MEA exhibitions industry boosts job opportunities

RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business

Industry leaders and stakeholders active in the exhibitions industry in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region are playing a major role in stabilising the regional economy by creating thousands of jobs every year, experts emphasise.
Figures state that the region hosts around 30,000 exhibitions per year and they typically generate upto 680,000 full-time jobs annually.
Sagar Malhotra, who works at a HR solutions company in Dubai, told Emirates Business, “The exhibitions industry is doing much more
than just improving the tourism prospects in this region, as most of the times we only look at that aspect. Infact it is a huge job generating industry, offering openings in myriad of segments including hospitality, retail, operations and marketing.
“In countries like the UAE, which are looking at hosting some of
the biggest international events in the coming years, the number of
new job openings will be considerably higher,” he said.
“It is also important to understand that as the exhibitions industry in the region is growing on a much faster pace than rest of world-
wide, it is definitely promising and stronger.”
According to him, “more jobs
are on the way and if more capital
is invested in this industry, the returns will be very beneficial in the long-run”.
Experts in the region are also highlighting the $55 billion events and exhibitions industry’s role in encouraging economic growth and evolving infrastructure apart from generating jobs.
The Expo Centre Sharjah — which spearheaded the regional celebrations of recently observed World Exhibition Day — is one of the main contributors to the regional exhibitions industry.
His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, said in an official statement, “The exhibitions industry not only has the power to stimulate the market but it also generates employment opportunities and boosts economic growth.”
“In the region, the industry is a key growth driver for the economy, making significant contributions through income and employment along with attracting substantial foreign investment,” he added.
It is notable that MEA region has seen a good rise in the number of
exhibitions in the past decade and
it has earned the region a global prestige as a popular exhibitions destination apart from creating monetary value.