Post by : Bianca Suleiman
Representatives from Dubai Business Events, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, prominently showcased the city at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, held from May 19 to 21, alongside 20 partners from the local business events sector.
Key stakeholders in the Dubai delegation included Dubai World Trade Centre, Coca-Cola Arena, Museum of the Future, and JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, complemented by various destination management firms, hotels, and venues.
Further solidifying its global standing as a premier business events hub, Dubai has attained significant international recognition from the International Congress and Convention Association, ranking first worldwide for attendee numbers per association conference in 2025 and claiming the top spot in the Middle East for the number of hosted association conferences.
Additionally, Dubai has ranked first among the Top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Middle East and Africa as per Cvent’s evaluations.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, emphasized the critical role business events play in catalyzing Dubai's sustained economic growth by fostering tourism, knowledge sharing, industry collaboration, and global partnerships.
His remarks highlighted Dubai's participation at IMEX Frankfurt as a testament to the emirate's desire to draw international conferences and exhibitions, thereby generating enduring value across sectors, industries, and talent development. This initiative aligns seamlessly with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision.
The IMEX Frankfurt theme for this year, “Design Matters,” resonated with Dubai’s commitment to crafting business events that prioritize attendee experience while also bolstering innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth.
The strategy for Dubai’s business events continues to be centered on enhancing venue infrastructure, accessibility, service excellence, and building cross-industry partnerships. IMEX Frankfurt serves as a crucial global platform for Dubai to engage with industry leaders and organizations, including the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers and the Best Cities Global Alliance.
Dubai Business Events reported significant growth in 2025, with 747 bid submissions and 504 successful event confirmations scheduled up to 2029, marking a 15 percent increase from 2024. These events are forecasted to draw over 272,000 delegates, indicating a 29 percent rise in visitor attendance year over year.
In addition, the city hosted 481 DBE-supported events in 2025, compared to 429 in 2024.
Among Dubai's notable international victories are SIBOS 2029, expected to gather 12,000 attendees, the SPE ATCE Annual Congress 2028 with 8,000 delegates, Apimondia 2027 with 5,000 attendees, and the World Engineers Congress 2027 anticipating 3,000 delegates.
Dubai’s role at IMEX Frankfurt underscores its ongoing commitment to entice major global conferences and reinforce its stature as a leading destination for business events and MICE tourism.
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