Dubai World Trade Centre is expected to continue hosting conferences and exhibitions for nearly the next decade, despite the AED10 billion ($2.7 billion) expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre on the city’s outskirts.
The first phase of the DEC development will open in January next year, beginning with the Gulfood trade show at its Expo venue, followed by the World Health Expo in the first quarter. Automechanika, the automotive aftermarket exhibition, and Gitex, the major technology event, are scheduled to arrive in the fourth quarter.
This initial phase will add 140,000 square metres of event space, comprising 64,000 square metres of new permanent exhibition halls and 30,000 square metres of adaptable pavilion areas, with capacity for up to 50,000 daily visitors.
Upon full completion in 2031, the complex will provide 180,000 square metres of combined exhibition and conference facilities.
However, the new development does not mark the end of DWTC’s role, as both venues are expected to operate alongside each other for the foreseeable future.
“We already have bookings at Dubai World Trade Centre for 2034,” Mahir Julfar, executive vice president at DWTC, told AGBI.
DWTC hosted 100 large-scale events — each attracting more than 2,000 participants — in 2024, representing a 32 percent increase year on year.
These events attracted over 2 million attendees, with 46 percent coming from overseas, according to DWTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Assessment report.
“We’ve already run out of space at Dubai World Trade Centre,” Julfar said, noting that the centrally located venue is currently operating at an annual occupancy rate of 69 percent.
“The DEC will give us the capacity to shift some of the largest shows,” he added.
In addition to the four events scheduled for next year, Julfar noted that as many as seven mega-events have already been confirmed for 2027 and up to 10 for 2028.
He stated that the organisation has secured several major international conferences, with further announcements expected by year-end.
As part of Dubai’s D33 strategy, DWTC has been assigned the goal of doubling the number of annual events in the emirate — from 300 to 600 — by 2031, and tripling economic output from AED18 billion ($4.9 billion) to AED54 billion.
“The business events sector continues to play a strategic role in economic diversification, fostering the knowledge economy and reinforcing the city’s global competitiveness,” said Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
