Dubai Establishes Itself as World’s Most Preferred Exhibition Destination

First-class infrastructure, quality hospitality, and a range of marvellous attractions have helped Dubai establish itself as one of the most preferred exhibition destinations in the world. Dubai ranks among the world’s top 20 business events destinations. The International Meetings Statistics report 2015 by the Union of International Associations (UIA) is proof enough. In a ranking of the world’s top destination for business events published by the UIA, Dubai has maintained its position at number 14. The ranking reflects its selection to host the World Expo in 2020, a six-month-long mega event, which is expected to attract up to 25 million visitors to Dubai.

Dubai is rapidly making strides in the business tourism sector, and recent developments show that its performance is set to improve further in this area.

The world became acquainted with Dubai only a few years ago, and within a short span, it has succeeded in establishing itself as one of the most popular business destinations in the Gulf.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Dubai’s biggest business events hub, contributed AED 12 billion to the Emirate’s economy in 2015, through trade events, large-scale exhibitions, conferences and conventions hosted at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).  

We explore what makes Dubai a hotspot to hold exhibitions.

Dubai has excelled as a global business hub, thanks to its rapidly growing infrastructure, including hotels, trade centres, transportation and other facilities. This has contributed to its popularity as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

Dubai was listed as the most cosmopolitan city in the world in a 2015 World Migration Report. The land of opportunities has more than 150 different nationalities. The city offers a strategic location midway between the Far East and Europe. It is easily accessible from all of the major economic centres in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Russia.

Doing business in Dubai is easy because of the Emirate’s exceptional infrastructure. The Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest in the world in terms of international traffic. More than 100 airlines fly to 250+ destinations across six continents. Al Maktoum International, Dubai’s second international airport, at Dubai World Central (DWC), which opened in 2013, is set to increase the Emirate’s global reach even further.

Transport options abound within the city, too. And the transport network’s efficiency is the best in the region. The city has a metro system, water taxis, fairly-priced taxis, chauffeured cars, and buses and in addition to all this, a tram network will be launched soon.  

From seven-star luxury to budget-friendly hotels, you will find accommodation for any budget within the city. Currently, there are more than 90,000 hotel rooms, with capacity tipped to reach 1, 60,000 by 2020. Dubai is the most productive in terms of new hotel openings and the expansion will continue in the years to come owing to the increasing occupancy rate.  

Dubai’s many hotels also offer a plethora of flexible facilities – be it a small meeting room for 10 people or a large exhibition, which will be visited by thousands of people. Then there is the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Dubai Exhibition City (DEC) and Dubai Trade Centre District (DTCD), which have world-class facilities and infrastructure to host the world’s largest consumer and trade events. These commercial destinations are attracting high volumes of new and repeat visitors. The fact that over 50 per cent of all exhibitions and conference events in the whole of the Middle East region are being hosted in DWTC alone is proof enough.

It is easy to find the perfect convention and exhibition venue or to choose the ideal hotel in Dubai. You will also find top exhibition companies in Dubai with expansive facilities and experienced staff with a long track record of successful projects. They will make an exhibition or trade show an outstanding success.

Dubai offers enterprises of all sizes a number of opportunities like various tax benefits, free trade zones, etc. Dubai is home to a huge number of aspiring multinational names, which have set up business establishments in the region.

Dubai’s services sector is its fastest growing industry and is well-known for specialized service and positive attitude. And business event organisers value the opportunities on offer in the city. Firms, particularly in real estate, hospitality, and business services, are moving to Dubai seeking to capitalise and expand on Dubai’s ever-growing business environment.

Dubai is also one of the world’s safest and fastest-growing tourist destinations. Apart from organised world-class meets and exhibitions, it has a lot to offer delegates like camel riding, desert safaris, and falconry. Adrenaline junkies can dive with sharks at the Dubai Aquarium, go sky-diving over Palm Jumeirah, or go skiing at the world’s largest indoor snow park.

While holding an exhibition in Dubai, you can be confident of enjoying a world-class experience. With continued infrastructural improvements and explosive growth in visitor numbers, Dubai’s ranking among the world’s top destinations for business events looks set to only improve in the near future.