Abu Dhabi's exhibition and conference sector sees strong comeback in May

 Abu Dhabi witnessed a strong and lively comeback in the events sector in May, which was packed with many major international conferences and events held by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions centre (ADNEC), and hosted by Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the largest exhibition and conference centre in the Middle East and North Africa, as part of its efforts to strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a global destination for business tourism and leisure tourism.

Since the beginning of the month, ADNEC has hosted 10 major local and international events, including 5 international conferences, which have been held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, with these conferences reflecting the efforts of ADNEC Group in transferring and localising knowledge, and developing capabilities in various fields. In the same context, and as part of the Group's efforts to support business sectors, the Centre has hosted 4 Specialized International Exhibitions.

As part of the Group's strategy to attract specialised events in various economic and social sectors, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre witnessed the launch of a distinguished event in the sports sector: the IFMA Muaythai World Championships, which was attended by athletes from all over the world.

Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Chief Commercial Officer of ADNEC, said: “In May, we witnessed many major international exhibitions and conferences, which constitute a strong return of the business sector’s activity in Abu Dhabi, which has a prominent position as a global destination for the business tourism industry, and this significant activity in the business tourism sector reflects the pivotal role played by ADNEC Group in emphasizing Abu Dhabi's position as the capital of the events industry in the region. It also contributes to the sustainable growth of the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi by attracting tourists and visitors for the purposes of business and leisure while at the same time achieving positive economic and social returns for Abu Dhabi. This also reflects ADNEC’s commitment to transferring and localising knowledge by bringing together global expertise in one place.

“The busy agenda and the varied successful activities witnessed by ADNEC Centre in May reflect the resources and capabilities of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, which provides advanced infrastructure and exceptional facilities capable of hosting many activities and events at the same time, in addition to the support provided by the specialised teams in the Group to allow exhibition and conference organisers around the world to orchestrate successful and distinguished events that exceed their expectations and the expectations of all visitors and participants in these events,” he added.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC) began its activities in May with the World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) conference on May 8-9, held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, where the conference addressed the challenges related to belonging to the contemporary Muslim community,

The Centre then hosted the World Utilities Congress 2022, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Board of Abu Dhabi and Head of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, on May 9-11. This event, which was attended by a group of experts and specialists from around the world, was a platform for exploring the latest innovations in the global utilities and energy sector. It attracted more than 10,000 professionals, in addition to 120 international exhibitors, and more than 200 speakers specialised in the utilities sector.

Then on May 12-16, the 6th annual conference of the International Society of the Substance Use Professionals organised by the Society and the National Rehabilitation Centre took place. The conference brought together scientists, researchers, and specialists in the field of behavioural addiction to discuss many research papers that focused on the subject of addiction. In which more than 1,000 global experts participated. The event included 25 workshops in addition to 15 international training programmes

In the second half of May, specifically on May 17-18, ADNEC Centre hosted the Roads and Traffic Expo ME, which was held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with the Middle East Rail 2022 exhibition and conference, which was also held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, with the two events bringing together hundreds of experts and specialists from around the world. The events attracted more than 6,000 visitors, 200 specialised speakers, and more than 250 exhibitors.

On May 22, the Centre also witnessed the launch of the first edition of the International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries, which discussed the latest trends in the Arab publishing and content industry, constituting an effective platform to facilitate dialogue between publishers, content makers, intellectual leaders, and entrepreneurs of all creative orientations.

The Centre then hosted the 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The Fair saw the participation of 1,130 publishers from more than 80 countries and included more than 450 cultural, intellectual, and creative events.

In conjunction with the Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre witnessed the launch of the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS), held for the first time in Abu Dhabi with the participation of major electric car manufacturers with the aim of networking, identifying sources, and showcasing the latest technology. Some 1,000 representatives from the competent authorities participated in its activities, which included 30 dialogue sessions, in addition to more than 50 speakers and experts in this vital sector.

As the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair continued, the Centre witnessed the launch of the IFMA Muaythai World Championships 2022, which was attended by more than 700 participants representing more than 70 countries.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre concludes its busy agenda in May with the Worldchefs Congress & Expo on May 30, with more than 1,000 competing chefs and 200 participating brands from 100 countries in addition to attracting more than 4,500 visitors from all over the world.