Qasr Al Watan

Project description:

Qasr al Watan is a spectacular cultural landmark in Abu Dhabi. It serves as Abu Dhabi’s formal presidential palace and is the official seat for state visits and the governance of the UAE. In the run-up to its public opening in 2019, KCA London was appointed to recruit and train the guides who would conduct public tours around its magnificent interior.

Our team designed and conducted the recruitment and training of a team of local cultural guides to host visitors to the palace. The training focused on delivering authentic, content-rich tours that celebrate the history and culture embodied in the palace’s stunning rooms and exhibits. Over 25 local guides were recruited and trained initially. Some had existing guiding experience, but our training was designed to raise the guiding standards to world-class levels and create a genuinely bespoke visitor experience. After opening, we continued to provide training packages and mentorship for a further year to sustain levels of visitor excellence and maximise staff retention.

Qasr Al Watan was voted one of the top 20 art and culture landmarks in the world. Public tours are conducted daily, with the guides delivering animated and engaging presentations in Russian, Chinese, Arabic and English.

This is just one of our UAE staff development projects. Other projects include the training and recruitment of visitor-facing teams for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Etihad and Al Shindagha Museums in Dubai.