Dubai ranked first globally for attendance at association meetings, amid strong IMEX 2025 participation
Cvent: Dubai #1 meetings destination in Middle East and Africa
Dubai's participation at IMEX 2025 highlights the city's position as a premier destination for international business events
A diverse delegation of 30 stakeholders, led by Dubai Business Events, is convening in Frankfurt from 20 to 22 May to highlight Dubai's world-class MICE infrastructure and hosting capabilities
Dubai, UAE – Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city's official convention bureau and part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, is once again spearheading Dubai's participation at IMEX Frankfurt (20–22 May), one of the most influential trade shows for the global business events industry, joined by key stakeholders.
This comes as Dubai continues to earn global recognition, this week being confirmed as #1 globally for highest attendee number per association meeting in 2024, and once again ranking #1 in the Middle East for the total number of association meetings hosted during the period, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
Cvent has this week also confirmed that Dubai maintained its #1 position among the Top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Middle East and Africa. The accolades further demonstrate the city's ability to both host prolific events and facilitate event growth for associations, allowing them to tap into the market and increase global access to members.
At IMEX, a delegation of 30 stakeholders from across the sector has joined DBE in showcasing Dubai's credentials as a premier global hub for business events. The delegation includes leading hotels, venues, DMCs, airlines and other service providers including Emirates, Expo City Dubai, and Dubai World Trade Centre, together highlighting Dubai's ability to deliver dynamic world-class events at the intersection of innovation, knowledge-sharing and sustainable growth.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: 'As we engage with the global industry at IMEX Frankfurt, we are reinforcing Dubai's position as a strategic destination for impactful business events. Our consistent top rankings from ICCA and Cvent, and growing pipeline of major international events, are the result of a focused and collaborative approach with our stakeholders, as we work collectively to reinforce the emirate's position as a premier global hub for the MICE industry. Business events are integral to our tourism strategy and are increasingly driving progress across key sectors. They are playing a vital role in advancing the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33 - to position Dubai as one of the world's most innovative, inclusive and future-ready cities, as guided and championed by the visionary leadership of the UAE.'
Dubai's participation aligns with this year's IMEX theme - Impact 2.0: Activating the Future - emphasising the global events community's responsibility to address major global and community challenges while driving positive change through events, partnerships and initiatives. In line with this vision, Dubai continues to attract business events that not only grow visitation but also support innovation and deeper engagement across its economic sectors. This directly contributes to the D33 economic agenda, which aims to place Dubai among the top three global cities for business and leisure.
Dubai's momentum was further underscored by a record 437 successful bids secured in 2024 to host international conferences, congresses and incentive programmes, a 20% year-on-year increase. These events are set to attract over 210,000 delegates to Dubai in the coming years, significantly contributing to the city's business and tourism ecosystem. Among the high-profile events won: Amway ESAN 2025, the 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums 2025, the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research 2026, the World Congress on Medical Informatics 2027, ISAPS Olympiad World Congress 2027, Forever Living Products Global Rally 2026, the Scientific Assembly and Associated Events of the Committee on Space Research 2028 and The International Conference on Computer Vision 2029.
Dubai continues to see strong growth in tourism aligned with its MICE strategy. In 2024, the city welcomed a record 18.72 million international overnight visitors, a 9% year-on-year increase. That momentum has continued into 2025, with 5.31 million international visitors arriving between January and March, marking a 3% increase compared to Q1 2024. Business events have been a key contributor to this sustained growth, generating economic impact across sectors and further strengthening Dubai's global brand. Further enhancing the city's capacity to meet rising demand in the events space, a key development includes an expansion plan for the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. As part of broader urban development initiatives including the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion, the project is a strategic investment aimed at reinforcing Dubai's position as a global platform for major conferences and exhibitions, enabling the city to host larger and more complex events that deliver long-term value that meets increasing demand and attendance.
IMEX remains a cornerstone of DBE's global engagement strategy, providing an essential platform to connect with international associations and networks. Dubai continues to use such platforms to strengthen global partnerships and attract events that support its economic, social and sustainability priorities.
Visit www.dubaibusinessevents.com to find out more about hosting business events in Dubai.
About Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), is responsible for developing Dubai's retail, gastronomy, family entertainment and event sectors and supporting the positioning of Dubai as a world-class tourism destination and the best place to live, work and visit.
About Dubai Business Events
Dubai Business Events (DBE) – the Official Convention Bureau, aims to further develop and increase Dubai's share of the international business events market in order to grow economic development, jobs and knowledge creation in the emirate. DBE's main goal, as a division of DET, is to establish the Emirate as a premier business event destination by helping organizers of international meetings, incentives, congresses and exhibitions plan and manage every aspect of their event. As a member of Best Cities Global Alliance, DBE aims to deliver the world's best service experience for the meeting industry.
For further information, please contact:
mediarelations@dubaidet.ae
Iman Dawod – dbepr@bpggroup.com
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