Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), one of the Middle East’s leading exhibition and conference venue operators, has unveiled its plans for Dubai Exhibition World, a Dh8 billion (US$2.17 billion) dedicated facility capable of hosting the world’s largest and most prestigious exhibitions and events.

Revealed for the first time at the EIBTM trade exhibition in Barcelona, Dubai Exhibition World will provide one of the most advanced stages for major exhibitions and events, with phase one of the 300,000 sq. metre development offering 120,000 square metres of exhibition space at the centre of a 3-million-square-metre dedicated site. .

The new development represents the next stage in Dubai’s ambitious plan to become one of the global centres for exhibitions and global gatherings. In the space of a few decades, the UAE’s exhibitions and conference sector has expanded from a handful of dedicated events to a Dh12 billion (US$3.27 billion) a year industry, with the annual rate of event expansion increasing by 15 percent a year in terms of visitors, with some exhibitions experiencing a 30 percent year-on-year rise. According to senior executives at DWTC, Dubai Exhibition World provides the full framework to enable this meteoric growth to continue. The Centre will be set in a major trade park offering hotels, serviced accommodation, commercial developments, destination retail offerings and a light industrial area for service supplies to the industry such as stand construction companies and furniture supplies.

S“The ongoing growth of the exhibitions industry within the Middle East – and Dubai in particular – is presenting a range of interesting challenges and opportunities, and Dubai Exhibition World is designed to be both a comprehensive solution and enabler of growth for this sector,” said Helal Saaed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre.

“Effectively, it will be the largest development of its kind in the world, providing some of the most significant hall space supported by the most advanced facilities. In addition, it will be surrounded by a specially-designed infrastructure which will provide everything major events require, including a range of hotels, entertainment options and logistics support,” he added

Dubai Exhibition World will for the first time offer a fully-supported and integrated environment alongside Dubai’s new World Central Airport and Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone, providing easy access for visitors, delegates and exhibitors alike.