On 9th March, Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of Union Internationale des Transports Publics, cancelled the organisation’s 2026 Summit in Dubai, scheduled for April 21–23. Unlike other regional events that have been postponed, the summit, expecting 8,000 attendees, will not take place. During Skift Meetings’ LinkedIn Live on 31st March he described the decision as “heartbreaking.”
Sumaira Isaacs analyses the 5-decades long-term vision that underpins the UAE’s economic strategy, and argues that what makes UAE different is not just resilience, it is preparedness embedded into infrastructure, policy and execution. Business Events may have short-term disruption, but remain central to the delivery of many of UAE’s strategic developmental objectives.
AMI’s James Lancaster analyses the geopolitical balancing act that helped UAE, particularly Dubai, become one of the most successful association meetings destinations, arguing that it’s premature to write the city off. With a long-term government vision centring business events, Dubai has the assets and the will to bounce back swiftly, provided the conflict is short-lived.
As the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races face likely cancellation, the fallout is highlighting broader risk for live events across the region as trade shows, conferences, and corporate gatherings prepare for the post-Ramadan business rebound. The conflict is causing the most significant disruption in the Middle East since the Covid-19 pandemic. From Skift Meetings…
Regional instability is rippling across the global events industry, forcing organizers to make high-stakes calls with little certainty. Airspace shutdowns and safety advisories are prompting cancellations and postponements across the Gulf and casting doubt over upcoming trade shows, including IAAPA Expo Middle East, scheduled for 31 Mar–02 Apr in Abu Dhabi. From Skift Meetings…
Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes across the Gulf have triggered widespread business disruption leading to airport closures, a halt in port operations and major event cancellations. Emirates and Qatar Airways suspended all flights following major Middle East airspace closures, grounding two of the world’s largest global transit hubs in Dubai and Doha. From Exhibition World…
Informa plc and Dubai World Trade Centre are merging their Live B2B Events businesses into a Joint Venture, called “inD”. The new company will be in charge of Informa’s wholly owned B2B Live Events business in the United Arab Emirates and wider IMEA region (excluding Saudi Arabia), as well as DWTC’s B2B Live Events business.
From Meetings & Conventions Asia: Thanks to government policy, investment in an excellent events ecosystem and soaring ambition, Dubai is emerging as a global healthcare superstar. Its desire to provide a bridge for international knowledge-sharing is proving irresistible to some of the world’s most important medical events.
Dubai will shortly have a new resource and additional motivation to attract international events specialising in environmental and circular economy fields, as such events will include potential investors, start-ups, and individuals who are potential employees of companies that base themselves in this new zone. From Meetings & Conventions Asia…
Globally, association leaders are rethinking what their events and global activities are meant to achieve, with the end goal being to create outcomes that matter – impact. As expectations evolve, destinations are increasingly assessed by the role they play in shaping these outcomes and enabling longer-term and meaningful impact. From Boardroom…
The ICCA Middle East Summit gathers leading regional and international stakeholders from the business events industry, featuring an agenda that includes panel discussions, case studies, workshops, and structured networking sessions. The event is expected to facilitate valuable networking, knowledge sharing, and collaborative opportunities for destination marketing professionals, tourism boards, association executives, sustainability advocates, technology innovators…
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 has been certified compliant with the ISO 20121:2024 certification for sustainable event management, recognising its commitment to organising a responsible and sustainable World Conservation Congress in 2025. IUCN has strived to ensure all aspects of Congress operations adhere to rigorous sustainability standards…
This event is open to senior meeting professionals and previous EDGE Seminar attendees. It is open to both IAPCO members and non-members. The event website will go live soon but we encourage you to register your interest to attend now in order to avoid missing the limited spots available.
Held in partnership with the Oman Convention Bureau (Ministry of Heritage and Tourism), the Hosted EDGE Seminar advances professional development and raises international standards across the Middle East. It delivers IAPCO’s globally recognised education through a high-impact programme tailored to the region’s business events ecosystem and its industry stakeholders, students, and associations.
At the recent ICCA Middle East Summit, Dubai Business Events received the Association Development Award for its pivotal role in fostering collaboration between regional and international associations. Through Dubai Association Centre, DBE drives sustainable economic growth and advances legacy building within the association sector. From Emirates News Agency…
The UFI Global Congress is a unique platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and exploring innovative solutions to the challenges facing the exhibition industry. By choosing Bahrain, UFI highlights the Kingdom’s growing importance as a hub for international events and its commitment to fostering the global exhibition ecosystem. (Open to UFI Members Only)
Dubai’s Business Events leaders share strategic insights into how our sector supports broader knowledge economy goals, with ideas that can be adopted by many other destinations worldwide. As Dubai works to transform itself into a continents-connecting knowledge economy powerhouse, business events are playing a critical role, especially during these times of global geopolitical disruption. Karina…
From Dubai World Trade Centre: Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa Group, today announced a strategic venture to create a truly global powerhouse in Exhibitions and Event Management, operating out of the Middle East – South Asia – Africa regions. This partnership between two commercial equals with highly complementary assets and capabilities drives the creation…
From Boardroom: The 63rd ICCA Congress, held at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi from October 20-23, 2024, has made history as the first-ever global event to receive The PLEDGE on Food Waste’s Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Certification. “Sustainability is no longer a choice – it is a responsibility,” said ICCA CEO Senthil…
From Headquarters Magazine: Dubai is set to host the 19th World Congress of Neurosurgery in 2025, bringing one of the most prestigious congresses in the medical field to the Middle East for the first time. The awarding of the event to Dubai follows a successful bid led by the Emirates Society of Neurological Surgeons, and…
From Fortune: Stephen Carter, CEO of Informa PLC, says he violated a key tenet of his industry by speaking at a recent conference held in Saudi Arabia. Informa, based in the U.K., produces exhibitions and live events, and it works best when it’s in the background. “Our job, as someone said to me many years…
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