ISSAM SLAIMI
Dubai is a well-established tourist destination in the global tourism map.

BIOGRAPHY
Issam Slaimi, General Manager of Golden Tulip Media Hotel, joined the hotel in 2015 with 17 years of experience in hospitality. Slaimi comes from a sales background and has worked with hotels in Tunisia and the UAE.
How do you make Gold Tulip Media Hotel stand out in a competitive tourism landscape?
Our staff serve as if it is their own hotel. Our employee training always emphasizes the importance of excellent guest relations. We have a rating of 9.1 out of 10 for our staff in most of the OTAs and online platforms. In addition, blending contemporary amenities in elegant rooms and suites with personalized services ensures guests have a truly welcoming and relaxing retreat every time. All rooms are equipped with GRMS systems, 40-inch smart TVs, media hub, complimentary high-speed internet, and classy amenities.
What impacts do you foresee in Dubai's hospitality industry and economy more broadly?
Dubai is a well-established tourist destination in the global tourism map. Expo 2020 will give Dubai a more prominent place and ranking in other sectors of economy and will open doors to entrepreneurs attracted to the country. The hospitality industry will benefit from the rise in demand that Expo 2020 will create. The expo will also contribute more to the midscale hotels like the Golden Tulip. We also would like to thank the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for their initiatives to attract more tourists to the country. Year on year, Dubai airport saw an increased number of passengers, with its flexible visa options as another advantage attracting more visitors to the country.
What are your strategic priorities and vision for 2020 and the coming years?
Our priority for 2020 is to make the hotel more established in the market, while working on the demand created by Expo 2020. We are working with select markets that fit our hotel. We are also aiming to strengthen our market presence in emerging markets to capitalize on the increased demand from these.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Former Minister of Economy,
The ministry's way forward is to spur more international collaboration, whether inside the country through FDI flows and encouraging foreign entrepeneurship or outside the country through China's highly-valued Belt and Road Initiative.
read articleInterview
Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General, Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA)
In addition to pursuing an aggressively innovative trade and industrial policy, DAFZA is working behind the scenes to boost Dubai's role as the world's most dynamic hub for global halal services.
read articleInterview
Hatem Sleiman, Regional Vice-President, Head of Network, Middle East and South Asia, Western Union
Technology, globalization, and migration will ensure that no matter the nationalization policies carried out by regional governments, the remittance spout is unlikely to dry up any time soon.
read articleInterview
Hamdan AlShamsi, Senior Partner, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants
With the expected increase of business in the region, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants stands ready to assist new or current businesses with the implementation of ideas and the protection of IP.
read articleInterview
Marwan Bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
Through its digital arm, DEWA seeks to disrupt the entire business of public utilities by becoming the world's first digital utility to use autonomous systems for renewable energy and storage.
read articleInterview
Will Goodwin, Managing Director, The Priory Group
Social media can lead to living a virtual life, with limited face-to-face interaction, avoidance, and often misconstrued reality. This may lead to mental health-related issues such as depression, loss of individual value, low confidence, and anxiety.
read articleInterview
Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free (DDF)
One of the leading airport retailers in the world, DDF currently operates some 40,000sqm of retail space at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, reporting sales over USD2.029 billion in 2019.
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