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Dubai Launches Recognition Program for Indian Meetings Agents

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

April 7th, 2024 at 2:31 PM EDT

India's growing prominence in outbound MICE presents a significant opportunity that Dubai aims to leverage. The new recognition program targeting Indian intermediaries will definitely push agencies to promote Dubai as a preferred MICE destination.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Dubai Business Events, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the city’s official convention bureau, on Monday will announce its first-ever recognition program for Indian intermediaries for meetings, incentives, conferences and events business.

The MICE Star Awards program recognizes agents in India and their role in solidifying Dubai’s position as a leading business events destination.

“The award recipients will be selected based on an evaluation process that considers both the volume and value of their business to Dubai’s business events and wider tourism ecosystem,” a statement from Dubai Business Events said.

Dubai’s exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and business events sector grew by 25% last year. Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) attracted 2.47 million participants in 2023.

DWTC noted that the strong performance in 2023 reflects Dubai’s economic growth and its role as an international platform for business and trade. The growth was driven by 301 events, marking a 23% increase compared to 2022.

In addition, Dubai secured 349 bids to host international conferences and meetings facilitated by Dubai Business Events, representing a 49% increase in successful bids from the prior year. These events are expected to bring in over 191,000 international delegates to the city.

A report by Dubai Pulse estimates that the events industry in Dubai was worth $44.7 billion in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 25% projected from 2023 to 2027. The industry currently supports 100,000 jobs in Dubai and is expected to create an additional 10,000 jobs over the next five years.

India’s Outbound MICE Potential

According to Dubai Business Events, the launch of the program highlights Dubai’s dedication to the Indian MICE market. In 2023, India emerged as the top source country for visitors to Dubai, reflecting the city’s popularity for business events.

Dubai has also introduced a five-year multiple entry visa for Indian travelers . “As a key market for Dubai, India will continue to play an integral role in enabling us to achieve the goals of the  D33 Agenda , further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a hub for business, investment and tourism,” said Bader Ali Habib, regional head of proximity markets at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

ResearchAndMarkets.com forecasts that India’s outbound MICE tourism market will reach $13.4 billion by 2031. It said the growth in this sector is driven by economic factors, including government support, improved air connectivity, and increased awareness among businesses and individuals about the benefits of attending international events.

India’s business travel spending is set to reach $38 billion this year, with a projected full recovery to pre-2019 spending levels by 2025, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

“Companies prioritize in-person interactions with clients and suppliers to expedite projects. Professionals also embark on business trips to participate in meetings, events, and seminars,” Sunny Sodhi, managing director of FCM Travel India, told Skift earlier.

The pharmaceutical, finance, and manufacturing sectors are key drivers of India’s outbound MICE tourism.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: asia monthly , corporate travel , dubai , india outbound , meetings and events , mice , visa waiver

Photo credit: In 2023, India emerged as the top source country for visitors to Dubai. Unsplash

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Northeast Severe Weather April 2024

Affected Airports - City , State Association:

• Albany Intl, NY  (ALB)
• Allentown Bethlehem, PA  (ABE)
• Baltimore Washington, MD  (BWI)
• Bangor, ME  (BGR)
• Boston, MA  (BOS)
• Buffalo, NY (BUF)
• Burlington, VT  (BTV)
• Harrisburg Intl, PA  (MDT)
• Hartford Springfield, CT  (BDL)
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• Newark, NJ  (EWR)
• Philadelphia, PA  (PHL)
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• Providence, RI   (PVD)
• Rochester, NY   (ROC)
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• State College, PA  (SCE)
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issued: April 2, 2024

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F.B.I. Examining Free Airfare Upgrades Received by Adams

Federal prosecutors and F.B.I. agents are scrutinizing international flights taken by Mayor Eric Adams of New York aboard Turkey’s national air carrier, Turkish Airlines.

By William K. Rashbaum ,  Michael Rothfeld and Dana Rubinstein

Federal authorities investigating Mayor Eric Adams’s campaign fund-raising have been examining valuable flight upgrades they believe he received from Turkish Airlines that elevated him to its highest class of seats available on international trips, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The scrutiny is part of a broad corruption inquiry that has already led the F.B.I. to search the homes of the former top New York-based executive of Turkish Airlines and aides to Mr. Adams, who has frequently traveled abroad and has made no secret of his affinity for flying on the Turkish carrier.

The investigation burst into public view in November after F.B.I. agents searched the homes of the former airline executive, Cenk Öcal, the mayor’s liaison to the Turkish community, Rana Abbasova, and his chief fund-raiser, Brianna Suggs — and seized Mr. Adams’s electronic devices.

The inquiry has shaken an administration that has become increasingly mired in investigations and beset by legal and ethical problems .

The broader investigation has focused at least in part on whether the Turkish government conspired with Mr. Adams’s mayoral campaign to funnel foreign money into its coffers, and whether Mr. Adams pressured the New York City Fire Department to sign off on Turkey’s new high-rise consulate in Manhattan despite safety concerns.

Mr. Adams’s relationship with Turkish Airlines has extended beyond that of simply being a passenger. He has attended meetings and events with representatives of the air carrier, which is half-owned by the Turkish government’s sovereign wealth fund. Some of those interactions took place in the presence of Turkish business leaders and diplomats with their own close ties to Turkey’s government and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan and F.B.I. agents conducting the inquiry have developed evidence that Mr. Öcal helped arrange at least some of the upgrades in coordination with Ms. Abbasova, two of the people familiar with the federal investigation said. They and others interviewed for this article spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing federal investigation.

Mr. Adams, who extolled Turkish Airlines in 2017 when he told a pro-government publication that the carrier “is my way of flying,” received the upgrades both while serving as Brooklyn borough president and as mayor, on both official and personal trips, some of the people said.

Brendan R. McGuire, a lawyer for the mayor and his 2021 campaign, said there was nothing wrong with Mr. Adams’s receipt of the upgrades.

“As borough president, the mayor consistently disclosed his official travel to Turkey, did not receive any improper upgrades and did nothing inappropriate in exchange for an upgrade,” Mr. McGuire said. “Speculation is not evidence. We look forward to a just and timely conclusion to this investigation.”

The F.B.I. searches on Nov. 2 prompted the mayor’s abrupt return from a trip to Washington, D.C., where he was seeking federal aid for the city’s migrant crisis. They were followed by weeks of news coverage focused on the corruption inquiry, but agents and prosecutors have made few public moves since then.

Mr. Adams has not been accused of wrongdoing, and it remains unclear whether the investigation will lead to criminal charges against him, Mr. Öcal, Ms. Abbasova or anyone else.

A lawyer for Ms. Abbasova, Rachel Maimin, declined to comment. After repeated attempts to reach Mr. Öcal, including visits to his New Jersey home and messages left with his wife, he declined to answer questions or provide the name of his lawyer.

A representative of Turkish Airlines declined to comment, as did spokesmen for the F.B.I. and the federal prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, who are jointly conducting the inquiry.

Mr. Adams has long boasted of being an avid traveler, and he has taken trips in recent years to Turkey, the Dominican Republic , Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Monaco , Ghana , Azerbaijan, Greece, Israel , Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar , Senegal and China . He has talked about retiring to Azerbaijan, Israel and Lebanon.

It was unclear how many free upgrades Mr. Adams accepted while flying Turkish Airlines or what their total value was. In 2023, round-trip business class seats on Turkish Airlines between the United States and Turkey generally cost at least $3,400 apiece — or about four times as much as an economy class seat, travel industry experts said.

It was also unclear what, if anything, Mr. Öcal, the airline or the Turkish government might have gained from awarding the upgrades.

But Mr. Adams received the upgrades during a period in which he and the airline were developing a close relationship, a New York Times review of city emails suggests.

Mr. Adams has flown on Turkish Airlines since at least August 2015, when as Brooklyn borough president he took an official trip to Turkey and the carrier funded travel that his aides valued at about $1,500.

