features: latest magazine features: RAK gets down to business
RAK gets down to business
Ras Al Khaimah or ‘RAK’ as it is fondly referred to by UAE residents, still remains a hidden gem and a quiet achiever when it comes to developing its tourism and meetings infrastructure.
But the recently-formed Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Investment and Development Authority (RAK TIDA), established in May 2011, is looking to change this by rocket-launching the emirate’s profile on the international stage. This government entity has set out a clear and aggressive strategy to both develop and promote the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and its potential both domestically and abroad.
And there is plenty to shout about when it comes to RAK’s corporate and tourism offering. The destination boasts its own unique identity – quite different to its fellow emirates – with a diverse landscape that makes it an ideal corporate or leisure getaway involving adventure activities and as RAK TIDA states, “good quality and value experiences”.
RAK presents an extensive selection of exclusive outdoor adventure activities from mountain climbing and mountain biking to kayaking and fishing.
These experiences are complemented by white sandy beaches, five-star hotels and resorts with worldclass facilities, an eclectic selection of gourmet offerings, museums, attractions such as water parks and world-class spas.
This long list of attributes has seen the destination quickly gain recognition amongst the local, regional and international meetings industry. UAE businesses are recognising the benefits of sending their employees and clients to RAK for executive retreats, team building and out-of-town board meetings.
The strategy
RAK TIDA recently announced that with all of its departments now operational, it had launched a “rigorous” promotional schedule, kicking off with a strong presence at international trade shows including Leisure Moscow (September 2011), World Travel Market (November 2011), ITB Berlin (March 2012) and Arabian Travel Market (May 2012).
At time of press, the authority was also poised to launch its new logo and branding to reflect its fresh focus and objectives, as well as a re-branded and revitalised website.
Promotional activities also on the cards include participating at conferences, educating travel professionals on RAK’s tourism offering through workshops, roadshows, familiarisation and training programmes, plus running media and consumer campaigns.
Overseeing this strategy is RAK TIDA chief operating officer (COO) Victor Louis who explains the targets currently set out for the emirate: “The government is investing in tourism development projects worth US$163 million between now and 2012 with the aim of increasing the number of visitors to the emirate to 1.2 million in 2013 compared to 600,000 visitors in 2010.
“To accommodate the increasing number of visitors, Ras Al Khaimah is developing new hotels, resorts and villas, which will result in a total inventory of 10,000 hotel rooms by the year 2016. This will be achieved by positioning Ras Al Khaimah as a quality, value-for-money destination, offering leisure and adventure experiences for visitors seeking an enhanced experience of the UAE.”
Major projects and initiatives have already been implemented to achieve these goals with the RAK Government signing an agreement with Rakeen Development in May 2011, completing the acquisition of the exclusive desert resort of Banyan tree Al Wadi. Banyan also operates beach villas, property, so have beach and desert combined options. where the authority is currently overseeing the master plan for the resort’s expansion and upgrade. Additionally the 600-room Marjan Island family resort being developed on five man-made islands off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah is scheduled to open by October 2012.
Plans to develop a series of mountain resorts to be located 900 metres above sea level were also announced recently and are currently being developed. “An exceptional strategic advantage for these mountain resorts is the location’s climate, where the temperature will remain up to 12 degrees less than that at ground level, offering the perfect summer retreat for UAE residents and visitors,” says Louis.
Other new scheduled openings include the Ras Al Khaimah Waldorf Astoria, marking the entry of the luxury brand of Hilton Worldwide in the UAE in October 2012 and the Al Hamra Fort Hotel & Beach Resort, scheduled to be rebranded as a Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in 2013.
New tourism experiences are also in the pipeline with the Pearl Farm and Pearl Museum scheduled to launch early next year. This new attraction will be the first of its kind in the Gulf region and will offer visitors unique opportunities to both learn and experience first-hand the processes of natural pearl production.
The meetings offering
Meetings, incentives and events infrastructure is also set for expansion with most of the hotels due to open boasting dedicated meeting and conference space. For example, the new Waldorf Astoria will feature a ballroom with its own VIP arrival hall and multiple pre-function spaces and is therefore expected to attract weddings, gala dinners and major corporate events. The hotel’s boardroom will have the capacity for between five and 20 people while each of the spacious meeting rooms will be kitted out with the latest state-of-the-art equipment.
On a grander scale, the much-anticipated US$400 million RAK Convention and Exhibition Centre is due to open in 2013.
Project developer Rakeen has said the complex will include 50,000 square metres of rentable area, including five exhibition halls, a shopping mall, entertainment centre with seven movie theatres, and three hotels comprising 1,800 rooms.
Strategically located at the entrance of Gateway City, the new centre has been hailed an “architectural masterpiece” due to its futuristic, dome-like appearance.
Current dedicated conference and exhibition centres include the RAK Exhibition Centre and the Al Hamra Convention Centre.
