Golden Chariot Awards celebrate Dubai’s growing trade links with Russia

The Dubai chapter of the Russian Business Council this week brought the prestigious Russian Golden Chariot Awards to the city to celebrate the growing trade links with the UAE, including the first direct flight to St Petersburg by Emirates Airline this year.

The event was quite a coup for the RBC which was only formed two years ago under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to represent the business interests of Russian companies doing business in Dubai, the regional trading hub.

Emirates award

Not surprisingly Emirates Airline won a golden chariot with president Gary Chapman there to pick up the award. The arrival of Emirates in any city is always an important event as trade and commercial relationships tend to blossom and the two-way publicity is tremendous.

Low-cost rival flydubai also received a chariot in recognition for its expanding network into Russia with CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith in attendance. Its less glamorous destinations nonetheless open up new trade routes and probably serve more people.

Russian tourists are increasingly important to Dubai hotels where they frequently rank second only to the UK in terms of numbers and far higher in terms of per capita expenditure. But the Golden Chariot awards are really about logistics.

Jebel Ali Free Zone

Economic Zones World, the holding company for the Dubai ports including the Jebel Ali Free Zone was therefore honoured. JAFZA is the biggest port in the Middle East and indespensable for any substantial trading operation here. Chrysler Group was also honoured for outstanding development of supply chain operations.

Normally the chariot awards ceremony is broadcast in a glitzy television show from the Kremlin. The Dubai event had to be content with the JLT Dance Studios and the guitar duet Alma in a rather less showbusiness setting.

Still it is a sign of the times and the rise of the BRIC countries that the Golden Chariots Awards have travelled as far as Dubai.