News Desk
DUBAI: Emirates has now opened its world-class Centre of Hospitality Excellence in Dubai to UAE brands and businesses seeking to elevate hospitality culture and upskill their teams. An array of tailored and bespoke courses with interactive team-building sessions are now available to UAE companies and can be booked by contacting the dedicated email address*.
Located within the Emirates Crew Training Centre, the USD 8 million Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers a premium learning environment inspired by the airline’s globally recognised hospitality philosophy. The purpose-built space features a restaurant and lounge accommodating up to 170 guests, elegant presentation kitchens, and eight technology-enabled classrooms designed to deliver immersive hospitality training experiences. Modelled on the standards that shape Emirates’ award-winning inflight customer experience, the Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers organisations the opportunity to learn directly from the airline’s expertise in delivering refined, personalised hospitality at scale.
The centre delivers programmes inspired by Michelin-star hospitality principles, covering fine dining protocols, guest engagement, service etiquette and leadership in customer experience. Since launching its external programmes, the centre has already welcomed a range of organisations including government entities, leading universities and major regional companies seeking to strengthen hospitality culture across their teams.
Divisional Senior Vice President Service Delivery, Emirates, Thomas Ney said;
‘Delivering exceptional hospitality requires more than technical training, it demands a deep understanding of people, culture and service excellence. At Emirates, we have spent decades refining our approach to hospitality through continuous learning and innovation, delivered to millions of global customers. By opening the Centre of Hospitality Excellence to organisations across the UAE, we are proud to share this expertise and help inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals.’
Hospitality training programmes available for UAE businesses
A range of immersive workshops and experiences can be tailored to individual organisation’s needs and arranged over 1-5 days of training – designed to strengthen hospitality culture and enhance customer experience. Organisations can select modules and workshops that are the most relevant to their training objectives. Topics include:
Hospitality Excellence – A tailored workshop designed to introduce Emirates’ House of Hospitality while addressing each organisation’s unique development needs. The programme begins with a training gap analysis and incorporates interactive exercises, case studies and practical activities to create an engaging learning environment.
7-Star Dining Experience – Focused on the art of refined dining, this programme explores table settings, etiquette, presentation and guest interaction. Participants develop a deeper understanding of how attention to detail and anticipation of guest needs contribute to exceptional hospitality.
L’Art du Vin – Delivered by WSET Level 3-certified wine trainers, this programme builds on Emirates’ successful wine education training for cabin crew. Participants explore wine theory, tasting techniques and food pairing, with optional guided tasting experiences designed to deepen practical understanding.
Gastronomy – Led by a team of chefs with experience spanning global kitchens, this hands-on workshop introduces participants to advanced culinary techniques, flavour profiling and plating artistry while exploring the philosophy behind world-class gastronomy.
Team-building experiences – Designed on a bespoke basis, Emirates Centre of Hospitality Excellence creates interactive challenges and culinary activities designed to encourage collaboration, strengthen communication and build strong team dynamics.
Leadership at Emirates – Conference and thought leadership sessions are available featuring Emirates executives who share insights into the airline’s global operations, leadership approach and service strategy.
Behind-the-scenes tours – Participants gain access to Emirates’ advanced training facilities, including aircraft simulators and culinary training hubs, offering a rare look at how world-class hospitality is delivered at scale. Tours/Experiences can also be enhanced with catering experiences, as well as professional photography and videography.
Bespoke hospitality programmes – In addition to structured workshops, the Centre of Hospitality Excellence offers customised learning experiences designed to meet the specific objectives of organisations. These bespoke programmes combine training sessions, culinary demonstrations, leadership discussions, interactive service challenges, learner assessments and immersive dining experiences to create comprehensive learning journeys tailored to each organisation’s operational environment.
Emirates’ investment in world-class hospitality and training
The Centre of Hospitality Excellence forms part of Emirates’ continued investment in service innovation and hospitality training. In 2020, Emirates partnered with one of the world’s leading hospitality management schools, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland to develop an elevated hospitality strategy for the airline. The collaboration helped shape Emirates’ customer experience philosophy, which is built around four pillars: excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion.
Today, the Centre of Hospitality Excellence stands as a flagship embodiment of this strategy, helping to inspire both Emirates employees and external organisations to deliver exceptional hospitality experiences. The facility is also an integral part of Emirates’ cabin crew training ecosystem. Emirates currently employs 25,000+ cabin crew recruited from more than 140 nationalities and speaking over 70 languages.
All Emirates’ cabin crew undergo training at the Emirates Crew Training Centre in Dubai, completing an intensive eight-week programme covering safety and emergency procedures, aviation security, medical training, hospitality, service delivery and image & uniform standards. Training combines classroom learning with practical simulations, including full-motion aircraft simulators representing Emirates’ fleet. Throughout their careers, cabin crew continue to receive intensive training as they are promoted through cabins and into leadership roles.
Within the Centre of Hospitality Excellence, cabin crew also participate in immersive dining sessions where they experience service from the guest perspective. During these sessions, crew enjoy a curated four-course gastronomy lunch prepared by Emirates’ master chefs and featuring some of the airline’s most celebrated First and Business Class dishes. The experience allows them to observe best-practice service delivered by Emirates’ training team while deepening their understanding of guest expectations. The centre’s Culinary Hub also features a purpose-built training kitchen designed as a fusion between a professional restaurant kitchen and an aircraft galley, where cabin crew learn the art of plating from experienced chef trainers, mastering the balance of colour, texture and presentation. In addition, the centre hosts wine tastings and specialist sessions led by expert sommeliers and wine trainers as part of Emirates’ L’Art du Vin learning programme. Launched in 2024, the programme offers three progressive levels of wine education for cabin crew, allowing them to explore the airline’s onboard wine selection while learning about the heritage of each vintage and the art of food pairing.
More than a training facility, the Centre of Hospitality Excellence reflects Emirates’ belief that exceptional hospitality is not simply a skillset, but a mindset. While the centre plays a critical role in preparing and developing Emirates’ cabin crew, it has also been designed to share the principles, behaviours and standards that have helped shape the Emirates customer experience. By opening its doors to organisations across the UAE, Emirates hopes to inspire a culture of hospitality excellence that enhances customer experiences across industries and contributes to the UAE’s reputation as a global leader in hospitality.
