Dubai: Salah Tahlak has been executive vice-president of Corporate Services at Dubai Duty Free since September 2016. Having joined Dubai Duty Free in 1992, Tahlak served has also served as senior vice-president of the Communications Division [from July 2011 till June 2016]. Tahlak wears a second hat — that of being Tournament Director of the annual Dubai Tennis Championships — and his presence has been of great importance in the tournament continuously picking up several awards from both the governing bodies of tennis — the WTA and the ATP.
In December 2014, Tahlak was elected to the 12-member WTA Global Tournament Council Board and having also been a member of the ATP Global Tournament Council since 2010, making him the first Arab to be a member of both male and female tournament councils.
Owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, this year’s tournament has an attractive field that includes some of the top players in the women’s tournament alone. In a casual chat with Gulf News, Tahlak relates how the event has maintained its standard attracting a field akin to a Grand Slam over the years.
GULF NEWS: The success story of tennis in Dubai and the UAE has long been documented. If you look at the bigger picture what can we learn?
SALAH TAHLAK: In the first place, we have to thank the governing bodies of tennis like the WTA and ATP, not just for their support over the years but also for the role they have played in guiding us in hosting two of the most successful tournaments for the women and men. As owners and organisers we’ve always had a great understanding with them and that, in turn, has gone a long way in contributing to our success as the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Q. Do you think that the Dubai Tennis Championships have achieved the goal for which it was first organised?
A. Certainly. There can be no doubt we’ve more than made up for what we have invested for this event. Our primary aim was to give Dubai an international identity through the use of tennis, and today, everyone is aware of Dubai’s association with sport. Our biggest ambassadors have been the players, starting off with the men way back when we got going in 1993 till the women’s competition also found its place in 2001.
Q. It’s excitement time again with the women kicking off the championships from next week. What can fans in the UAE look forward to this time?
A. We start off on February 19, and I think the women’s field is possibly among the strongest we’ve been able to assemble so far since we started. Also, for the first time in 12 years, we were expecting the return of Maria Sharapova. But with her injury we have lost one of our main ambassadors. Her presence has always been a huge thing for our tournament due to her on and off court presence. We’ve been lucky this time as there are fewer injuries among the women players compared to the men, and that’s the reason why we’ve attracted four of the top ten and six of the top-20 players. This is already such a classy field. Add to this the fact that we have five former and current world No. 1s playing in the first week alone, and we can expect a huge turnout for the tournament.
Q. What is the novelty experience for fans this year?
A. The first week of the Dubai Tennis Championships is important to us in more ways than one. For one, this is when the minor glitches appear, if at all there are any. So we try and stay as prepared as possible to handle even the most insignificant issue that may arise. For us it is always ladies first, so we try our best to give them the best possible experience out of the tournament. We hope to hit the ground running with the women’s tournament and then we try to continue the momentum with the men’s competition. Generally, from past experiences there are less hassles with men simply because if at all there are minor niggles we try and sort these out during the women’s week itself. But, that said, we are always fine-tuning our efforts to give all players the best Dubai experience while giving fans the best of tennis. One of the ways we achieve this goal is by looking innovative means to do something different each year.
Q. What is the new dimension on hosting the women’s event before the men’s?
A. At Dubai Duty Free we try and keep up with the times. With this in mind, we have found a unique manner in marking the ‘Year of Zayed’ during the course of the tournament. There will be a special emphasis on empowerment of women, and that is one of the reasons why we have been deliberate in having a much bigger women’s competition. This year, our women’s tournament will have a draw of 32 players and someone like world No. 2 Simona Halep has been given a wild card. It is a good feeling having her back with us and in fact, we are debating of having her [Halep] as one of our new brand ambassadors for Dubai Duty Free along with Caroline Wozniacki and China’s Zhang Shuai.
Q. What are the other things fans can expect this year?
A. We will have the spider-cam on centre court while the engagement of fans through social media will be on a bigger scale through several new campaigns. In addition to the existing sponsors who have given us stability through the years, we have managed to attract a new one in Moet & Chandon from this year. Several new features have also been introduced to ensure safety standards are much better. Besides this, we have installed four dedicated seats for wheelchair fans in front of the Media Centre. From this year, Court No. 1 will also have Hawk-Eye Technology. Also, this year’s campaign of the tournament is bigger, brighter and has a more positive vibe. There will be two LED screens for fans to watch the matches outside. Perhaps, the biggest addition is that ticket prices have been reduced between 30 to 40 per cent for the women’s week in order to encourage fans to come and attend quality matches. We want women and families to come and enjoy the high level tennis.
