ADNEC sustains growth as strategic Abu Dhabi asset

Abu Dhabi / WAM

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) on Monday announced H1 results that demonstrate strong operating performance and continued growth. The company registered AED1.32 billion in direct and indirect economic impact and drew more than 812,000 visitors to its conferences and exhibitions at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre in H1 2016.
With this achievement, ADNEC’s total direct and indirect economic impact has reached more than AED23 billion, while its exhibition venues have welcomed over 12.5 million visitors since establishment in 2005.
In H1 2016, ADNEC hosted 34 exhibitions, and 124 conferences and events, creating more than 7,000 job opportunities in supporting sectors of business tourism. ADNEC has also succeeded in winning 8 major international conference bids in H1 2016.
Commenting on these impressive results, Noura Mohammed Al Kaabi, Chairwoman of ADNEC and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, said, “ADNEC continues to help drive the ongoing diversification and growth of the Abu Dhabi economy, as a key catalyst for realising the Abu Dhabi Plan and Economic Vision 2030. Our impressive above-target results in terms of performance and footfall for the first six months of this year is a testament of our sustained commitment.
“Abu Dhabi is steadily and surely gaining a prominent position as a leading city for business tourism in the region. This is a result of the continuous and immeasurable support from our wise government, that focuses on innovation, leadership in social and economic sectors, and the empowerment of Emirati talent.”
She added, “We are extremely proud of the talented UAE national workforce at ADNEC that is managing the company’s events and programmes locally and internationally. Emiratisation at ADNEC has increased to 56% of total staff compared to 52% in the same period in 2015, with Emiratis occupying 86% of senior management positions. Emirati women have also played an important role in driving the company’s success and represent 40% of the total national workforce. We are also delighted to be a preferred employer of choice for talented minds from across the globe with more than 18 diverse nationalities working together in harmony.”
In addition to the gains made locally, ExCeL London also continued to develop in cooperation with its strategic partners in H1 2016 by hosting 64 exhibitions, 125 conferences and events, and drawing 1.47
million visitors to date.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Acting Group CEO of ADNEC, said, “We are pleased to have achieved such significant growth and success in H1 2016 that can be attributed to the performance of ADNEC’s network of conference and exhibition centres in the UAE and the UK. We are now in a position to leverage the strengths of both destinations and their position as two prominent business and technology focused hubs to drive the further growth of the group as a whole.”
He concluded, “Our current financial results clearly indicate that ADNEC continues to be a front-line enabler of the Abu Dhabi economy with the ability to influence the wider regional and global economy. We provide cutting-edge infrastructure and facilities for some of our country’s most dynamic growth sectors, even at a time of global economic uncertainty. Al Ain Convention Centre has successfully attracted a number of major events and conferences in H1 2016 and footfall exceeded the expected target by 6%. At the same time, ADNEC continued its major efficiency and rationalisation programme, which delivered savings on direct and fixed costs well below the estimated budget. Services provided to exhibitors and event organisers exceeded expectations and led to the group’s hotels witnessing strong performance in the first half of 2016.”