20 students get selected for DSS Apprenticeship Program

The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and organizer of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), has announced the names of the 20 regional and international students, who have emerged as the winners of the 10th anniversary global edition of the multi award-winning DSS Apprenticeship Program.
Rasheed Al-Otibi from King Saud University will represent the Kingdom in the landmark edition of the longest running destination-marketing internship program.
The 2015 edition will see first-time participants India, Russia and China joining the program’s roster of regional markets, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Yemen, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Bahrain and Egypt in addition to the UAE.
Over 100 universities from across 20 markets were invited to nominate their top students to participate in the educational initiative named the Best Educational Program in the World in 2014 by the International Festivals & Events Association.
Organized in collaboration with the program’s partner — The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) — the internship will take place from Aug. 3 to 16.
The screening process for the internship began with each participating university nominating its top six senior students from marketing, business administration, travel and tourism, event management and finance streams.
In his winning essay, Rasheed Al-Otibi said: “To attract tourists, I suggest that we collaborate with travel agencies in various cities, asking them to create affordable tour packages tailor-made for DSS.”
A jury comprising senior DFRE executives and other marketing professionals evaluated the submitted applications on the basis of the criterions set out by DFRE.
Laila Suhail, CEO of DFRE, said: “We congratulate Rasheed for being chosen to participate in the landmark edition of the DSS Apprenticeship Program. His ideas for promoting DSS in Saudi Arabia are remarkable.”