Abu Dhabi’s business events calendar picks up pace in the second half of 2026. Adobe Stock/Bojan
Abu Dhabi hosted the 46th ICMM World Congress on Military Medicine at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 9 to 13 November, the first time the congress has been held in the UAE, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
Organised by the UAE Ministry of Defence with ADNEC Group under the supervision of the International Committee of Military Medicine, the biennial congress has run since 1921 and this year features delegations from more than 120 countries.
According to reports, more than 2,000 participants were expected, exceeding the 1,400 who attended the 2024 edition in Brisbane.
The congress formed part of a busy second half for the emirate’s venues after the US–Iran conflict forced the postponement of several Gulf events earlier in the year. ADNEC Group lined up 297 events across its Abu Dhabi and Al Ain venues for the second half of 2026, with about a fifth of exhibitions at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi held in the Middle East for the first time, according to national news reports.
In September, Abu Dhabi hosted the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which drew more than 5,100 government representatives from over 110 countries, the largest in the congress’s 71-year history.
Official figures show the momentum predates this year’s disruption. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi reported 6,600 MICE events in 2025, up 37% year on year, with delegate numbers rising 40% to 2.2 million. Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau supported 175 events through the Advantage Abu Dhabi programme, which attracted 464,000 delegates, up 28%.
Similarly, Dubai Business Events secured 504 successful bids in 2025 for events through 2029, with 272,262 expected delegates, while ICCA ranked Dubai first in the Middle East for association conferences hosted, according to the Government of Dubai Media Office.
Venue capacity is also growing. The first phase of the AED 10 billion (US$2.72 billion) Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion opened in January with 140,000sqm of space, with the second phase due by September 2027.
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