In 2023, Chabé opened a new branch in Dubai, a city known the world over for its exceptional tourist destinations and unique real estate projects.
As the hub of the Middle East, Dubai has quickly established itself as the Group’s preferred location. The local market, focused on standardised transport, coexists with the continuing development of luxury hotels.
Chabé Dubai is headed up by Laurent Euzet, who previously headed up the Cannes office and helped launch several of the Group’s other offices, notably in Monaco and the Alps.
In this interview, find out more about the family firm’s latest agency, based in the City of Gold.
At the end of 2022, the Chabé Group took the strategic decision to set up in Dubai to offer a bespoke, differentiated and responsible chauffeur transport service across the country and the Gulf. Can you tell us what happened next?
In its quest for internationalisation, Chabé took the strategic decision, at the end of 2022, to enter the Dubai market. The project came about with the acquisition of TLT Limo, a local chauffeured car transport company renowned for the quality of its services and sharing the same values of excellence as the Group. This acquisition has enabled us to develop our relationships with a number of well-known hotels, but also to maintain our high standards of service to our clients.
In addition to what we already had, we brought our French expertise and our technological innovations, such as telematics.
Developing in a new country also means immersing yourself in a new culture, new laws and so on. So we had to adapt. Companies and events in this region are not used to outsourcing their transport needs. As a result, we had to do a lot of work to establish relationships of trust with our potential clients and convince them of the advantages of working through Chabé.
What services do you provide in Dubai?
Whether in France or Dubai, we offer a complete range of bespoke chauffeured transport services. From simple transfers to the coordination of transport for complex events, our focus is on service excellence and client satisfaction.
The dedicated chauffeur service is designed specifically to meet the needs of hotel guests. At any time, a guest may wish to travel to a museum, a shopping trip or a party. Thanks to our vehicles, which are available in front of the hotels, guests can be accompanied to the desired location in just a few minutes, all from the comfort of the back of a prestigious car.
In the years to come, we would like to develop our relationship with company directors in order to provide them with daily accompaniment, which is equivalent to the French dedicated chauffeur service.
For those who like to discover new landscapes, we organise exceptional tours, notably to Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Ras Al Khaimah.
Can you tell us a bit about your team and the approach you take to delivering a prestige transport experience?
The well-being of our employees is at the heart of the successful development of this new office. We are proud to have 51 dedicated employees with in-depth knowledge of the country and solid expertise in the field of private transport.
To ensure seamless coordination, we rely on a workforce that is always available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This includes not only our 40 chauffeurs, but also a team of 5 dispatchers and 6 administrators who work in tandem.
Our team is building, evolving and taking part in this new adventure with determination and goodwill.
Since 1921, the history of Chabé has been closely linked to hotels. Far from France, what is the agency’s current relationship with the hotels of Dubai?
Chabé’s relationship with the hotels in Dubai is just as close and special as the one we have built up in France. When we acquired TLT Limo, we were fortunate enough to be able to maintain our contracts with existing hotels, which enabled us to preserve our partnerships. Today, we work with 4 prestigious hotels, the Four Seasons Jumeirah, the Four Seasons DIFC, the Mandarin Oriental and the iconic Burj Al Arab.
We are also looking to the future, actively working to create new relationships with other hotels in Dubai. Indeed, as early as December, we will be working with a new hotel, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing excellent transport services in this thriving region.
What do you think sets Chabé Dubai apart from other private transport operators in the region?
In Dubai, we are the only French company in the bespoke transport sector. So our French expertise is a strength!
But what really sets us apart is our brand image, a prestigious image that is recognised abroad, particularly among concierge managers and hotel directors.
We are fortunate to be part of a prestigious Group that has made a name for itself with a wide range of actors in the luxury, sports and industrial sectors. We have worked closely with these companies, particularly on an international level, by opening our office in the United Arab Emirates.
What are the agency’s plans for the end of 2023?
The end of the year is quite busy in Dubai, with the end of the Dubai Airshow from 13 to 17 November and the launch of COP 28 at the end of November until 12 December, which intensifies our private chauffeur-driven transport business.
We will soon be working alongside a new hotel opening in December. 12 chauffeurs and 1 coordinator will be looking after clients’ needs, thanks in particular to the 6 vehicles made available in front of this hotel.
Another project, which concerns our teams more than anything else, is the move. We’re moving to new premises in order to develop our business as effectively as possible and to welcome the new Chabé Dubai employees.
More generally, we’re continuing to set up shop and get to know the market so that we can move into new markets in the region very soon.
We still have other fairly ambitious projects, but they’re scheduled for 2024 or even 2025, so I’ll be able to tell you a bit more about them next year.
Book your trips to Dubai now or contact us to find out more about our complementary services.