Mr. Adams took a second official trip four months later, justifying it by saying he needed to speak about “city marketing” at a conference, meet with local officials and visit a refugee camp, city records show. Mr. Adams flew Turkish Airlines on that trip as well, according to the records.

On another trip to Turkey in 2017, this time in a private capacity, he gave an interview praising Turkish Airlines to The Daily Sabah, saying that it accommodated his dietary needs and lauding its security protocols.

Sent from 2015 to 2021, while Mr. Adams was borough president, the emails reviewed by The Times make reference to a series of private meetings between Mr. Adams, Turkish Airlines executives and Turkish government officials and businesspeople, as well as appearances with them at public events.

Often the meetings and appearances were arranged through Ms. Abbasova, Mr. Adams’s liaison to the Turkish community.

More than a few involved Mr. Öcal, who appeared to be on a first-name basis with Mr. Adams. “Cenk from turkish airlines opening,” Mr. Adams wrote to his staff in response to one invitation to an event, possibly referring to Mr. Öcal’s speaking slot. Mr. Öcal would later serve as one of several hundred people on Mr. Adams’s mayoral transition team.

The first meeting described in the emails was scheduled for May 2016, when Ms. Abbasova inquired if he could attend a “dinner w Turkish Airlines.” The emails did not specify with whom he would be meeting, but his assistant responded that he would be available.

He agreed to another meeting, a dinner with Mr. Öcal at Liman, a Turkish restaurant in Brooklyn, in April 2017, the emails show. Also scheduled to attend were the chairman and treasurer of the Türken Foundation, an American charity with close ties to the Turkish government. It was incorporated in 2014 by a son of Mr. Erdoğan and another man, who at the time was a board member of Turkish Airlines. Mr. Erdoğan’s daughter currently sits on its board .

The Türken Foundation’s chairman, Behram Turan, its treasurer, Memiş Yetim, and another board member would go on to give a total of $6,000 to Mr. Adams’s mayoral campaign from 2018 to 2021, contributions that were first reported by The City . Mr. Adams’s campaign refunded $1,000 to Mr. Turan to comply with the rules of the city’s public matching funds program.

Reached late last year, Mr. Turan, an engineer who lives in New Jersey, said he was an American citizen who has lived in the country for 30 years. He added that there was nothing inappropriate about his donation. On Thursday, Mr. Yetim said he could not remember the dinner with Mr. Adams. Mr. Turan declined to comment.

In September 2017, Mr. Adams attended a Türken Foundation dinner and event with Mr. Erdoğan at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Manhattan. Mr. Adams would later present Mr. Yetim with a proclamation honoring the Türken Foundation for “outstanding achievements and contributions to society.”

In December 2017, Mr. Adams was scheduled to attend another dinner, this time with Turkish consular officials, at a Brooklyn seafood restaurant run by two of his close friends . Mr. Öcal and another top Turkish Airlines official were on the guest list, the emails show.

In 2019, the emails show, Ms. Abbasova passed along an invitation from Turkish Airlines for Mr. Adams to attend a gala at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. Mr. Adams had another event that night but an internal staff memo noted that he would do his best to attend, the emails show. Ms. Abbasova would be on site and provide frequent updates, the memo said.

Mr. Adams did make it to the event, which featured Turkish dishes, a raw bar and high-end cocktails. He even took the microphone to speak, according to an article in Elite Traveler, a luxury lifestyle publication, which published photos of the event, including several of Mr. Öcal in a shiny blue tuxedo. Mr. Adams was the only city official listed in the account of the night, along with Turkish consular officials and diplomats, business leaders and Martha Stewart.

Mr. Adams won the Democratic mayoral primary in June 2021. Soon after, he contacted the commissioner of the New York Fire Department at the time and urged him to allow the opening of the Turkish consulate building, which had been held up over fire safety concerns. The building received a temporary certificate of occupancy that September — shortly before Mr. Erdoğan presided over the consulate’s grand opening in Manhattan .

Mr. Adams previously said it was part of his role as borough president “to notify government agencies of issues on behalf of constituents and constituencies.”

