Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 11 July 2011: The Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), an agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED), and organisers of Dubai Summer Surprises, successfully concluded the sixth edition of the Dubai Summer Surprises Apprenticeship Programme with presentations from the 11 participating students during the closing ceremony, demonstrating the benefits received from the two-week long programme.

Students presented their innovative ideas and vision for the future of the summer festival to senior officials including Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO, Business Registration and Licensing Division, DED; Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DEPE; Ibrahim Saleh, Festivals Coordinator General and Deputy CEO, DEPE; and Akil Mukesh Mirchandani, Senior Policy Analyst, Foreign Investment Office, among other attendees including local media channels.  

The DSS Apprenticeship Programme puts young students under the mentorship of marketing and management experts to live the reality of organising the event and to learn more about how it is run, in order to improve their level of professional competence, as well as allow them to benefit from the know-how of experienced practitioners in their chosen field.

Laila Suhail expressed her satisfaction at the capabilities of participating students and their enthusiasm saying: "The programme will continue to attract the brightest talent in the field of marketing each year, offering students from neighbouring countries the opportunity to benefit from the experience we have gained by organising several large scale events over the past years. I was delighted with the quality of the presentations and the ideas presented by the students, especially that many of them included truly innovative and fresh approaches to enhance the activities, events, services and benefits provided in future editions of Dubai Summer Surprises."

Suhail also congratulated the students on their efforts and dedication during the programme, their enthusiastic participation in all activities and their keen desire to learn, saying: "The students took full advantage of the opportunities presented to them throughout the agenda and showed commitment to the programme through their hard work on all assignments. I am confident that they have gained experience, knowledge and valuable contacts in the field of marketing and event management that will greatly benefit their professional lives."

The winning students expressed their appreciation for the stimulating agenda of activities prepared, that allowed them a chance to maximise 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 Arab ties, as well as enjoy a glimpse into the local culture of the UAE.

Egypt winner Yara El-Zahaby, a student at the American University of Cairo said: "I was pleased with the friendly atmosphere that prevailed throughout the two weeks I spent in training. The experience was really very positive, as my colleagues and I visited many shopping centres and touristic attractions, and participated in many seminars and lectures presented to us by top specialists in the field of marketing. The programme officials also helped us to develop our ideas and gave us a lot of guidance that will facilitate our move into professional life without fear or hesitation."

During their internship, the students visited some of the most important government and tourism departments, such as Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, Department of Economic Development, and other entities that contribute to the success of the event, including landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, the Roads and Transport Authority, the Foreign Investment Office, and Dubai Cares. The students also participated in a tour at the Southern Sun Qamardeen Hotel, home to the student apprentices for the fifth consecutive year, which offered them a glimpse into the working of the city's hospitality industry, one of the lynchpins of Dubai's tourism success story.

These visits allowed the interns the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of various components that contribute to the establishment of an event of this level, familiarise them with the preparations that precede the execution of various events and identify the most important elements that highlight Dubai as a top tourism destination. The visits helped broaden the students' understanding by giving them insights into the requirements of the labour market and highlighted management and administrative procedures through workshops and lectures.

The Dubai Summer Surprises Apprenticeship Programme began in 2006 with students from four universities in only two countries, but has quickly expanded to encompass 55 universities from 11 countries in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region this year.   The programme offers the brightest students from these countries the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in this programme, which helps them develop their skills and abilities in the areas of marketing and business management, and contributes to acquiring expertise based on practical experience in their chosen field.

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© Press Release 2011