The Abu Dhabi Industry Development Committee for the hospitality sector has been expanded and reorganised for the 2012/2013 season, with the committee now comprising 15 private sector members.

The IDC, chaired by our tourism standards director Nasser Al Reyami, meets monthly to identify sector challenges and opportunities and jointly forge solutions to stimulate progress.

The committee made significant progress on a number of issues last year and some members have now stepped down to make way for new representation as the sector has undergone significant expansion over the past 12 months.

At the next monthly meeting members will vote for a vice chairman - a newly-established position - which will be the first step in what we hope will be the long-term evolution of the IDC into a sector-wide industry association.

At the last meeting members reviewed a number of issues, including collaboration on marketing campaigns.

Members were also briefed by Abu Dhabi Sports Council on its Falcon Festival event to stimulate promotion of it by local hoteliers, while Aldar presented a brief on its Yas Mall project, due to open in quarter one of 2014.