The RAK Exhibition Centre complex has four gated entrances to the exhibition hall and also boasts a restaurant and cafeterias, an air-conditioned tent fully-equipped with electronic games; a 260-square-metre storage house; parking for more than 1,000 vehicles; a stage for shows and promotions; a meeting room and a reception hall.
The Al Hamra Convention Centre offers a pre-function area for receptions that leads to the 816-square-metre double-height ballroom, which can cater to 800 for a cocktail reception, 700 in theatre style or 600 seated for a banquet. This can be separated into three independent conference rooms, each with its own automated audio visual system.
A business centre is located on the first floor and features six boardrooms, ideal for smaller business meetings and training sessions for up to 40 people.
Another key selling point of the Al Hamra Convention Centre is that it neighbours the Al Hamra Fort Hotel & Beach Resort featuring 266 rooms and suites, 10 bars and restaurants, an 800-metre private beach, three swimming pools, gym, health club and extensive sports facilities, plus an 18-hole golf course, making it a popular corporate retreat. The resort also organises team-building activities on site or in the desert. Ras Al Khaimah currently offers 21 hotels and resorts spanning the three- to five-star categories. In the last few years, the emirate has seen an influx of properties catering to the high end of the market open their doors offering the meetings industry a bevy of options for conferences, events and team-building activities.
They include the 202-room Cove Rotana Hotel and Resort with a 600-metre private beach, fitness club, two pools, four F&B outlets and three conference and meeting rooms and the oneof- a-kind Banyan Tree Al Wadi, which boasts 100 hectares of land where indigenous species such as oryx graze, providing the perfect setting for unique group activities and desert dining options. There’s also a conference block catering to meetings or conferences of up to 140 people with a ‘preconference area’ available for coffee breaks. Due to popular demand, the block is being upgraded to handle at least 200 guests.
Additional hotel facilities include the 3,000 square-metre spa and five food and beverage outlets. Additional top-end properties of note include the ‘seven-star’ Palace hotel with 348 suites and 218 serviced apartments, owned by Hamra Hotels and Resorts, while at the US$2.7 billion mixeduse development Mina Al Arab, eight five-star properties including an eco resort are planned.
RAK’s first man-made island project, the US$1.8 billion Marjan Island, comprising five coral-shaped islands built over 2.7 million square metres of reclaimed land, has 10 luxury hotels in the pipeline. Two hotels were slated to open this year – the Bab Al Bahr development and a 300-room five-star property at Marbella Bay.
Hilton Worldwide has three hotels in the emirate – the Hilton Resort and Spa Ras Al Khaimah, the Hilton Hotel Ras Al Khaimah and the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel Ras Al Khaimah. Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa has two boardrooms with 20 seats each and a multi-purpose room seating 80 people in cabaret style. When joined together they cater to 150 people in theatre style while special arrangements can be made for beach events hosting up to 400 people.
The Hilton Ras Al Khaimah has a 340 -square-metre grand ballroom catering to 250 people that can be converted into three meeting rooms while meeting facilities at the DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah include two boardrooms with a capacity of 20 seats each.
Meetings status boost
According to Hilton Worldwide’s country manager for Ras Al Khaimah, Mohab Ghali, the emirate is rapidly becoming “one of the region’s top meetings destinations due to the quality of its product offering. Visitor numbers are steadily increasing as the industry and government work in tandem to promote Ras Al Khaimah as a destination globally, attracting niche segments like adventure tourists, cultural tourists and the meetings industry,” he says. “Ras Al Khaimah already has much to offer including waterparks, museums, exhibition venues and team-building adventure activities; these make RAK stand out from other emirates.
“Whether you are looking for a beachside resort where you can unwind or want a taste of the Emirati way of life, or you’re an adrenaline junkie in search of the next big adventure, the chances are you will find what you are looking for here.” He adds: “Further infrastructure and tourism developments, including creek and mountain developments, have enhanced Ras Al Khaimah’s hospitality options and taken the emirate another step towards its transformation into a global destination with true local flavour.”
Ghali says hotels in Ras Al Khaimah are cashing in on intra-regional meeting business, “particularly from companies based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that are now exploring venues in the nearby emirates because they can drive to the destination rather than fly there”. “International companies, mostly from the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors based in the GCC or UAE are also turning to RAK for annual meetings, incentives, staff outings and more,” he adds.
The expansion of RAK Airways, which recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its re-launch, is also opening up the emirate to more meetings business, Ghali says. At time of press, the airline served nine destinations including Kuwait, Doha, Qatar, Jeddah, Peshawar, Lahore, Kozhikode (Kerala), Bangladesh and Cairo.
The airline has stated that one of its key aims is to increase frequencies to GCC destinations in order to generate more business tourism to the emirate. As a result, the Kuwait service is the latest to go daily.
This will no doubt help Cove Rotana Hotel and Resort general manager Mustafa Ainen achieve his goal of luring more meetings business from the wider GCC. “The Dubai and Abu Dhabi markets are a major source of business for us, but we are widening our focus to other Middle East markets,” he reveals.
