Dubai World Trade Centre hosts record 2.97 million attendees as MICE events grow 8 percent

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) reported a banner 2025, hosting a record 2.97 million visitors across its Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) locations — a 12 percent year‑on‑year increase generated by a programme of 401 events, a 6 percent rise. The centre said the results were driven by expanded Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) activity and strengthened international participation that underpinned Dubai’s position as a global business‑events hub.

“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,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director‑General of the DWTC. “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.”

Operational breakdown and sector performance

DWTC organisers said MICE activity was a principal growth engine in 2025. The venue hosted 134 MICE events that drew 2.19 million participants, an 8 percent year‑on‑year rise. Foreign participants accounted for nearly 951,000 of those attendees, representing 43 percent of MICE attendance. Across these events, exhibiting firms exceeded 63,000 — up 8 percent year‑on‑year — with 78 percent of exhibitors originating from international markets.

• Primary exhibitions: 14 major exhibitions and events drew nearly 630,000 participants (up 7 percent), including 261,000 foreign attendees (41 percent). These shows included more than 20,000 exhibiting firms, 75 percent of which were international.
• Top growing shows: Gulfood Manufacturing led with a 12 percent rise in participation, while GITEX Global expanded by 10 percent.
• Sector leaders: Healthcare and Medical topped the schedule with 23 events and 436,000 participants (20 percent of total MICE attendance); ICT, Electronics and Emerging Technology ran 11 events attracting 341,000 participants (a 21 percent year‑on‑year increase); Food & Beverage delivered seven events with 280,000 participants.
• DXB LIVE, DWTC’s integrated experiential agency, delivered more than 442 exhibitions, conferences, festivals and global events in 2025 and managed projects across 13 global cities.

DWTC also broadened its calendar with seven new trade shows that together added 30,000 participants and 750 exhibiting firms. The expanded DEC at Expo City completed Phase 1, providing 140,000 square metres of dedicated event space; DEC hosted 36 events that attracted 319,000 participants, with 10 exhibitions and eight conferences drawing 130,000 attendees and 1,800 exhibiting firms during commissioning and early operations.

Outlook

Almarri highlighted infrastructure progress as a strategic enabler: “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,” he said, adding that “the venue’s readiness for flagship gatherings in early 2026 underscores our ability to deliver complex projects at scale while maintaining operational continuity.”

DWTC also reported complementary business growth across its ecosystem, including the DWTC Free Zone licensing 850 new companies in 2025 and real estate activity such as the Terra Gardens phase of Expo Living in partnership with Emaar Properties, signalling further integration of events, commercial and residential assets as the centre prepares for an intensified events calendar in 2026.