TRBusiness.com enjoyed ‘a day at the races’ courtesy of Dubai Duty Free today during the end of season fixture.

 

The two-day International Weekend at Newbury (21 and 22 September), saw the culmination of Dubai Duty Free’s annual sponsorship programme of thoroughbred horse racing.

 

Sinead El Sibai, Vice President of Marketing, Dubai Duty Free, made these remarks: “We are looking forward to two great days of racing, but first we have to mention how we’re doing back in Dubai. We’re having a great year, our sales for the first half of this year are up 11% on last year and we’re expecting to close the year on US$1.6bn; so things are looking very good for us and Dubai is definitely back in business.

 

“Here we are for the end of the racing season, but there is still lots going on for us back in Dubai. On 1 July we opened the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, which is a Dubai Duty Free owned hotel located next to the tennis stadium. It is really a fantastic hotel and it is the official hotel for the MEDFA conference and for the golf tournament and it really is something very special.”

 

[Above: From Left: Bruce McGuire Scorpio Distributors; Jil McGuire; Joe Mercer, champion jockey and Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free]

 

GLOBAL PROMOTION

This year the company staged racing events at Meydan in Dubai, The Curragh in Ireland and at two venues – Ascot and Newbury – in the UK.

 

Commenting on his company’s sponsorship, Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice Chairman, Colm McLoughlin, said: “The sponsorship of horse racing continues to play an important role in global promotion of the Dubai Duty Free brand and we are delighted to be returning to Newbury for a fifteenth consecutive year.

 

[Left: Ben Webb and Charlotte Smith Travel Retail Business Magazine]

 

“The race programme at the September meeting at Newbury is of a very high quality, creating plenty of media interest, and providing a platform for us to showcase Dubai as a centre of excellence for business, sport and leisure.”

 

Newbury Racecourse’s popular season of concerts has been extended this year to include the Dubai Duty Free International Weekend and international singing star, Lionel Richie, will take to the stage after racing on Saturday.