Thumbs up from Liew (middle) and others. From left: Mubarak, Gopinath, Gomes, Lai, Noredah, and Rosmawati.
ABU DHABI: The question posed by delegates – Where is Sabah – was put to rest at the 63rd ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) World Congress here Tuesday.
Sabah with its tourism tagline “Feel Sabah, North Borneo” was featured prominently at the ICCA Challenge Night held at the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
The dazzling event was presented by the Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB) under the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS).
Its Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew, who led the Sabah delegation, was given the honour to speak about Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia to more than 1500 delegates from 78 countries.
She was welcomed on arrival by the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau Director Mubarak Al Shamisi, ICCA President Marta Gomes and ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath.
Enlightening delegates who have never heard of Sabah or Malaysia, Liew said geographically, Sabah is located in the northern part of Borneo and is a part of Malaysia.
The Minister highlighted Sabah⁰ as an ideal destination for hosting MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Exhibition) events or Business Events (BE).
On top of that, a two-minute video presentation by SCB showcased Sabah’s natural beauty, world-class dive sites, rich cultural heritage and other attractions.
“While you have the world’s largest indoor theme park in Abu Dhabi, we in Sabah are endowed with a natural theme park – our million years old tropical rainforest,” said Liew.
She invited the delegates to visit Sabah, saying “Come and feel the splendour, discover the wonders of Sabah, and experience our uniqueness.”
“We look forward to welcoming you to the Land Below The Wind,” she added.
Accompanying the Minister were KePKAS Permanent Secretary Josie Lai, SCB CEO Noredah Othman and Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) CEO Datuk Rosmawati Lasuki.
Today, ICCA is one of the most prominent organisations in the world of international meetings.
Founded in 1963, it specialises in international association and governmental meetings, offering education, connections, business development and networking opportunities.