In May 2022, the Turkish Philanthropy Funds , a New-York based nonprofit devoted to supporting social investments in the Turkish and Turkish American communities, held its 15th anniversary gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Adams, who made remarks at the event, was there in a dark suit, posing with the foundation’s chairman and the night’s honoree, the billionaire founder of the strained yogurt company Chobani.

Mr. Öcal was there too, and was photographed in a tuxedo with the Turkish ambassador to the United States and their wives. It is unclear if he interacted with Mr. Adams that night. Their fortunes had gone in opposite directions.

Mr. Öcal had been fired by Turkish Airlines by then, according to a Turkish news report, and Mr. Adams was newly ensconced as the mayor.

Susan C. Beachy contributed reporting.

William K. Rashbaum is a senior writer on the Metro desk, where he covers political and municipal corruption, courts, terrorism and law enforcement. He was a part of the team awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. More about William K. Rashbaum

Michael Rothfeld is an investigative reporter in New York, writing in-depth stories focused on the city’s government, business and personalities. More about Michael Rothfeld

Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times. More about Dana Rubinstein

Explore Our Coverage of the Adams Administration

Burger King and Baptisms: Mayor Eric Adams keeps finding eye-catching ways to seize the spotlight on the issue of public safety  through appearances at Rikers Island, even when the narrative turns against him.

Gun-Detecting Technology: Adams announced that New York City planned to test technology  to detect guns in its subway system as officials seek to make transit riders feel safe after a deadly shoving attack.

Grappling With Acts of Violence: Adams was recently confronted with two tragic events that crystallized some people’s persistent fears  about the city: the shooting death of Police Officer Jonathan Diller  and a man being fatally pushed into the path of a subway train  in an unprovoked attack.

Sexual Misconduct Accusations: A woman has accused Adams  in a lawsuit of asking her for oral sex in exchange for career help in 1993 and sexually assaulting her when she refused. Adams said the accusation was completely false . A few days after the revelations, a top adviser to Adams was accused of sexually harassing  a police sergeant and punishing her when she refused his advances.

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Air and Marine Operations crew rescues migrant in distress

LAREDO, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations agents rescued a migrant in distress on April 1, 2024 approximately 25 miles northeast of Laredo, Texas.

On Monday, a Laredo Air Branch AS-350 aircrew responded to Laredo Sector Border Patrol Dispatch reports of four lost migrants in the area that noted one migrant may be in need of immediate medical intervention. The aircrew searched the area by air and located the group. One of the migrants appeared to be laying on the ground and unresponsive.

The aircrew landed and an Aviation Enforcement Agent (AEA), who is also an Air and Marine Emergency Medical Services (AMEMS)-certified agent , responded to the scene. The AMO agent and migrants carried the unresponsive man out of thick vegetation and placed him on a nearby road where the agent continued to assess the man.

The AEA spoke with the migrants and learned that the man had run out of water. The group also drank from nearby ponds and cattle tanks which may have been contaminated. The migrants stated they had begun to feel sick and the man in distress became incoherent and fell to the ground. The AMO EMT determined the patient was severely dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. He applied ice on the man’s neck and armpits and administered fluids. The man regained consciousness and began to show signs of coherency.

“Our agents remain ready to respond to situations like this,” stated Jonathan B. Taber, Director of Air and Marine Operations, Laredo Air Branch. “The ability of our agents to rapidly transition from a law enforcement role to conduct rescue operations where they can deliver immediate medical aid is crucial to saving lives.”

The AEA transferred the patient to a responding U.S. Border Patrol EMT. The migrant cooled down in the air-conditioned vehicle and received further care and evaluation.

In Fiscal Year 2023, AMO enforcement actions resulted in 1,004 arrests and 89,909 apprehensions of undocumented individuals, as well as the seizure or disruption of 256,883 pounds of cocaine, 2,049 pounds of fentanyl, 4,050 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,200 weapons, and $15.3 million.For additional news releases and other AMO information, visit www.cbp.gov or follow AMO on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.