New Dubai Chamber website is customer-oriented

In line with its ongoing commitment to provide best services to its members and to facilitate the ease of doing business in the emirate, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently unveiled its newly-redesigned website (www.dubaichamber.com), which is customer oriented and caters to the changing trends in website technology in light of the phenomenal rise of social media.

With its aim of providing up-to-date information to the business community, the new website has an effective sitemap as well as a simplified navigation structure that reduces the number of clicks from 4 to 2 to get to the required information. It has been optimised to load at least 50% faster than the previous website and is a high-tech interactive platform for the Chamber’s stakeholders.

H.E. Hamad Buamim, Director General, Dubai Chamber, stated that the new website serves as a perfect electronic partner for businessmen and investors wishing to set up base in the emirate, or even to use Dubai as a window to the greater GCC market.

He further said that the new website mirrors Dubai Chamber’s efforts to offer the best international standard services as it is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and packed with regular updates of all business-related information and procedures, so that you always know what your next step needs to be.

Buamim added, “Today, the internet offers a wider outreach, ample space and time to allow browsers to access unlimited information and to reach out to clients and businesses all over the world through website conferences and talk sessions. The advancement in technology has enriched Dubai’s business environment which the investors find quite rewarding.

The world around us is changing fast and we have to keep pace with the changing times and as per the recommendations of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minster and Ruler of Dubai, you have to create your own future and not wait for it, thus we strived for a new website which will contribute to the growth of the business community in Dubai while making the emirate one of the most competitive business destinations in the world,” said Buamim.

He informed that the new website is an effective tool in supporting the growth of business in the emirate as the website’s re-launch comes directly under the strategic objectives of Dubai Chamber in creating a favourable business environment while promoting the emirate as an international business hub.

Dubai Chamber carried out a total of 747,938 e-transactions in 2012 compared to 698,067 of 2011 with a growth rate of 7.6%, thus reflecting the demand for the e-services which the Chamber provides to its members and stakeholders.

With the website’s advanced features, the average browser time is now eight minutes which is double the time spent by the visitors thus indicating a 100% growth rate on the new site.

The bilingual website in Arabic and English offers easy access to Dubai Chamber services, initiatives, events and its virtual library, the departments of economic research, IT and media that has latest news releases and photographs of Chamber events.

The new website also offers a range of electronic services including registration of new membership and modification of existing membership, registration and amendments to the certificates of origin, applying for ATA Carnets, verification of signatures as well as browsing of the Dubai Commercial Directory.

Browsers can also check the events calendar or subscribe to keep themselves informed of all related events and participate in them by registering and paying the enrollment fees online.

The website also hosts the Chamber TV, which is a first-of-its-kind Online Video Channel in the Gulf region, that showcases Chamber-related news, members’ corporate videos and profiles as well as short interviews and business related news and events.