Dubai clinches record number of business event bids in 2016

Dubai Business Events (DBE) won a record number of 129 bids and proposals for upcoming business events last year, a 79 per cent increase from 2015, with much of this success attributed to its ambassador programme and partnerships.

Notable wins include Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Annual Congress 2017, World Congress of Cardiology 2018 and World Down Syndrome Congress 2020.


BestCities Global Forum 2016

One main driver for this performance was the Al Safeer Ambassador Programme, through which over 350 prominent local scientists, healthcare professionals, business people and government officials assisted DBE in bringing international events to Dubai.

Ambassadors helped secure bids for 25 meetings and conferences, with an expected attendance of over 30,000 delegates between now and 2021.

Bids were also won in partnership with local stakeholders such as Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates Airline, hotels as well as DMCs and PCOs.

The economic impact of these events is estimated at close to 400 million dirhams (US$108.9 million) and will bring an estimated 75,000 additional visitors to Dubai over the next six years, according to a DBE statement.

Victories for 2016 also include events held in Dubai for the first time, such as the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, which saw participation from 7,500 oil and gas professionals from 91 countries.

And in December 2016, DBE hosted the first BestCities Global Forum, which attracted 35 international association executives to Dubai, in addition to representatives from all 11 of the BestCities partner cities.

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