DWTC fuels Dubai’s entertainment industry

Ritika Sharma / Emirates Business

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) started the year on a strong note by hosting 17 live events in the first quarter, attracting over 75,000 visitors. Enriching Dubai’s leisure event calendar, the past three months has seen a mix of global stars, musicals and comic performances including heavyweight standup Russell Peters, French Armenian music sensation Charles Aznavour, Disney musical Beauty and the Beast, and Emirati theatrical saga, Al Faris.
The UAE’s leisure and entertainment industry is set to double by 2021 to 45 million visitors, according to PwC, spurred by strong economic growth, high disposable income, increasing domestic and international tourism, and rising demand for family entertainment and multicultural attractions. As the market matures, customer expectations are shifting toward interactivity and entertainment as part of all their experiences. In line with Dubai’s 2021 plan — DWTC will continue to bring in a creative diverse live event
portfolio.
Commenting on DWTC’s growth within the burgeoning live events portfolio, Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President – Venues, DWTC, said, “DWTC is accelerating the pace and amplifying the value of our contribution to the strategic agenda of Dubai by evolving our live events offering. Our world class facilities and committed team continues to actively support local talent and attract global talent, cementing DWTC’s pole position as a destination for live events in the region.”
DWTC continues to see a strong and growing fan base for prolific artists like Charles Aznavour that was a sold-out show attracting a record number of spectators to the venue. Award winning singer, Aznavour mesmerised the crowd with his energetic performance and applauded for singing his timeless, soulful melodies.
Drawing in a diverse multicultural audience for their own concerts, French singer Maitre Gims and Indian superstar Arijit Singh also wowed an audience of over 7,000 visitors with their mesmerizing voices.
Reflecting the global growth in demand for live stand-up comedy, the past three months also saw six of the world’s finest musical and comic talents from across the globe do shows at DWTC, including Dara O’Brian and Russell Peters, attracting a total of more than 12,000 fans.
In addition to global talent, DWTC has focused on premiering home grown and international theatric productions in Dubai, accounting for more than half of their live event audiences in the first quarter. Transporting audiences to a different era, the avantgarde Al-Faris foretold an unseen side of the UAE, with its rustic saga musical based on the poems of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Further enthralling firsts for Dubai included the fantastical Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, the uncanny UFO Show and the breath-taking Cirque Le Noir that awed audiences with their state of the art stages.
Utilising their expanded available space, with a further 15,500 square meter expansion having opened in November, DWTC continues to hand-pick top talent from across the region and globe to showcase to the region including the upcoming and widely anticipated Dubai Music Week towards the end of the year.
With a vision to make Dubai the world’s leading destination for all major exhibitions, conferences and events, DWTC has evolved from being the regional forerunner of the fast growing MICE industry into a multi-dimensional business catalyst, focusing on venues, events and real estate management. Complementary to the primary service offerings are a range of value added services from media/advertising, engineering and technical consultation, wedding planning and security
services.