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Dubai /Â WAM
Dubai Business Events has secured 15 percent more events in the first eight months of this year than the whole of 2015, and is poised to capitalise on increasing demand from international meetings, conferences, and incentives organisers, according to internal auditing at the city’s official convention bureau.
The events secured this year will be held over the course of the next four years and combined, will bring 65,000 delegates to Dubai from around the world, as speakers, panellists, exhibitors and visitors. And with each delegate is expected to add nearly AED6,000 to the economy, so the impact of these events could be as much as AED344 million.
“Dubai’s growing appeal as a premier destination for international business events is a testament to the vision and leadership of the government and the positive response that we have seen as we have shared the emirate’s remarkable story with a global audience,” said Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
“Evidence of Dubai’s increasing role in hosting global events can be seen in its strong position in global rankings, which saw the city retain its number 14 position in the 2015 International Meetings Statistics report published by the Union of International Associations, our growing portfolio of business events, and the number of delegates attending them. As we continue our quest to support the creation of vibrant knowledge-based economy, the impact delegates have on the economy and the calibre of expertise they bring to Dubai will prove invaluable,” he added.
The organisation has benefitted from strong support from strategic partners, including Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates Airline, the hotel sector and other government entities. In 2015, Dubai Business Events won a total of 75 pitches for international meetings and congresses and, with four months to run until year-end remains on track to exceed last year’s events haul.
In addition to creating revenue streams and opportunities for knowledge sharing, an increasing number of the events being secured mirror the strategic positioning of the knowledge clusters that are emerging across the city. With the population of the region expected to top 53 million by 2020, interest in healthcare remains strong though other sectors have also made gains.