Association congresses have been called the "holy grail" of the meetings industry - and tourism agencies all over the world work diligently to book them.
These events bring together thousands of professionals to discuss issues in their industries - and they generate revenue for host cities.
At the moment, Abu Dhabi and Dubai mainly compete against each other for events such as the World Diabetes Congress, which was held in Dubai last year, and the World Ophthalmology Congress, which took place last month in Abu Dhabi.
But the race to host congresses is heating up throughout the Gulf. A large convention centre opened in Qatar late last year, and Oman's offering is due to be completed in 2015.
"We're now having major convention facilities in these destinations for the first time," says Rob Nicholas, the managing director of Nicholas Publishing International in Dubai.
The company produces a range of business industry magazines.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai have good air links and world-class conference centres, so how do they best set themselves apart from others in the region - and compete against each other?
"I know from talking to the guy who organises the Diabetes Congress, he was saying that one of the key things that made them choose Dubai was the availability of public transport - the Metro," says Mr Nicholas.
Abu Dhabi does not have such an extensive public transport network, so deciding to provide a special bus service for those attending the recent ophthalmology event was smart, Mr Nicholas says.
Another positive point for Dubai is the mix of accommodation on offer. The emirate used to be dominated by luxury hotel chains, which made it harder to bring in tiered conferences.
But now there are serviced apartments, five-star hotels and everything in between.
"That's not necessarily the case in places like Qatar," says Mr Nicholas.
Abu Dhabi still has a larger proportion of five-star hotels than Dubai, but the rates tend to be lower than in its northern neighbour.
"If I was an Abu Dhabi hotel at the moment, I would be thinking 'great, the rates are so much less and we have the occupancy to fill - so let's go and target business that would ordinarily go to Dubai'," says Mr Nicholas.
So far, Abu Dhabi has correctly focused on niche tourism, whether it is related to sports, culture or business, experts say.
"They're looking at bringing quality tourism to the capital, not mass tourism," says Mr Nicholas.
"That's basically the danger for Abu Dhabi at the moment," he says. "And I think it is why it needs to focus even more on business tourism" - which is where, he notes, the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) comes in.
The expo, which will be held this month in Abu Dhabi, provides a platform for sellers to illustrate opportunities in the region.
A key aim of this year's show is raising awareness among potential attendees, because many people here do not recognise that they are part of the industry, says Lois Hall, the exhibition manager of GIBTM.
In other parts of the world, professionals have job titles such as "event planner" and "congress manager", but such titles are uncommon here.
"It's really difficult to educate these people and bring them into our community if they don't realise they're in it, which is why at GIBTM our education programme is very much targeted towards that," says Ms Hall. "You can't grow something if the people don't realise they're involved in it."
gduncan@thenational.ae
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
AIR
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Affleck%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMatt%20Damon%2C%20Jason%20Bateman%2C%20Ben%20Affleck%2C%20Viola%20Davis%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded