Happy Friday!
As it’s just over a month until we’ll be in Dubai, we’ve got a few important things to update you on, so please do take some time to read all the info below.
Upcoming briefing sessions
We will be holding two mandatory pre-departure sessions next week:
Cultural Fluency Session – Wednesday 1 March, 13:00–14:00
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) is a non-profit organisation which promotes awareness of Emirati culture, customs, traditions and religion among expatriates and foreign visitors in the United Arab Emirates, as well as aiming to remove cultural barriers.
They have kindly agreed to run a cultural fluency session for attendees of the upcoming Dubai Global Immersion, to allow you to become more accustomed with the culture and ask any questions you may have.
This will be an online session, Zoom details will be shared early next week.
Please RSVP for this session here
Pre-Trip Briefing – Thursday 2 March, 15:30–17:00
We are holding a pre-trip briefing next Thursday 2 March at 3.30pm in LG19A. During the briefing we will be sharing important information about the delivery and logistics of the trip. This will be a good opportunity to ask questions with the team in preparation for travel. Please be sure to attend. Please see the details below.
Location: LG19A (South Kensington campus)
Zoom link: https://imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/91574404563?pwd=RFJlZjcxWU1xaW5DdDJ3aGlKQTJXdz09
Meeting ID: 915 7440 4563
Passcode: Elective1!
Visa information
We are now within the window to process visa applications so please start to do this as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
There are various sources you can use to find out whether you need a visa to enter the United Arab Emirates. One source we have found is https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/before-you-fly/visa-passport-information/uae-visa-information/ to look at UAE visa requirements for different nationalities.
If you do wish to take advantage of the visa assistance service offered by our travel providers, please email gemma@legacy-ventures.com with a colour copy of your passport and a headshot against a white backdrop (any size). The cost of this service is £92.43 and the application will be processed upon receipt of payment.
Requesting extra nights at the hotel
If you would like to request extra nights at the hotel before or after the trip and you haven't already heard from us, please contact emma.davies1@imperial.ac.uk directly via email no later than midday on Monday 27 February, detailing exactly which dates you require. If you miss this deadline, you may need to arrange any further nights yourself.
The cost per night for an extra night in a single occupancy room is $135 (£121.62).
Student hosts
We are looking for students to act as IB hosts during our company visits and for panel sessions. This is a great opportunity to grow your network by creating connections and visibility with senior executives in UAE. As student host:
- We expect you to be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for the session
- Arrive to the venue promptly to greet our local speaker(s), thank them for hosting us at their facilities/taking the time to speak to us, and introduce yourself as an IB ambassador
- Introduce the speaker(s) and company to the cohort (we will provide bios)
- Kick off the Q&A session with some of your own pre-prepared questions and facilitate the Q&A with the wider group.
- Provide the speaker with our IB branded thank you gift (we will provide this)
If this is of interest to you, please get in touch via ibglobalexperiences@imperial.ac.uk indicating your interests and we will get back to you. Once we can confirm exactly which companies we will visit, we’ll do our best to match these with the interests you have indicated.
In country currency
You will want to consider how to access in-country currency whilst in Dubai. Major credit cards are accepted in most places but you may wish to have cash on hand for taxis and smaller vendors. Monzo, Wise and some other operators have lower transaction cost options to pay for items or get cash out locally.
Communication channels
We will be using IB Connect for all communications leading up to and during the trip. We strongly recommend downloading the IB Connect app now to familiarise yourself with the platform ahead of travel (Apple store / Google Play). Please also be sure to turn on notifications for the IB Connect app to ensure you’re staying up to date!
We look forward to seeing lots of you at the sessions next week, in the meantime have a lovely weekend!