“Promoting our resort to the corporate market in these geographical locations is very important to us and our strategy involves attending major trade and tourism fairs, conducting structured sales calls to our wide portfolio of clients in the UAE and GCC and inviting prospective clients to our resort.”
Cove Rotana Hotel and Resort has become particularly well known for its executive retreats, incentive group offerings and team-building activities, adds Ainen, citing “varied meeting spaces and exciting water sports activities such as kayaking, jet skiing, beach volleyball, deep sea fishing, diving and nearby golf clubs” as key attractions for the meetings market.
The UAE is also the key source market for Banyan Tree Al Wadi, according to general manager Pascal Eppink. “We have welcomed companies from the neighbouring emirates from business sectors such as banking, consulting and government that have hosted incentives, meetings and group leisure stays,” he says.
“Internationally, countries such as France have contributed to incentive and meeting business while South America is an emerging market for the resort.” Meeting and group business generates around 20 percent of the resort’s revenue says Eppink and in a bid to further boost this contribution, the resort’s dedicated events team is out on the road speaking to local companies, event organisers and regional and overseas tour operators about their requirements.
Eppink also believes that Ras Al Khaimah’s “pristine natural attractions”, from the “breathtaking desert greenery to the majestic Hajar mountains coupled with the quaint town centre” offer corporates a “deeper sense of escapism and relaxation” than other emirates. Add to the mix desert drives, dune buggy rides, wadi safaris, horse-riding, sailing, scuba diving and charter fishing, and it’s easy to persuade corporates to choose RAK over other destinations, he adds.
As well as the desert resort, Banyan Tree also recently opened its beach club nearby boasting luxury villas with private pools and individual beach cabanas - perfect for guests looking to experience the best of both worlds in the emirate.
Adventure central
Arabian Incentive executive manager Emanuela Petrelli calls RAK the “adventure emirate” boasting everything from desert safaris, self drives, overnight camp stays and mountain excursions – RAK has the highest peaks in the UAE – to traditional experiences such as the upcoming pearl museum and farm.
The Dubai-based DMC specialises in “meeting, incentive and motivational travel” in the UAE as well as tours and excursions for those seeking “luxurious and adventurous trips”. Its tailor-made programmes are targeted at the high end of the market.
“We have already had groups staying in RAK where there are very nice properties and the prices are very affordable but the destination is not very popular yet,” says Petrelli. “However, there are many developments happening in RAK plus unique activities on offer so we’re confident business will improve soon and fast.”
Arabian Incentive has access to a new and exclusive Bedouin Oasis desert camp located in a unique area of Ras Al Khaimah, close to where it operates its top-end desert safaris. Petrelli says the camp is based on traditional Bedouin establishments where all materials used are authentic so visitors can see how the Bedouins used to live. “The camp is exclusive, rather than commercial, targeting high-profile guests,” she continues.
“It can accommodate 200 to 250 people and is a cozy place with an atmosphere that is very quiet and romantic. We operate the camp with no use of electricity; lanterns, gas lights or candles are used instead, although electricity is available at the campsite for particular requests. We also offer live cooking. The Bedouin Oasis is surrounded by trees, which add to the magic of the place. That’s why we call it an oasis.” She adds that the camp is “an ideal venue for incentives or corporate gatherings and for people looking for a different experience and something new to do in the UAE”. To date the camp has proved popular with groups from the emirates.
Petrelli says that with the destination and companies like Arabian Incentive offering such a unique product, RAK’s future is bright. “With RAK TIDA now established and new hotel openings on the cards, we are confident business to the emirate will be boosted,” she explains.
“And with luxury properties like Banyan Tree Al Wadi already in operation and Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria set to open next year, the airport under development and RAK Airways re-launched, RAK is getting geared up to host some fantastic incentive trips and some very high-profile customised experiences for companies seeking real adventure.”
The WOW factor
In a bid to complement RAK’s stunning natural attributes with manmade facilities that literally have the ‘wow’ factor, the ongoing WOW RAK project is already proving a draw to business and leisure visitors alike. Phase one of the development, the AED 850 million (US$231 million) Ice Land Water Park, opened in 2010 and boasts the world’s tallest manmade waterfall standing nearly 37 metres tall.
Built over 102,693 square metres in the Jazirat Al Hamra area of RAK, the global-warming-themed park also features a 6,000-square-metre rain dance pool, 39 water slides, a man-made reef for snorkelling, wave pool, Olympic-sized swimming pool, four food and beverage outlets, as well as cabanas and gazebos for hire. There is also parking for 2,500 cars. Phase two of the WOW RAK development encompasses a 161,919-square-metre resort and the 15,677-square-metre RAK Mall, with almost completed.
“With a total of 180 rooms, the resort will significantly contribute to making WOW RAK a leisure destination,” says Mansi Chawia Saada, director of human resources and public relations at Polo RAK Amusements, the developer behind WOW RAK. “The project will target corporate team-building operations, school groups and weekend visitors from the GCC region,” she adds.
Phase three of WOW RAK involves the construction of the 100,346-squaremetre Planet Earth theme park, due for completion in late 2012.
