Dubai has further solidified its position as a leading global destination for international business events, winning 504 bids in 2025 for conferences, corporate meetings, and incentive programs set to take place in the coming years. The successful bids, driven by Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, mark a significant 15% year-on-year increase and underscore the city’s strategic alignment with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
Record Growth and Economic Impact
The events secured throughout 2025 are projected to attract over 272,262 delegates to Dubai through 2029, a notable 29% rise from the delegate numbers secured in the previous year. This influx is expected to generate substantial economic impact across the city’s tourism, hospitality, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sectors. Beyond the direct economic benefits, these events serve as crucial platforms for knowledge exchange, innovation, and attracting global talent and investment, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a vital hub for cross-sector collaboration.
The momentum is also reflected in the city’s hosting capacity, with 481 DBE-supported business events taking place in 2025, a 9% increase from 2024. The pipeline remains strong, with a total of 747 bids submitted during the year, up 11% from the 669 bids in 2024.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, stated, “Guided by the vision of our leadership, business events continue to play a pivotal role in supporting Dubai’s economic growth, knowledge economy, and global positioning. The strong performance delivered in 2025 reflects the confidence international associations, corporates and incentive planners place in Dubai as a destination that consistently delivers excellence, scale and impact.”
He added, “As we look ahead to 2026, we remain focused on deepening collaboration with our partners and stakeholders alike, elevate Dubai’s standing in the global business events landscape, in line with the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and to create long-term value for the city, organisers and delegates alike.”
A Magnet for High-Profile Global Congresses
Dubai’s successful bids include a series of major, future-focused global congresses across high-value knowledge sectors. Notable wins include the World Ophthalmology Congress 2028 (12,000 delegates), the SPE ATCE Annual Congress 2028 (8,000 delegates), and Apimondia 2027 (5,000 delegates).
A landmark achievement for the city’s financial services ecosystem was securing the Annual SWIFT Conference and Exhibition – SIBOS 2029, one of the world’s most prestigious financial services events, which is expected to welcome 12,000 delegates. The city also attracted significant corporate and incentive programs, such as The Africa Energy Forum 2026 and the Herbalife India President Retreat 2026, reinforcing its capability to host complex, large-scale global events with long-term impact.
About Dubai Business Events
Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and a division of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), aims to further develop and increase Dubai’s share of the international business events market. Its primary goal is to establish the Emirate as a premier business event destination by assisting organizers of international meetings, incentives, congresses, and exhibitions in planning and managing every aspect of their event.
Source: Zawya
