Gulf Focus
Dubai sees surge in international attendee numbers
D ubai World Trade Center ’ s ( DWTC ) content-rich calendar is led this year by 107 exhibitions and international association conventions and industry conferences . Events last year attracted 1.56 million attendees , marking a 33 % increase compared to the previous year . Of these , over 722,000 were international attendees , 60 % up year-on-year . These events also attracted 53,789 exhibiting companies , a 45 % increase over last year . Over three-quarter ( 78 %) of these exhibiting companies were international ( 41,864 ). The surge in foreign business attendees furthers the aspirations of the emirate ’ s D33 Agenda , to propel Dubai to be a top three global economic city by 2033 .
Commenting on the figures for the past year , H . E . Helal Saeed Almarri , director general of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority , said : “ DWTC ’ s increasingly diverse exhibitions and events portfolio continue to go from strength to strength . Our results underscore the robust dynamics of the emirate ’ s thriving economy and strategic focus on key industry sectors . The past year has been shaped by extraordinary momentum across the entire business and trade ecosystem .”
DWTC also recorded 33 new entrants to its events calendar , including 17 exhibitions . The new additions included World of Coffee , Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East , and Asia Baby Children Maternity Exhibition .
Flagship events such as GITEX
Dubai GITEX
Global and Gulfood maintained their leadership positions in their respective sectors , experiencing notable growth in visitors by 44 % and 31 % respectively .
GITEX Global expanded to a citywide scale , with Expand North Star serving as a satellite event , held at Dubai Harbour , a strategic move to accommodate the event ’ s growth . The world ’ s largest tech showcase attracted 245,000 attendees and hosted 7,200 exhibitors .
Gulfood , welcomed 134,000 trade visitors and 5,200 exhibitors .
DWTC ’ s expansion internationally , through KAOUN International , saw the successful launch of the GITEX Africa and Saudi Food Show in 2023 . GITEX Africa held in Morocco made a ground-breaking debut as the largest tech and start-up show in Africa , attracting attendees from 128 countries .
Dubai Business Events reports there is a healthy pipeline of impactful events as far out as 2029 .
Dubai was voted the top meeting and MICE destination in the Middle East by Cvent for 2023 .
In 2023 , top performing sectors for exhibitions in Dubai were Healthcare , Medical , and the Scientific sector with DWTC reporting 24 events that attracted 275,000 attendees , representing one fifth of all exhibitions and conventions held at the venue .
The Information Technology sector came in second , attracting 260,000 attendees , a 17 % share of the MICE category .
The top five industries are rounded out by the Consumer Goods sector which attracted 96,000 attendees and Building , Construction and Facility Management sector , with 93,000 attendees . Notably , China Home Life and The Big 5 emerged as the leading events in their respective sectors . Other notable exhibitions and events making it to top 10 in terms of participation were Automechanica and Beauty world .
In 2023 , DXB LIVE , the experiential agency of Dubai World Trade Centre ( DWTC ), demonstrated remarkable expansion , managing a diverse portfolio of 500 events , including exhibitions . DXB LIVE served as the primary contractor for 65 exhibitions , including flagship events like Gulfood , GITEX Global , GISEC , CABSAT , and the Dubai International Boat Show . Throughout 2023 , the experiential agency built 300 exhibition stands , collectively spanning over 145,000sqm – a doubling of previous year ’ s figures .
As part of its international expansion plans , DXB LIVE produced exhibition stands in Barcelona , Amsterdam , Istanbul , Riyadh , Marrakech and Hisar in India , as well as exhibition pavilions for the UAE Ministry of Economy in Russia and South Korea .
In terms of venues – the major ‘ new ’ one is Dubai Exhibition Centre – which is operated by DWTC and gradually gaining more traction . It was built for Expo 2020 Dubai and was at the heart of events during COP28 at the end of last year . EW
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 2 2024 37