Big wins for Dubai’s business events

Dubai has registered a year-on-year growth of 44% in business event bid wins in the first half of 2023, clinching 143 conferences, congresses, meetings and incentives. Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, said the new events will draw over 94,000 attendees. China and India contributed to 84 incentives won by the city.

D33 goals

This will boost the emirate’s economic growth, fulfilling its goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. Key D33’s objectives include boosting innovation, making Dubai a global hub for higher education and increasing foreign direct investment inflows.

The growth in event wins is being witnessed not only within Dubai's business events sector but also across its broader economy in recent years. The events captured include 24 association conferences, congresses and meetings.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “Dubai’s robust proposition, built not only on world-class business events infrastructure and facilities, but also expertise across all key sectors and a growing knowledge economy, is resonating effectively with meeting professionals and decision-makers globally.

“Every bid won is a testament to the culture of collaboration that has seen DBE work with not only industry stakeholders, but also key public and private sector entities across the city to identify, bid for and capture major business events. Recognising the impact hosting business events can have, by bringing major associations and organisations to the city and putting it at the heart of global developments in their respective fields of expertise, our partners are showing a strong commitment to engaging with DBE on bidding activity.”

Events as a driver of growth

Al Khaja said: “With D33 setting ambitious targets over the next decade, we expect Dubai’s business events sector to be a driver and contributor to economic growth, bringing increased focus and expertise to the city and creating new business and knowledge development opportunities. As key sectors and industries in Dubai continue to advance, the business events sector here will also be a beneficiary, with more international associations and organisations expected to take advantage of the opportunity to be part of this growth story.”

New association events include:

· IATA AGM 2024,

· World Library and Information Congress 2024

· Critical Communication World 2024,

· Million Dollar Round Table Global Conference 2024

· International Trademark Association’s Annual Meeting 2026.

New corporate meetings and incentives include:

· Cardano Summit 2023

· Perfect China Incentive 2023

· WCAworld Annual Conference 2024

· Brand Experience World 2024

· Nu Skin Global Team Elite Incentive 2024.

DBE’s collaborative efforts include working with stakeholders, from hotels, airlines, venues, PCOs to DMCs, and promoting its Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme, an initiative that harnesses the expertise and leadership of professionals and industry leaders in key sectors and industries to identify, bid for and capture major international business events.

Frequent engagement programmes in the emirate and across the world in the first half of 2023 were aimed at enchancing Dubai's appeal among meeting planners, association executives, and key decision-makers in the industry. The DBE team has conducted sales missions across Europe, North America and China, and also organised inbound study missions for global meeting planners to experience Dubai's MICE offerings.