Emirates has opened its Centre of Hospitality Excellence in Dubai to UAE brands and businesses that want to improve their hospitality culture and train their staff, the airline said in a press release.

The USD 8 million centre is inside the Emirates Crew Training Centre. It has a restaurant and lounge for up to 170 guests, presentation kitchens, and eight technology-enabled classrooms, according to the release.

Emirates said the programmes draw on Michelin-star hospitality principles and cover fine dining protocols, guest engagement, service etiquette and leadership in customer experience. Since launching its external programmes, the centre has hosted government entities, leading universities and major regional companies, the airline said.

Courses can be tailored and run for one to five days. They include a hospitality workshop that begins with a training gap analysis, a “7-Star Dining Experience” course, a wine programme led by WSET Level 3-certified trainers, and a hands-on gastronomy workshop with chefs. The centre also offers team-building activities, leadership sessions with Emirates executives, behind-the-scenes tours that include aircraft simulators, and fully customised programmes.

Thomas Ney, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President for Service Delivery, said that by opening the centre to UAE organisations, the airline is proud to “share this expertise and help inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals.”

The release said the centre is also part of Emirates’ cabin crew training. The airline employs more than 25,000 cabin crew from over 140 nationalities, and all of them complete an eight-week programme at the Dubai training centre. Emirates said it also runs an “L’Art du Vin” wine education programme for crew, which was launched in 2024 and offers three progressive levels.

The release said the centre stems from Emirates’ 2020 partnership with the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland on its hospitality strategy, which is built on four pillars: excellence, attentiveness, innovation and passion.

Businesses can send enquiries to HospitalityTraining@emirates.com.