Dubai is gearing up to host the 57th Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) next year, following the conclusion of this year’s edition in Prague. Dubai was named host city for the 57th ICCA Congress in 2014, following a successful bid for the event that was led by Dubai Business Events and Dubai World Trade Centre. To be held from 11 – 14 November 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre, the congress will see meeting industry professionals from all over the world gather in Dubai to discuss key challenges and opportunities within the business events industry.
A delegation from Dubai received the formal handover from hosts in Prague during the closing ceremony of the Congress on November 15. At the ceremony, Dubai representatives, including Steen Jakobsen, Director of Dubai Business Events, and Mahir Julfar, Senior Vice President, Venues Management at Dubai World Trade Centre, presented Dubai’s unique facets to attending ICCA members and delegates. An earlier session saw Marjan Faraidooni, Senior Vice President of Legacy Impact and Development at Expo 2020 Dubai, discuss the legacy that will be left after the conclusion of the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.
As Dubai’s visitor offerings continue to evolve, the city is developing a range of new attractions, hotels, venues and infrastructure projects that are set to bolster Dubai’s standing as a global hub for tourism and business events. Dubai has seen a consistent rise in business and tourism figures, becoming the fourth most visited city in the world in 2016, with 14.9 million overnight visitors last year. In the first 9 months of 2017, the city welcomed 11.58 million international visitors, up more than 7.5% on the same period last year.
Business events continue to play a key role in achieving Dubai Tourism Vision 2020 and UAE Vision 2021. These ambitious plans outline concrete steps to further develop the city into a global knowledge hub that advances a range of key industries and drives innovation across vital global sectors. With Dubai’s sustained successes as a destination of choice, business events play an increasingly prominent role in the national agenda of economic diversification and establishing a knowledge-based economy.
