Dubai Secures 504 International Business Events as Delegate Numbers Exceed 272,000

Dubai has reinforced its position as a leading global hub for international business events after securing the opportunity to host 504 global conferences, congresses and incentive programmes across key economic sectors over the next four years.

Driven by Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the achievement represents a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in successful bids, underscoring Dubai’s growing competitiveness in the global business events landscape.

The events secured during 2025 are expected to attract more than 272,000 delegates to Dubai through 2029, marking a 29 per cent increase compared to the 209,545 delegates secured in 2024. Beyond delegate volumes, the expanding pipeline is set to generate direct economic impact across the meetings, incentives and conferences segments, while bringing global expertise, talent and investment opportunities to the city.

Alongside future growth, Dubai hosted 481 DBE-supported business events in 2025, up from 429 in 2024, representing a 9 per cent year-on-year increase. These events were delivered as a direct result of DBE-led bids and further strengthened the city’s international and domestic business events calendar.

Bid activity also accelerated during the year, with 747 bids submitted in 2025 compared to 669 in 2024, an 11 per cent increase reflecting sustained global demand for Dubai as a host destination. The continued success highlights the strength of Dubai’s destination proposition and the coordinated efforts of public and private sector stakeholders, while supporting the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said that business events continue to play a pivotal role in supporting Dubai’s economic growth, knowledge economy and global positioning. He noted that the strong performance in 2025 reflects the confidence placed in Dubai by international associations and corporates, adding that efforts will continue to deepen collaboration with partners to further elevate the city’s standing in the global business events sector.

Dubai also secured a number of high-profile global congresses across knowledge-intensive sectors, including the World Engineers Congress 2027, Apimondia 2027, SICOT World Congress 2027, World Congress of Intensive and Critical Care 2028, SPE ATCE Annual Congress 2028, and the World Ophthalmology Congress 2028. A major industry milestone was the securing of the Annual SWIFT Conference and Exhibition (SIBOS) 2029, expected to attract 12,000 delegates.

In the corporate and incentive segments, Dubai won major global programmes such as The Africa Energy Forum 2026, UNLEASH Middle East 2026, and the Herbalife India President Retreat 2026, further diversifying its business events portfolio.

To maintain momentum, DBE sustained an active international engagement programme throughout 2025, participating in major industry exhibitions and conducting sales and study missions across priority markets. Strategic initiatives such as the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme also continued to mobilise UAE-based experts to attract international congresses, supported by partnerships with leading global industry bodies.

Dubai’s performance builds on strong international recognition, including ranking first globally for average attendance per association meeting and first in the Middle East and Africa for meetings hosted, according to ICCA and Cvent. Additional strengths include high global connectivity through Dubai International Airport and top-tier smart city rankings, reinforcing the city’s appeal for international business events.

As Dubai enters 2026 with a robust forward pipeline already secured, the city remains well positioned to drive sustained economic impact, global visibility and long-term knowledge-led growth through its business events strategy.