DUBAI, 9 November 2006 — Dubai will see the highest volume of exhibition visitors ever-recorded in any Middle Eastern city this month, according to figures released by Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) yesterday.
According to data gathered from the organizers of some of the region’s most important exhibitions including GITEX, Big 5 and Index, a total of 385,000 visitors will attend events at two of Dubai World Trade Center’s leading venues, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center (DICEC) and Airport Expo Center.
This high volume of visitors is creating organizational challenges, such as traffic pressure and strong demand for hotel rooms, but also has a major economic impact for local suppliers and tourism companies, according to Helal Saeed Al-Marri, director general, Dubai World Trade Center.
“We have encountered phenomenal growth in the industry recently and are continuing to witness the rapid evolution of the exhibition sector, demonstrated by the records being set in November 2006. Dubai has firmly positioned itself as the leading venue in the Middle East and we have extensive plans to consolidate this position and expand to meet the rapid increase in business,” said Al-Marri.
Following on from Big 5 in October, DWTC venues will host a number of leading events, including Index, Gitex, Gulfcomms and Gitex Shopper, all attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
An estimated 385,000 visitors are expected to attend exhibitions hosted at DWTC venues throughout November. Added to other smaller shows set to run in November, the combined volume of visitors is set to make it Dubai’s busiest month on record.
For example, GITEX, the Middle East’s largest and most prestigious IT exhibition and among the world’s top three IT exhibitions, is expected to attract as many as 150,000 people when it is held later this month, with 12,000 exhibitors representing more than 2,200 companies from 61 countries. Dubai holds the number one position in the Middle East’s events market, hosting approximately 2,350 corporate meetings, exhibitions and conventions last year, according to figures from Dubai Tourism Authority. The UAE’s exhibitions and conference sector was worth 12 billion dirhams in 2005, with an annual growth rate of 15 percent in terms of event space and visitors.
Meanwhile Index 2006, a leading furnishing and interior design exhibition which was officially opened by Sheikh Hamdan ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, UAE minister of Finance and Industry at Dubai International Exhibition Center on Tuesday, has been attracting thousands of visitors. The expo covering 35,380 square meters and featuring 1,650 manufacturers and suppliers from 57 countries, including Australia, Vietnam, Brazil, Italy, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK and US.
Index, organized by dmg world media Dubai Ltd., will end on Nov. 11.
