THE EMIRATES GROUP – An overview
The Emirates Group’s extensive and diverse international portfolio includes Emirates airline,
Dubai's 52 year-old household name dnata, Emirates SkyCargo, Emirates Destination and
Leisure Management and Skywards. Together with a number of joint venture businesses, the
Group comprises more than 50 brands, employing 68,000 people.
In the 2012/13 financial year, The Emirates Group has marked its 25th consecutive year of
profit. Despite fundamental challenges, the Group’s revenue reached a record high, climbing
to AED 77.5 billion (US$ 21.1 billion) an increase of 17 per cent over last year’s results.
Emirates Airline
Many still marvel at what Emirates has achieved in 28 years, since the first flight to Karachi
took off on October 25th, 1985 from a relatively rudimentary Dubai airport.
Under the chairmanship of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, it is a story of
collective wisdom, forensic planning and the boldness to create an airline that would help
create an inspiring modern city, snatched from the desert. With a fleet of more than 200
modern, wide-bodied aircraft and two planes arriving every four weeks, the airline currently
flies to over 130 destinations in six continents, from its international hub of Dubai.
All Emirates' frontline facilities, including the massive Emirates Engineering Centre are now
equipped to handle the Airbus A380, 53 of which are on order. The airline's total order book
numbers 188 aircraft valued at over 71 billion US dollars - not bad for an airline that began
with two leased aircraft - a Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4.
dnata
In 1959, dnata was a small ground-handling operation with just five staff members. Today, it
has become the fourth largest combined air services provider in the world with over 20,000
employees across five continents.
dnata’s expertise in ground handling, cargo, travel and flight catering has earned the business
over 30 awards and the admiration of the industry.
Ground handling
dnata’s ground crews thrive in some of the world’s busiest airports. A total of 21 airports in
the UAE, Pakistan, Singapore, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines,
Switzerland and Iraq all benefit from dnata’s ground-handling expertise.
Every day, dnata teams help 192,442 passengers reach their destination– including reuniting
them with their bags at the end of their journey.
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dnata’s ramp services team makes loading and pushback easy and safe. As well as providing
technical support, they also keep the aircraft looking smart. And for a personal touch, the
hospitality of the Marhaba team, offering a meet and assist service at Dubai International
Airport, creates a great first impression of Dubai for visiting friends and family.
Cargo
dnata’s cargo operation spans three continents and creates almost a third of the company’s
revenue. dnata handles over 1.7 million tons of cargo annually, or 4,766 tons of cargo a day.
In 2007, dnata launched Calogi, the industry’s first e-freight web portal that connects
shippers, airlines, freight forwarders and ground-handling agents from all over the world.
Over 320 companies conduct business instantly on Calogi, saving money and paper with
more than 1.6 million transactions a year.
dnata joined forces with Public Warehousing Corporation (PWC), to transport goods via road
across the GCC and engaged in a joint venture with Kanoo Group to create Freightworks – a
logistics company which handles everything from transportation and warehousing to
packaging.
dnata has a host of health, safety and environmental certifications, including the ISO 90012000 and consistently earns industry awards including the prestigious Dubai Quality Award.
Travel Services
Every day, 2,108 travellers trust dnata with their plans. From holidays of romance and
discovery, to the logistics of getting people to wherever their work demands. As the fourth
largest travel management company in the world, dnata manages everything from business
and incentive travel and worldwide tour operations – covering leisure, sports and active
holidays – through to hotel sales and marketing representation, offshore and marine services,
and government and corporate services.
dnata has travel teams in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, but the business has a reach which extends beyond the 202 outlets in the Gulf
region. dnata has already announced plans to expand to India in 2011 and is the regional
managing partner of the Hogg Robinson Group in the Middle East and West Asia. 2008 was
a momentous year during which dnata bought 23% of the HRG group, linking the business to
the HRG worldwide network of nearly 120 countries.
Multilingual staff handle an average of 150,000 calls per month at both regional and inhouse call centres. Outsourcing call centre services were expanded following the 49%
acquisition of Mind Pearl, a leading contact centre outsourcing service provider and from
2008 onwards the travel business now works with clients across four continents.
