epa02231813 Emirati officials are seen at the underconstruction of passenger terminal of Al Maktoum Airport during a media tour of Dubai's newly inaugurated and biggest airport, Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International, in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 01 July 2010. When completed, Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International will be the largest airport in the world with five runways, four terminal buildings and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo. EPA/Sonza Gabriel
The new Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International airport has awarded a French company exclusive rights to sell advertising.

Business

Dubai's new international airport picks French partner

The new Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC) airport has awarded a French company exclusive rights to sell advertising at the new transport hub, it said today.

Ben Flanagan

13 December, 2010

The outdoor advertising company JCDecaux has won a 10-year contract to sell advertising at the new Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC) airport.

The French company, which is listed on the Euronext Paris exchange, will have exclusive rights to sell advertising at the new transport hub, it said in a statement issued today.

When fully operational, DWC will be the world's largest airport, with an expected passenger capacity of up to 160 million people a year. It will feature five runways and up to four terminal buildings.

JCDecaux already holds the rights to sell advertising at the Dubai International Airport and Sharjah airport. In August, the firm said that it has signed a five-year advertising deal with HSBC for advertising at the two airports. The bank said the deal marked its "largest single media investment in the region".

In October, JCDecaux said its subsidiary JCDecaux ATA has entered into a 10-year contract for the exclusive advertising concession covering all 26 airports in Saudi Arabia.

The DWC contract was won by the firm's subsidiary JCDecaux Dicon.

"We are pleased to extend the partnership with JCDecaux Dicon to DWC," said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, in a statement.

DWC opened for cargo operations earlier this year, with passenger operations originally slated to commence in March 2011.

But Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said earlier this month that the launch of the passenger services may be pushed back. "At the moment, we are reviewing the opening date and it looks as if it'll be later in the year," Mr Griffiths told Reuters.

bflanagan@thenational.ae

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.