As well as an understanding of ceremonial rituals, properties in the region also have the infrastructure to accommodate all-important cultural requirements.
One clear example of this is the provision of separate halls for male and female parties and the space for a traditional Kosha setup, as described by Shaden Abu Sharar, director, catering and conference services sales, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal. The majority of hotels offer attractive wedding packages, with many fully customisable to ensure each guest's desires are fulfilled.
Going one step further and demonstrating that personalised services are paramount to providing great customer satisfaction, Rijhwani depicted, "We have dedicated staff members to assist and follow-up requests, watch over the proceedings to ensure every detail runs smoothly on the big day."
Indicating that the region-wide growth in the tourism industry has been instrumental in snowballing the weddings segment, Rizvi summarised that for MENA residents seeking luxury, there is no need to travel abroad as all the luxury brands are now available locally at a better price.
THE NEXT STEP
In terms of international wedding arrivals, the primary overseas source market for weddings and honeymoons is saturated with GCC residents. Corroborating this, Fatima Al Gizouli, director, catering and conference services, Fairmont Ajman, outlined, "Our key source markets are the UAE and GCC presently."
However, the Middle East is gaining traction as a viable option for destination weddings, with the Indian market leading the way.
"Destination weddings are a growing trend and picking up strongly in emerging countries of Asia, Africa and the Middle East," explained Aoucher, while adding that India is a key feeder market with enormous potential.
Despite only being in its first year of operation, Mai Nassar, director, sales, Sheraton Oman Hotel, also underscored the strong interest it has seen from India, as well as the Indian community based in the country.
The rising demand from India is apparent throughout the region, and although India's outbound wedding segment is flourishing, travel industry professionals have been active to ensure they attract their slice of the cake.
Rijhwani noted that as well as targeting Indian expatriates residing in the UAE, in an attempt to tap into the potential of the huge Indian market, representatives from Radission Blu Hotels in the UAE, visited organisations in India to promote its offerings with the aim of increasing the number of Indian weddings to account for between three – five percent of its total nuptials this year.
In particular, Oman is concentrating its efforts on amplifying the number of Indian weddings, which stood at seven percent in 2016. Since 2013, Oman has hosted annual familiarisation trips for Indian wedding planners.
As well as conducting sales meetings and presentations with wedding planners, Al Hajry explained, "We also [...] attend events associated with destinations weddings where we can promote Oman directly to consumers."
Even though the endeavours of Oman are beginning to bear fruit, demonstrated with the rise in Indian weddings, including a high-profile Bollywood industry packed event, the vast majority of ceremonies continue to be Omanis, described Rami Farhat, director, sales and marketing, Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
