The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has revealed that it expects 1.5 million visitors to attend events at the new Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre during 2008, with the 50 per cent increase on initial predictions attributed to soaring attendance records.
The revised figures also indicate that ADNEC will grow the exhibition industry in the UAE by around 33 per cent, rather than the 25 per cent previously predicted.
International and national event organisers have been extremely quick to stage events at ADNEC since the venue was opened in February 2007. More than 60 major exhibitions and conferences are already scheduled for next year.
Commenting on the increased numbers, ADNEC CEO Simon Horgan, said: “The emirate of Abu Dhabi and the international exhibition industry have been very quick to embrace ADNEC. Our initial plan was to attract one million visitors by 2009 and this would have been a triumph for a brand new exhibition centre.”
ADNEC recently announced that construction work has begun on both Phase 2 of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and the surrounding Capital Centre development. The Dh580 million ($158 million) Phase 2 project is scheduled for completion in October 2008, and will see ADNEC double in size to become the Middle East's largest purpose-built exhibition centre with floor space totalling more than 55,000 sqm.