MENALAC Awards honour the best in MENA leisure & entertainment industry

The Middle East & North Africa Leisure and Attraction Council (MENALAC) – the trade association for the Middle East and North African leisure market – honoured industry players at the Leisure, Entertainment & Attractions awards on March 26, 2019 at the Ritz Carlton DIFC, Dubai.

The awards honoured excellence across 21 categories in the MENA leisure and attraction industry. The winners include the following:

• Best Theme Park – Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
• Best FEC – Fun City, Pakistan
• Best Waterpark – Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi
• Best Unique Visitor Attraction – Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
• Best Edutainment / Playscape – KidZania Dubai
• Best Sport / Adventure-based Entertainment – Jumble
• Best New Leisure / Entertainment concept – Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
• Best Sales and Marketing Campaign – Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
• Best CSR Programme – Ataa Al Hokair Group
• Best Employees’ Engagement Initiative – Landmark Leisure
• Best Customer Loyalty Programme – Play Membership, Landmark Leisure
• Best Innovation in Health and Safety – Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment and Cinemas
• Best Establishment Manager; below 250,000 visitor / transaction – Swaraj Pradham – Fun Ville Ezdan Mall, Wakra, Qatar
• Best Establishment Manager; above 250,000 visitor / transaction – Taleb Madah – Safforiland Hasaa, KSA
• Leisure and Entertainment Personality of the year – Mishal Al Hokair, Al Hokair Group
• MENALAC Hall of Fame – Late Mohammed Salem Al-Mashad, erstwhile COO, Al Othaim Leisure & Tourism Co.

This year, the highly coveted awards celebrating path breaking achievements in the leisure and attraction sector, covered all facets of the entertainment industry including cinemas and manufacturers with introduction of new award categories. These include:

• Best Cinema Experience – VOX Cinemas
• Best Day Out – Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
• Most Innovative New Product/ Installation/ Show/ Production Etc (For Any Indoor L&E Establishment) – Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
• Most Innovative New Product/ Installation/ Show/Production Etc. (For Any Outdoor L&E Establishment) – WaveOz Laguna Park – WhiteWater
• Most Innovative Application of Technology – iFly Dubai VR

Commenting on the awards, Prakash Vivekanand, MENALAC secretary general, said “We received over 100 entries and it is amazing to see some great names emerging as winners. The Middle East market is very competitive and as tourism is soaring high in these countries, the demand for amusement and leisure centres is on the rise. With such a high demand, we have to be able to provide nothing but the best in our amusement and leisure offerings in the region. The 2nd MENALAC Awards recognised and celebrated the innovativeness and uniqueness that is added with each new attraction. The esteemed awards acknowledge and reward exceptional achievements and initiatives of top centres as well as individuals setting a benchmark against global leisure and entertainment hubs simultaneously adding value to the operating standards in our region.”