Flight Catering
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dnata’s international flight catering service really took off in 2010 with the purchase of Alpha
Flight Limited. Serving 128,000 meals daily, 5,800 employees provide quality meals for
customers in 62 airports across 12 countries.
Emirates SkyCargo
Emirates SkyCargo is renowned for the highest standards of product quality in supporting
business logistics – achieving customer satisfaction through innovation, flexibility and the
constant refinement of service levels.
In the 2012-13 financial year, Emirates SkyCargo carried 2.1 million tonnes of cargo across
its network, contributing 15 per cent - US$ 2.8 billion - of the airline’s total transport
revenue. Based out of Dubai International Airport, its $327million 43,600 square metre
Cargo Mega Terminal is designed to handle 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year.
The airline’s freight division currently uses cargo hold capacity in Emirates’ fleet of 201
aircraft, including ten freighters – eight Boeing 777-Fs and two B747-400ERFs.
Reflecting Emirates’ overall policy of excellence in every area of operation, Emirates
SkyCargo has become a significant force in the global air cargo industry. This has been made
possible by highly-qualified staff, the very latest information technology, the most efficient
aircraft for its expanding route network and the finest ground handling facilities and
equipment.
Skywards
Skywards, Emirates’ award-winning frequent flyer programme, consists of over six million
members worldwide. Three tiers of membership are offered - Blue, Silver and Gold - with
each membership tier providing exclusive privileges. Members earn Skywards Miles when
they fly on Emirates or partner airlines, or when they use the programme’s designated hotels,
car rentals, financial, leisure or lifestyle partners. Skywards Miles can be redeemed for an
extensive range of rewards, including tickets on Emirates and other Skywards partner
airlines, flight upgrades, hotel accommodation, excursions and exclusive shopping. In
addition, Skywards offers the unique Miles Accelerator tool which allows members to earn
and enjoy greater/quicker rewards.
Skywards has consistently demonstrated success in award recognition. In 2011 so far, the
Skywards programme has already received eight accolades including the Middle East's
Leading Airline Rewards Program at the World Travel Awards, four wins at the Frequent
Traveller Awards including overall Program of the Year and two awards recognising the
unique Skywards Miles Accelerator at the 2011 Loyalty Conference.
Destination and Leisure Management
Emirates Holidays is the Middle East’s largest wholesale tour operator. It offers the region's
most comprehensive programme of holiday choices based around the airline’s network.
Extending the Emirates quality experience from the air to the ground, with a complementary
selection of hotel, tour and transfer options, Emirates Holidays meets the needs of today's
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discerning leisure travellers. Its annual brochure, A World of Choice, features over 100
destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Indian Ocean, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the
Americas, based around the airline network.
Arabian Adventures, the Gulf’s leading destination management company provides
professional, high quality, destination management services to the world’s foremost tour
operators, incentive houses, meeting organisers, local corporate businesses and cruise lines. It
has fully staffed offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on the East Coast of the UAE and
boasts a network of travel shops and desks in a number of the UAE’s major hotels. Arabian
Adventures also has overseas representatives in the UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany,
Italy, Russia, Japan, China, Spain and the USA.
Congress Solutions International (CSI) is a full service Professional Congress Organiser
(PLO) based in Dubai. CSI's primary field of expertise is in organising congresses for
specific industries such as Healthcare, Information Technology, Banking, Consumer Goods,
Construction, Oil and Gas, Automobiles, Transport, and Travel and Tourism. It has the full
support and cooperation of the Dubai Convention Bureau, Dubai’s Department of Tourism &
Commerce Marketing, hotels and other related suppliers.
Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is Australia’s first luxury conservation-based resort. A scenic
three-hour drive from Sydney, Wolgan Valley is located on Australia’s Great Dividing Range
between two national parks and borders the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. It features
40 individual suites, reminiscent of traditional rural Australian homesteads, which are
surrounded by wide, private verandahs, each with its own indoor/outdoor swimming pool,
separate living and bedroom areas, separate walk-in wardrobe, luxurious en-suite bathroom
and double-sided fireplace. Wolgan Valley is the first hotel in the world to achieve
internationally accredited carbon neutral certification. carboNZero - an internationally
accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme - issued Wolgan Valley its carbon neutral
certificate within just three months of opening.
Timeless Spa is Emirates’ own luxury spa brand. Timeless Spas are located at Wolgan Valley
Resort & Spa, the First Class lounge and Business Class lounge as well as at the hotel level at
Emirates Terminal 3 (concourse B), and Concourse A at Dubai International Airport.
Timeless Spa uses a fusion of treatment and healing practices drawn from various cultures,
all designed to relax, pamper and rejuvenate. The Timeless signature products are uniquely
formulated using traditional and natural ingredients from the region.
Mercator
Mercator, the market-facing arm of the Emirates Group’s Information Technology (IT)
division, is a provider of business technology solutions and services to the global airline
industry. Mercator’s teams of IT professionals work at the cutting-edge of technology to
deliver IT solutions to their customers around the world to help grow their businesses.
Mercator provides the IT systems and services that support the operations of award-winning
carriers such as Air New Zealand, British Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, United
Airlines and Virgin Atlantic and hybrid, low-cost and regional carriers including flydubai,
Germania, Hahn Air, Jet Blue and WestJet.
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Its five business divisions have been designed to best serve the needs of its customers’
customers, namely: Passenger Services Solutions, Cargo and Logistics Solutions, Customer
Relationship Management and Loyalty Solutions, Financial Management Solutions and
Safety Solutions.
EmQuest
EmQuest is a travel distribution company that develops and distributes innovative
technologies and services. EmQuest offers a vast range of the very latest software, including
Sabre, which providing electronic global and regional distribution services for the travel
industry, through its computerised reservation systems, leading-edge products and internetbased solutions. EmQuest manages a large network of brands, content and service offerings
that are designed to meet the unique and specific needs of the travel industry, especially those
based in the Middle East and Africa. EmQuest can connect travel agents, tour operators, car
rental companies, rail services, hotels and airlines with millions of travellers around the world
- easily, effortlessly and efficiently.
Transguard
Transguard offers a world-class range of premier security solutions and specialised services
to both regional and international clientele. Certified to ISO 9001 standards, Transguard
holds a dominant market position in the UAE security industry as the only authorised security
provider at the Dubai International Airport. Rigorously screened and supervised security
professionals undertake strict regular training and refresher courses to ensure the highest level
of expertise and familiarisation with the latest security equipment and practices. The
company offers the highest level of insurance facilities available in the market and maintains
the largest fleet of armoured vehicles with satellite tracking systems. Transguard’s existing
client base includes some of the most important players in global finance, as well as
governments, embassies, legal departments, exchange houses and traders in precious metals,
diamonds and jewellery. Through exhaustive consultation and analysis of each individual
client’s procedures and needs, Transguard can customise all logistics solutions to meet
specific institutional requirements.
Emirates Flight Catering
Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) provides in-flight catering and support services for more
than 120 international airlines flying into and out of Dubai International Airport including
Emirates in addition to airline lounge services on the ground. The Emirates Flight Catering
Facility 1 is dedicated to providing meals for Emirates flights exclusively, whilst EKFC2
caters for all other airlines.
The EKFC1 facility has the capacity to produce 115,000 meals per day, from a $120 million
facility that is one of the most technologically advanced in the world.
The airline catering facilities are currently being expanded to meet the additional growth
requirements of Emirates.
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With a multinational workforce of over 6,000 employees from 47 countries, EKFC has the
capability to provide food in every culinary tradition, from sushi for the Japanese routes, to a
myriad of different curries for the constant stream of flights to the Indian sub-continent.
Typically over 115,000 meals are now being produced every day. In 2010, 39 million airline
meals were produced.
Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR)
ELR has strong interests in establishing, managing and franchising a wide portfolio of
restaurants, cafés, bars and leisure facilities in the UAE, Oman and Australia. The business
operates 76 Costa Coffee outlets under franchise in the UAE, as well as 18 other bars and
restaurants including Après and Left Bank. It also owns and operates 68 Hudson’s Coffee
outlets in Australia.
MMI
mmi is a major player in the region with 11 shops across Dubai and joint venture operations
in both Abu Dhabi and Oman. mmi also operates Le Clos, the award-winning fine wine retail
outlet at Dubai International Airport. It stocks more than 1200 wines, the largest portfolio in
the Gulf, while it also has the most comprehensive selection of premium spirits in the region,
with over 400 leading brands. mmi is the biggest supplier of liquor to embassies, consulates,
missions and licensed establishments based in the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian
subcontinent.
It became a subsidiary of the Emirates Group in 2000 and can also process liquor licence
applications - required to purchase alcohol in the UAE - and rewards its customers with a
range of benefits, such as in-store promotions and deals at partner businesses, including Costa
Coffee and Apres at Mall of the Emirates.
As well as membership to the mmi Wine Society, customers can purchase tickets at a
discounted rate for some of the many major events mmi supports, such as the Dubai Rugby
Sevens and music concerts. In recent years, mmi has begun to expand its expertise
internationally including joint ventures in Zanzibar, Maldives and the Indian Ocean
region. The firm also uses its 120 years of experience in the region to offer support services
to both small and large businesses starting up in the Middle East.
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
This luxury hotel features 218 rooms with views overlooking the pool, beach and landscaped
grounds. It boasts a range of quality food outlets ranging from superb Thai cuisine to
beachside bars. The hotel is managed by Starwood on behalf of the Emirates Group. Located
just 90 minutes drive from Dubai, the 21-storey hotel, which opened in 2002, offers yearround sunshine and a professional dive centre with access to the region’s finest sites.
The centrepiece of the grounds showcases one of the UAE's largest free-form swimming
pools. Other leisure amenities include a kid’s club with its own pool, a wellness centre, tennis
and squash courts, facilities for beach volleyball and football, water polo, sailing and fishing.
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Joint Ventures
Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT)
A joint venture between the Emirates Group and CAE Inc of Canada – a world leader in the
field of aircraft simulators, located in the Emirates Aviation College campus, near Dubai
International airport. ECFT is the first facility of its kind in the Middle East to be approved
by Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards and
U.A.E (GCAA) Standards. ECFT works in close collaboration with more than 20 different
national aviation authorities to ensure that the later specific requirements are fulfilled in
addition to the requirements of JAA, FAA and GCAA.
The 14-bay centre houses 12 full-flight simulators including two Airbus A320/ACJs, and
Airbus A330/340, a Boeing 777, two Boeing 737 NG/BBJs, a Gulfstream IV and a
Gulfstream V/550, a Hawker 800/800XP, a Hawker 800 XCPi, a Global Express and a Bell
Helicopter 412. The centre will add a Falcon 900EX/2000EX early in 2011.
The state-of-the-art simulators have breakthrough visual realism, cockpit replication, highfidelity avionics simulation and flight and ground-handling characteristics indistinguishable
from an operational aircraft. ECFT offers a range of simulated aircraft types and type-rated
courses, covering business jets, as well as narrow and wide-body commercial jets. The centre
offers courses in pilot and maintenance training.
There is also a flight training centre located in Bangalore, India, which operates three fullflight simulators, two A320s and a 737.
Premier Inn
Premier Inn hotels operate in this region under a strategic partnership between Emirates
Group and Britain’s leading hospitality firm Whitbread Plc. Premier, the UK’s largest hotel
brand, entered the UAE market in 2008 and now boasts three hotels in the UAE – located at
Dubai Investments Park, Dubai Silcon Oasis and Dubai International Airport.
Two more Premier Inns are now under construction in Abu Dhabi – one at Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre and the other at Abu Dhabi International Airport. A further
property is planned to open in Education City, Doha in 2012.
– ends –
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