to create a new brand platform that would fit in with DFRE’s existing portfolio which includes Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Modhesh, Ramadan in Dubai and Eid in Dubai.
Ibrahim Saleh, DFRE Festivals Coordinator General, expressed her satisfaction at the capabilities of participating students and their enthusiasm saying: "The participants this year were truly exceptional and we were delighted with the quality of the interaction between the students and the DSS team. The students were thoroughly committed to the program and worked hard on all the tasks and assignments presented to them. I am confident they have benefitted greatly from the experience, have gained valuable practical knowledge and have built a great network of contacts that should serve them well in their future careers.”
The winning students expressed their appreciation for the stimulating agenda of activities prepared that allowed them a chance to maximize the benefits gleaned from their stay in Dubai. The agenda provided opportunities to gain real-life skills in the professional sphere, share experiences with their peers while strengthening regional ties, as well as enjoy a glimpse into the local culture of the UAE.
Since it first began in 2006, the DSS Apprenticeship Program has grown successfully to include its current expansive list of more than 80 participating universities across 14 markets in the Middle East and North Africa. The 2013 edition is the first step in DFRE’s broader strategy to take the DSS Apprenticeship Program global by 2015, when the program will mark its 10th anniversary.
