The NCEMA and Ras Al Khaimah PMD join RAKTDA ongoing efforts to ensure the health and safety of hospitality sector employees

• Part of the ongoing enhanced safety measures implemented by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) across the Tourism and Hospitality sectors
• Emirate certified as safe by Bureau Veritas and has received the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)

Ras Al Khaimah:  Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has partnered with the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and Ras Al Khaimah Preventive Medicine Department (PMD), in its ongoing programme to provide hospitality sector employees in the Emirate with free COVID-19 PCR testing. This partnership complements the Authority’s existing efforts in implementing the highest safety and precautionary measures as restrictions on domestic and international tourism are eased, and inbound visitation to Ras Al Khaimah continues to rise.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has been overseeing regular COVID-19 screenings for hospitality staff at the Emirate’s hotels, and through this partnership with NCEMA and the PMD, further free testing will be provided to ensure the safety of guests and employees alike.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority comments, “Our industry has been resilient in the face of challenging times, and we have unveiled a series of strategies, from the Tourism Support Initiatives to earning recognition as the first safe city worldwide and the first safe Emirate to be certified by Bureau Veritas and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), respectively.  These measures ensure that our sector partners can continue to operate successfully as we enter the ‘new normal’. Ongoing testing for hospitality staff is an important step in our efforts to reaffirm to our visitors that the Emirate has taken and continues to take extensive measures to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of guests and residents.

“We would like to thank the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, Ras Al Khaimah Medical District, Emirates Red Crescent – Ras Al Khaimah, and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Authority – RAKEZ for their continuous support and offering further free COVID-19 screenings for hospitality sector employees. Together we can mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic and come out of this situation stronger than before,”  Phillips added.

Mahra Mohammad Bin Sray, Logistics Support and Field Examination Officer at Ras Al Khaimah Medical District said: “Conducting regular COVID-19 tests is a mandatory procedure to flatten the curve and control the number of cases nation-wide. With visitors returning to Ras Al Khaimah, we must ensure that all individuals working in the hospitality sectors are regularly tested and abide by the necessary precautionary measures.  Being able to conduct these tests wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority who facilitated a smooth communication with its hotel partners. The cooperation we have witnessed from the hospitality sector has also been highly admirable”.

Hospitality staff testing is conducted to align with global best practices and enhance the safety measures in place across the 45 hotels in the Emirate, as part of RAKTDA’s ‘Stay Safe’ Hotel Certification. Strict adherence is maintained with federal directives, guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation as well as the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the recommendations of internally recognised third party certification providers. This has resulted in the Emirate being certified as safe by Bureau Veritas, as well as its achievement of the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

-Ends-

About Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the northernmost of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is known for its rich history, dating back 7,000 years, and diverse landscape, from 64km of pristine beaches, to terracotta deserts and an imposing mountain backdrop. The Emirate is home to the highest peak in the UAE, Jebel Jais, standing at 1,934 meters and featuring the world’s longest zip line, at almost 3km.

Ras Al Khaimah is also centrally located at the modern crossroad between Europe, Asia and Africa, with one third of the world’s population within four hour’s flying time, making it an ideal location for businesses to expand into the UAE, the Middle East and Africa and beyond. Indeed, the World Bank’s Doing Business report ranks Ras Al Khaimah 30^th out of 190 economies for ease of doing business.

At the Emirate's economic heart lies multiple major companies and diverse sectoral interests, including manufacturing and tourism. Major companies include: RAK Ceramics, RAKBANK, Julphar Pharmaceuticals, RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock, RAK Economic Zone, RAK Gas. Supporting these industries is a modern infrastructure, state-of-the-art industrial areas and business parks and world-class hotels, facilities and attractions for tourists.

For the past decade, Ras Al Khaimah has been consistently rated ‘A’ by international rating agencies (Fitch and Standard & Poor’s) and already the Emirate is home to more than 38,000 businesses from 100 countries representing over 50 industries.

Ras Al Khaimah Government adopts an institutional approach to governance and business procedures and it is committed to reducing red tape and improving the ease of doing business. RAK Courts is a prime example of this as it is the fastest court in the world at enforcing contracts in commercial disputes.

Ras Al Khaimah is also a cultural melting pot with a growing population, currently at about 375,000, 31% of which is local Emirati. It is considered an extremely safe place to live, consistently ranked highly in global surveys.

With year-round sunshine, straightforward business set-up and a competitive and affordable cost of living, Ras Al Khaimah is the informed choice for business, lifestyle and travel.

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About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA)

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) was established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. In order to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021, and 3 million visitors by 2025, the Ras Al Khaimah TDA aims to develop the Emirate’s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. In order to achieve its goals, the Ras Al Khaimah TDA has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality industry.

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 78,000 employees located in more than 1,500 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas has been present in the Middle East for more than 50 years and currently has more than 4,000 employees across the region in more than 50 offices and laboratories located in 18 countries.

For more information, visit https://middle-east.bureauveritas.com , and follow us on LinkedIn.

For further information, please contact:
Asda’a BCW
+971 (4) 4507600
RAK@bcw-global.com 

Alka Winter
Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications
alka@raktda.com 

© Press Release 2020