DWTC to attract over 300,000 visitors in March

DWTC is set to host 22 mega-trade events in this month alone which is set to draw over a quarter million visitors. As a pivotal arm in Dubai’s efforts to diversify its economy, DWTC will host events across core sectors including ICT, healthcare and maritime, reinforcing the emirate’s position as a global commercial and leisure destination. 

Leading among these is the region’s longstanding maritime luxury event, the 24th Dubai International Boat Show, taking place from 1-5 March at the Dubai International Marine Club. Attracting 800 exhibitors from more than 120 countries, and nearly 28,000 visitors from over 120 countries, the event has evolved in to a key pillar of Dubai’s event calendar. 

Commenting on DWTC’s role in driving the region’s event sector, Ahmed Alkhaja, Senior Vice President – Venues, DWTC said: “DWTC strives to enhance Dubai’s vision as an attractive city for businesses across the MENASA region. We continue to deliver year-on-year growth on our core MICE business which shows the opportunity and stability of our industry. In order to support the demand, we aim to diversify our calendar of events and continue to expand our infrastructure to provide a world-class venue catering to any size and scale.” 

The recent expansion saw an addition of three new halls, named Za’abeel 4, 5 and 6 located adjacent to the existing Za’abeel Halls. From 1-3 March, three leading shows will take place concurrently at the expanded venue: Middle East Electricity, Paperworld Middle East, Playworld Middle East and Global Education Solutions Summit. Combined, they will bring together approximately 38,000 visitors and over 2,800 exhibitors. 

This will be followed by CABSAT, the leading platform for the broadcast, production, content delivery, digital media and satellite sectors across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, running from 8-9 March.  Attracting broadcast, satellite and entertainment content professionals from across the region, the market is projected to be worth $66 billion by 2018.

With a growing demand for healthcare, DWTC will also host Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition (DUPHAT) from 15-17 March and Arab Lab from 20-23 March. The events will focus on healthcare spending in the Middle East and North Africa as it is estimated to reach $144 billion by 2020, following enormous development witnessed over the last decade.

Towards the end of the month, the popular GITEX Shopper Spring returns with a new spin-off event Shopper Smart Living taking place from 30 March - 2 April. Smart living is playing a pivotal role in the GCC construction industry leading to a positive home appliance industry forecast of nearly $1 billion over the next 2 years.