Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) has announced that it will be hosting the world’s 18th edition of the Simplifying Passenger Travel Interest Group (SPTIG) Conference to be held from November 8 - 10, 2005, at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. The conference, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Director of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and President of Emirates Group, will be the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East.
The three day members-only conference will be attended by 75 members from SPTIG, comprising airport representatives, IT and systems suppliers, representatives from airlines and government officials. The conference is being sponsored by DNRD, Dubai Airport, SPTIG and Datel, a UAE-based technology service provider, which will be attending the conference as an IT and systems supplier and member of SPTIG.
The SPTIG Conference is a worldwide event, with its primary target audience being SPTIG members, who focus on the development of air transport systems as a whole, and implement standards and introduce advanced technology.
“It is a matter of pride for DNRD to host the SPTIG conference in UAE, as it is the first time this conference is being held in the Middle East,” said Brigadier Saeed Matar Bin Belaila, Director, DNRD. “This underlines UAE’s prominence as a major hub for air travel and highlights the contribution made by various government departments and airport authorities to enhance the quality of services at airports and to simplify travel procedures.”
“The number of tourists visiting UAE has been increasing steadily each year, amplifying the need for providing the highest levels of service to travelers at airports, and within airlines. The availability of latest technological advancements has facilitated faster automation at airports with the objective of easing air travel for customers,” added Bin Belaila.
The SPTIG is part of the Simplifying Passenger Travel (SPT) program, which is a joint initiative focussing on air travellers and includes passengers, airlines, airports, control authorities and technological suppliers. The value of the program lies in ensuring that progress is spread throughout the interdependent air transport system. SPT also involves working with governments and other parties involved in air travel, to update the facilitation infrastructure, and co-operating to provide practical standards and supporting guidelines.
