[ON LOCATION] DESERAE E. DEL CAMPO
Emerging like a mirage from a vast desert landscape, Dubai captivates with its skyline of glass and steel, a futuristic cityscape that dazzles by day and glimmers by night. In just a few decades, Dubai has transformed from a quiet port city into a modernized global mecca with towering high-rises—home to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building standing at 160 stories—and architectural marvels that punctuate the sky and gleam under the relentless desert sun. A world-class tourist destination, Dubai now sits at the forefront of the Middle Eastern meetings and incentives market, solidifying its position as an emerging destination for business travelers seeking exotic locales to host meetings and conferences.
Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates has made substantial investments to propel the growth of its MICE industry with cutting-edge infrastructure projects that include the construction of the new Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Complementing the venue are a plethora of five-star hotels as well as its modernized airport and seaport—all meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs of business travelers and event organizers. These strategic investments underscore the UAE’s unwavering dedication to fostering a thriving MICE ecosystem in Dubai.
Two such properties that combine luxury travel with impressive meeting spaces are Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis The Royal. Both located on the crescent of Dubai’s The Palm, the man-made, artificial islands that extends into the Persian Gulf, the luxurious resort properties seamlessly blend opulent hospitality with meeting functionality.
Atlantis, The Palm, the first resort to open on Dubai’s iconic The Palm in 2008, has cemented its reputation with its stunning ocean-themed architecture and its sprawling water park featuring an impressive 105 water slides. This luxurious property boasts 1,544 rooms and suites, high-end boutiques and shops, and an eclectic mix of restaurants. Attendees can hop on a quick shuttle to the Atlantis The Royal, the latest gem in Dubai’s luxury hotel scene, which debuted in 2023. Atlantis The Royal redefines opulence with its lavish services, renowned restaurants and state-of-the-art amenities. Fun fact: Beyonce graced the stage at The Royal during its 3-day grand opening celebration in January. The property includes 795 rooms, suites and signature penthouse suites spanning three towers: Sunset Tower, Sunlight Tower and Sunrise Tower.
Whether hosting a high-level business conference, a grand corporate event or an intimate executive retreat, these properties offer the perfect setting for unforgettable business gatherings, complete with top-notch services.
“Both Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis The Royal offer something special that sets them apart from other properties in Dubai,” says Ian Renton, Director of Sales, Atlantis Dubai. “Atlantis, The Palm has some incredibly unique venues. For example, events can be held in The Lost Chambers Aquarium with 65,000 marine animals gliding past the windows. In addition, Atlantis The Royal has a level of exclusivity you can’t find anywhere else, and with one ballroom, it means clients will be the only main event taking place on the property.”
Atlantis, The Palm offers a diverse array of meeting spaces that cater to a wide range of events. The property features 13 meeting rooms, three ballrooms and one boardroom. Atlantis The Royal’s “Business District” provides business guests with six elegantly designed meeting rooms, each holding up to 12 guests. The “District” is designed with a separate entrance apart from the hotel’s main ballroom and offers access to a spacious private outdoor terrace for its Opal and Topaz meeting rooms. All the rooms are equipped with AV and state-of-the-art technology.
“One of our strengths is providing events where we can keep everything between Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis The Royal,” adds Renton. “We’ve found that clients prefer this set-up and appreciate the breadth of our culinary offerings from both properties. Based on size and requirements, we can work with the onsite culinary masters to create a menu for any occasion specifically tailored to the client’s preferences with gourmet luxury dishes.”
With a total of 35 restaurants, bars and lounges, attendees at Atlantis, The Palm can indulge in world-class meals at celebrity chef restaurants by Gordon Ramsay (Bread Street Kitchen & Bar) and Nobu Matsuhisa, or enjoy Michelin-starred dining at the underwater restaurant, Ossiano, and Hakkasan. There’s also Wavehouse, an all-in-one entertainment venue with a restaurant and bar, outdoor terrace, gaming arcade and bowling lanes, and WHITE Beach, the resort’s outdoor beach club.
The dining experiences at Atlantis The Royal boast the highest concentration of celebrity chef restaurants under one roof (eight in total), each bringing their unique flair to a variety of exquisite dining options. Worth mentioning is the day club, Nobu on the Beach, and the rooftop restaurant, bar and lounge, Cloud 22, with views of the Dubai skyline and the Persian Gulf. Imagine those after-meeting networking gatherings.
Incentive trips at both properties also provide daily complimentary access to Aquaventure Waterpark, which earned the Guinness World Record title for the “Most Waterslides in a Waterpark” in September 2022, making it the largest in the world with 105 rides, slides and attractions.
“With easy access to and from Dubai, our clients include global companies headquartered in the U.S. and Europe, but we welcome guests arriving from all over the world,” says Renton. “We regularly receive feedback from clients at both properties, which usually highlights the exceptional service levels and the quality of our F&B offerings. Most clients come to us asking to raise the bar in their experiences, and we always aim to go above so that they want to hold an event with us again in the future.”
visitdubai.com/en/mice/why-dubai