Commenting on the results, Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, said: “DWTC’s 2022 results are an unequivocal endorsement of the emirate’s efforts in driving post-pandemic economic recovery and leveraging opportunity, delivered through strategic collaborative stakeholder commitment, across all sectors of the economy. An unprecedented year for the MICE industry, 2022 underlined Dubai’s leadership, with its dynamic events sector, an acknowledged global platform for impactful knowledge sharing, effective networking and game-changing innovation. We will build on this momentum by reinforcing Dubai’s position as the capital of the MICE industry, and continue our contribution towards achieving Dubai Economic Agenda D33 goals.”
The dynamic return to form for the MICE industry in 2022, is reflective of DWTC’s strong business portfolio and its ability to attract over 37,000 exhibiting companies (50 per cent increase from 2021), of which 72 per cent were international.
In 2023, we will build on our position as a MICE sector leader, both locally and beyond UAE borders, as we venture into Saudi Arabia and Morocco, with KOAUN International – Helal Saeed Almarri
DWTC’s own portfolio of exhibitions and events, which includes flagship events GITEX Global and Gulfood, attracted 337,000 visitors, registering 20 per cent annual growth while the combined portfolio of events attracted twelve thousand exhibiting companies, an impressive increase of 35 per cent.
DWTC hosted a total of 47 exciting entertainment, live, and leisure events, welcoming back over 790,000 visitors, led by Dubai Sports World with a record attendance of 308,000 representing a 53 per cent increase over 2021 and Dubai Run with 193,000 participants in 2022.
DXB Live, DWTC’s experiential agency, witnessed record growth in 2022, marking its foray into new regional and international markets including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Germany.
DXB Live provided services to over 400 events and was the main contractor for over 50 exhibitions including mega events such as GITEX Global, Light Middle East, Beauty world and Gulfood.
In addition, DXB Live, in partnership with World of Coffee Association, organised and delivered the World of Coffee exhibition. The event achieved unprecedented success in its second edition with 1000 exhibitors and brands from 44 countries, generating significant interest from coffee manufacturers and businesses across the globe.
“Ongoing recalibration, both for the global events industry and for DWTC, was our focus in 2022, and our year-end results are especially significant given its wide-ranging economic impact. In 2023, we will build on our position as a MICE sector leader, both locally and beyond UAE borders, as we venture into Saudi Arabia and Morocco, with KOAUN International. In parallel, we march ahead with the development of our expanding portfolio of real estate and free zone activities to ensure that we remain an attractive, future-forward hub for emerging industries and technologies as well as business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators looking to shape the future of business from Dubai,” concluded Almarri.