The world's fastest-growing travel destination may also be the least visited by groups from the United States. It boasts 365 days of sunshine, a waterfront location, glamorous and outrageous resorts, world-class golf, luxe shopping malls, major theme parks in the works, even man-made ski slopes, and a location, er … well, in the Middle East.

It's Dubai we're talking about, and that last point — an address about 100 miles south of Iran across the Persian Gulf — is undoubtedly a factor for American meeting and incentive planners, but groups and tourists from the rest of the world are eager to see what the fuss is about.

Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, is pushing headlong into tourism development, which it considers key to weaning its economy off oil exports, a resource that the country expects to dry up in a decade or sooner. The building boom has resulted in a trove of hospitality superlatives. Consider just a few of the developments:

• The Palm Islands, the three largest artificial islands ever made, are under construction off the Dubai coast in the shape of palm trees, big enough to be seen from space. The first will begin taking residents at the end of the year (although it won't be completely finished until 2010), and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Trump International are among the many hotel companies that have committed to the project.

• Another huge artificial island project is called The World. Viewed from above, its 250 to 300 small islands are grouped to look like the continents of the globe. The islands will come in four categories: private homes, estate homes, dream resorts, and community islands. Sir Richard Branson is reported to have purchased one of the islands.

• Dubailand, an entertainment complex under construction, is projected to be twice the size of Walt Disney World Resort. The first of four phases is expected to be finished in 2008.

• The Bawadi project, a $27 billion resort complex announced in May, is expected to open 31 hotels by 2016, including Asia Asia, which at 6,500 rooms will be the world's largest hotel.

• The 1,053-foot, 202-suite luxury hotel Burj al-Arab, built to resemble a sail, is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. It was built on an artificial island, connected to the mainland by a private bridge.

• The Burj Dubai, under construction since April 2005, is expected to be the tallest skyscraper in the world when completed, and the world's first Armani hotel will occupy the bottom floors, with 175 guest rooms.

• Starwood's W brand announced plans in March to build its first Middle East property. Guess where? The 350-room hotel plans to open in 2008, bringing the Starwood portfolio in Dubai to 13.

• Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski facility in the Middle East, will be joined by a second, which is going up as part of the Dubailand project.

Ron Officer, CEO of the Creative Group Inc., Buffalo Grove, Ill., visited Dubai two years ago and was amazed at the development. “It's mind-blowing in terms of the vision of what's going on over there. We must have visited 15 hotels,” some of which he said were “some of the most fabulous hotels I've ever stayed in.” U.S. clients, he says, generally have the attitude that Dubai is “very interesting, but not right now,” although one U.S. client is intrigued enough to go on a fam. European clients, on the other hand, are showing “very good interest,” with one, a European division of a U.S. pharma company, “pretty close” to bringing a group. “The top execs love it. They go to play golf and sit on the beach.”

As one gauge of the interest from the European sector, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives brought its European SITE Networking and Educational Program to Dubai in May and drew its biggest attendance ever. The 300 incentive professionals met at the Jumeira Madinat Resort and, among other sessions, heard from Muna Al Gurg, a local female entrepreneur, about the rapid pace of change in the country.

MCI, one of Europe's leading events management companies, also sees the growth. It opened a regional office in Dubai in April. And just try to find a hotel company that isn't lining up to build or expand in the area.

One senior planner at a large U.S. — based financial services company says that he is contemplating an incentive travel program in Dubai, perhaps as an extension for a group of experienced travelers. The problem, his says, is perception. “How do you promote it?” he asks. “We're toying with the idea, but we have a lot of Jewish people in our distribution.”

While it may be some years to come, Dubai is poised to catch the imagination of meeting groups looking for an outside-the-box experience. “In my opinion, it [interest from the U.S. market] is going to happen eventually,” says Officer.

Save This Page

For more articles on international meetings destinations, click here.