His Excellency Fahd AlRasheed, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority during the opening day of the International MICE Summit. Credit: PRNewsfoto/International MICE Summit)
Saudi Arabia took centre stage this week as global MICE leaders gathered in Riyadh for the inaugural International MICE Summit (IMS24).
Held at Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City from 15-17 December, IMS24 brought together over 1,000 participants, including some of the most influential figures in the global events sector. The summit underscored Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become the Middle East's preeminent hub for business events.
A wave of new developments was announced during IMS24, signaling Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the global MICE industry:
Office Openings: Leading international exhibition players RX Global, Messe Munich, and Clarion unveiled plans to establish offices in Saudi Arabia, underscoring the Kingdom’s potential for sustained event industry growth.
New Events: Twelve new marquee event launches were announced to bring events such as Money20/20 (Informa/Tahaluf), FIBO (RX Global), World Refining Technology Congress; Advanced Therapies Week; Fire Department and Emergency Services Conference (Clarion), FSB Sports Show and International Hardware Show (Koelnmesse/DMG), HOST (Fiera Milano), ArabLab (Terrapin), Saudi Muscle Show (Italian Exhibition Group) and World Industrial Materials and World Advanced Packaging, Printing & Plastics (KAOUN) to Saudi Arabia.
"These announcements underscore the importance of the events and exhibitions industry as a catalyst for transformation, connecting people to opportunities in line with the goals of Vision 2030. IMS24 is driving investment opportunities and new partnerships across all sectors of the economy," said His Excellency Fahd Al Rasheed, Chairman of the Summit's host the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA).
Related: Saudi Arabia signals its MICE credentials to the world
A high-profile delegation from UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, added gravitas to the summit. Executives from 20 of the world’s top exhibition companies participated in exclusive discussions with SCEGA’s leadership, sharing expertise and shaping strategies for Saudi Arabia’s evolution into a sustainable, innovative global MICE destination.
SCEGA and UFI have agreed to extend their partnership into 2025, continuing the roadmap for making the Kingdom a cornerstone of the global exhibition landscape.