Dubai, UAE, March 16, 2017:  The Organizing Committee of the World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi has announced the support of the Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) in the delivery of the 2019 Congress. The agreement appoints Hala Abu Dhabi as the Official Travel & Destination Partner alongside Etihad Airways as the Official Airline for the 2019 World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi. 

The agreement was signed today by His Excellency Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Chair of the Organizing Committee and Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial at Etihad Airways.

The World Energy Congress is the longest-running and only global event to cover every aspect of the energy sector around the world. In October 2014, the UAE National Committee for the World Energy Council won an international bid to host the prestigious Congress in Abu Dhabi, from 7 to 14 September 2019.

H.E. Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Chair of the Organizing Committee and Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy, said: “The organization of a global event such as the World Energy Congress requires industry-leading professional partners and the support of reputed sponsors. With the appointment of Hala Abu Dhabi as the Official Travel & Destination Partner and Etihad as the Official Airline, we can create a decisive momentum in our mission to make the 2019 Abu Dhabi Congress the most successful World Energy Congress in more than 90 years of its history.” 

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial at Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad and Hala are delighted to be supporting the Ministry of Energy with the organization for the congress and ensure its success to a global audience. The airline is renowned for the quality of its product and service so the World Energy Congress 2019 will be another high profile event where we can showcase what Abu Dhabi has to offer.”

This is the second key appointment made by the Organizing Committee, where Hala will be partnering with E3 of Dubai, the event management company, for their expertise in the energy sector. E3 will fulfill the role of lead project management and Hala will be the travel & destination partner, reporting to the leadership of the Organizing Committee.

Abu Dhabi will join an exclusive list of 23 cities that have hosted the congress since its inception in 1924. The 2019 congress will be the first to take place in a MENA country, while the UAE will be the first OPEC country to host this crucial event for the energy sector.

Hala is focussed on providing specialised support to conference organisers in Abu Dhabi. It offers complete event and leisure planning services, from venue sourcing and delegate registration right through to production and service delivery, all delivered by a multi-lingual in-house team. 

Darren Peisley, Managing Director of Hala Group, said: “The World Energy Congress 2019 will provide yet another showcase for Hala to demonstrate its wide range of services to congress members who are visiting our home city of Abu Dhabi. We are continuing to grow our support to event organisers in the Middle East and will be working closely with E3 on the preparations to ensure a successful congress that supports the ambition of the UAE.”

Hala Abu Dhabi is part of the Hala Group, which brings together the distribution and destination marketing services of the Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) such as the Global Loyalty Company, Etihad Holidays, Hala Abu Dhabi, Hala Travel Management and the Amadeus Joint Venture. The establishment of the Hala Group during 2016 was brought about by the recognition of how commercial operations had grown across a variety of travel and hospitality businesses for EAG.