UAE's exhibitions, conferences industry is key pillar of growth

Gulf Today

03-05-2025

The exhibitions and conferences industry in the UAE continues to solidify its role as a fundamental pillar of economic growth, contributing significantly to the country's strategic goals of building a diversified, knowledge-based economy aligned with the UAE's vision for sustainable development.
This vital sector has witnessed rapid advancement in organising and hosting major international events, supported by world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a blend of national talent and global expertise that collectively position the UAE as a premier regional and global hub for large-scale exhibitions and conferences.
In 2025, the sector maintained strong performance, driving economic diversification and creating new growth opportunities across key sectors, while also continuing to host high-profile international events.
According to data from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, the ADNEC Group contributed Dhs8.5 billion directly to the UAE's GDP in 2024, up from Dhs7.4 billion in 2023, highlighting the growing impact and scale of hosted events.
ADNEC's venues, including Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Ain Convention Centre, and Excel London, hosted more than 1,000 events in 2024, drawing a record-breaking 5.4 million visitors, the highest in the group's history.
Capital Events, ADNEC's event management arm, generated Dhs10 billion in business deals through its exhibitions, while the group's hotel portfolio welcomed over 1.531 million guests. Capital Hospitality provided more than 40 million meals across 45 locations and managed approximately 2,200 events, including one of the region's largest public iftars, serving nearly 8,000 guests.
The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) recorded exceptional economic performance in 2024. According to its economic impact report, DWTC hosted 100 major events, a 32% annual increase, comprising international exhibitions, high-level conferences, and global association meetings.
These events attracted over 2 million attendees and generated Dhs22.35 billion in total economic output, with Dhs13.04 billion retained within Dubai's local GDP. Notably, around 936,000 international visitors attended DWTC events, reinforcing Dubai's stature as a global business tourism destination.
This strong performance coincides with the launch of the first phase of DWTC's expansion project, scheduled for completion in 2026. The expansion aims to bolster Dubai's capacity to host mega-events and enhance its role as an innovation-driven economic hub.
DWTC achieved record-breaking growth in 2024 across its calendar of large-scale events, with a 32% year-on-year increase not only in the number of events but also in the size and scale of existing mega events.
Of the over 2 million attendees at these flagship events, 936,083 travelled from overseas – a testament to Dubai's rising prominence as a top global destination for business tourism.
This surge in large-scale events is estimated to have supported 85,533 jobs across the MICE ecosystem and its adjacent sectors, while the rise in international participation played a pivotal role in delivering broader socio-economic impact, significantly amplifying the total economic output generated.
In 2024, the 100 large-scale events hosted at DWTC generated an estimated Dhs2.9 billion in sales value within the MICE sector — a clear indicator of the strength of Dubai's event-driven economy. This value was primarily driven by event organisers and exhibitors' investment in venue space, stand services, logistics and other business support services. Notably, this direct expenditure catalysed nearly eight times its value in broader non-trade business activity across Dubai's economy – meaning that for every Dhs1 spent at a DWTC event, Dhs7.7 in economic output was generated citywide.
The growth of DWTC's large-scale events and the surge in international attendance translated directly into increased spending across both MICE-related business services and adjacent sectors. In 2024, direct spending in these adjacent sectors soared to Dhs13.17 billion, reflecting widespread economic gains.
International attendees contributed significantly more to the economy than domestic participants, spending an average of Dhs9,833 per event—almost six times the Dhs1,673 spent by local attendees.
In 2024, the MENA region led international business event visitation, accounting for 32% of attendees, followed by Europe (27%), Asia Pacific (10%), East Europe and Central Asia (10%), the Indian subcontinent (10%), Africa (6%), the Americas (5%) and Oceania (1%).
Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) is also playing a pivotal role in supporting the national exhibitions industry, helping drive growth in various economic, social, cultural, and educational sectors, all aligned with sustainable development goals.
The centre's 2025 calendar includes a lineup of specialised events in key sectors such as industry, smart transportation, trade, healthcare, perfumery, and jewellery.
WAM