Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s
official convention bureau and part of the Dubai Department of Economy and
Tourism, has concluded its participation at IBTM World 2025 in Barcelona,
further reinforcing Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic
business events destinations.
The city’s presence highlighted its strong
global rankings, expanding pipeline and alignment with the Dubai Economic
Agenda, D33.
DBE participated alongside a delegation of
32 industry partners, representing hotels, venues, DMCs, planners and major
entities including Emirates, Expo City Dubai, Coca Cola Arena and Dubai World
Trade Centre. Together, they showcased Dubai’s collaborative, business-ready
ecosystem for hosting major global gatherings.
This year’s IBTM theme, ‘People. Power.
Potential.’, aligned with Dubai’s commitment to fostering meaningful
connections, advancing knowledge exchange and empowering global collaboration.
DBE’s participation at IBTM followed its presence at other strategic industry
events in 2025, including EPEX, IMEX Las Vegas, the ICCA Middle East Summit in
Bahrain and the ICCA Congress in Porto.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and
Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “IBTM World 2025 provided an excellent platform to engage with international
partners and reaffirm Dubai’s growing influence on the global stage. The strong
interest we saw at the show, supported by our leading international rankings
and the results achieved this year, underlines the world’s confidence in Dubai
as a destination that consistently delivers meaningful and high-impact business
events.”
Dubai’s international recognition has continued
to grow in 2025. According to the International Congress and Convention
Association (ICCA), Dubai remained #1 globally for highest attendee numbers per
association meeting, and #1 in the Middle East and Africa for number of
association meetings hosted. Cvent also named Dubai the #1 meetings destination
in the region, reaffirming the emirate’s strength in delivering high-impact
events and supporting international associations in deepening their global
reach.
Dubai’s H1 2025 results demonstrated
sustained momentum. DBE secured 249 successful bids, a 29% year-on-year
increase, for events taking place through 2029. These conferences and
congresses are expected to attract over 127,000 delegates, a 35% rise
year-on-year, supported by an improved 64% conversion rate and the continued
growth of the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme, now comprising more than
370 ambassadors.
The strength of Dubai’s MICE sector
reflects the city’s broader tourism performance. Dubai International Airport
(DXB), the world’s busiest international airport for the 11th consecutive year
in 2024, welcomed 70.1 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025, up
2.1% year-on-year. The emirate also received 13.95 million international overnight
visitors during the same period, a 5% year-on-year increase, underscoring the
synergy between leisure and business travel.
Looking ahead, Dubai is bolstering its
readiness for future business events growth through the expansion of the Dubai
Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai and ongoing city-wide infrastructure and
airport development. These enhancements will further strengthen the emirate’s
ability to host large-scale, global events. -TradeArabia News Service
