Dubai World Trade Centre Welcomes Nearly 3 Million Participants In 2025

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today announced its 2025 results, delivering strong growth in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events hosted in Dubai, reinforcing the emirate’s position as one of the world’s premier destinations for trade and business events.

DWTC welcomed 2.97 million attendees in 2025 across its Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) venues, a 12 percent year-on-year increase.

The performance was driven by a diverse calendar of 401 events, up 6 percent annually, spanning international exhibitions, conferences, business and consumer events.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of the DWTC, said, “2025 was a record year for DWTC, reflecting the resilience and maturity of Dubai’s business events ecosystem and its continued contribution to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. Strong participation and sustained international engagement across a broad range of industry sectors demonstrate the enduring economic value that business events generate for the emirate.

“A major milestone in the year was the completion of Phase 1 of the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion, significantly increasing Dubai’s capacity to host large-scale international events. The venue’s readiness for flagship gatherings in early 2026 underscores our ability to deliver complex projects at scale while maintaining operational continuity.”

DWTC hosted 134 MICE events in 2025, attracting 2.19 million participants, an 8 percent year-on-year increase. International attendees continued to play a significant role in DWTC’s events ecosystem, reflecting Dubai’s position as a global hub for trade, investment and industry collaboration.

MICE events attracted approximately 951,000 international participants, accounting for 43 percent of the total.

Across these MICE events, the number of exhibiting companies reached over 63,000, up 8 percent year-on-year, of which 78 percent were international, further reinforcing Dubai’s ability to attract leading global companies and decision-makers across key industries.

DWTC organised 14 flagship exhibitions and events in 2025, attracting close to 630,000 participants, a 7 percent year-on-year increase. Of these, 261,000 were international attendees, representing 41 percent of the total. These events featured over 20,000 exhibiting companies, with 75 percent being international.

Gulfood Manufacturing led participation growth across the portfolio with a 12 percent year-on-year increase, while GITEX Global recorded 10 percent growth.

2025 also marked the accelerated international expansion of the DWTC’s event portfolio, with successful editions of GITEX Global delivered in key growth markets including Europe and Africa, alongside expanded activity across Asia.

DWTC’s integrated event management and experiential agency, DXB LIVE, delivered a strong performance in 2025, providing end-to-end solutions for over 442 major exhibitions, conferences, festivals and international events.

Building on successful delivery in Dubai, including World of Coffee Dubai, World Police Summit, ICOM and Hatta Cultural Nights, the agency also expanded its regional and global footprint, supporting high-profile projects across 13 global cities and earning industry recognition for excellence in execution and creativity.

Sector performance reflected the breadth of industries represented across DWTC’s calendar, aligned with the priorities of the D33.