Dubai picks JCDecaux for airport ads deal

Dubai Airports has announced that JCDecaux Dicon, Europe's largest out-of-home advertising company, has been awarded the exclusive contract for Concourse 3 in Dubai International Airport. The advertising deal extends its partnership with Dubai Airports to 2020, a statement said. Scheduled for completion at the end of 2012 and due to open in the first quarter of 2013, Concourse 3 will comprise 11 floors and an annual capacity of 19 million passengers, boosting the airport's total capacity to 75 million passengers each year. Designed for the exclusive use of Emirates Airline, it will become the world's first Airbus purpose-built A380 concourse. Taking up a total built-up area of 528,000sqm, Concourse 3 will feature 33 aircraft access points (20 of which will be jetbridge contact gates), two luxury hotels and 11,000 sqm of retail space. Eugene Barry, SVP commercial of Dubai Airports, said: "The advertising environment in Concourse 3 is key part of this major project to ensure a stimulating airport environment. "It also plays a vital role in boosting non-aeronautical revenues to fund further airport development. "JCDecaux Dicon has fully demonstrated its capability at Dubai International to deliver powerful advertising solutions for the world's leading brands, and we are pleased to extend our commercial partnership to the new concourse." Jean-Charles Decaux, chairman of the board and co-CEO of JCDecaux, added: "We are delighted to be selected again by Dubai Airports one and a half years after we were awarded the advertising contract for Dubai World Central. "This new contract underlines the success of our existing partnership... We will continue to offer high quality and innovative media solutions and services to the advertising market, hence benefiting the airport and its passengers." By / Arabian Business