The ICCA Middle East Chapter has delivered yet another year packed with crucial projects that strengthen the Middle East’s position as a credible knowledge-driven hub for association meetings.
Anju Gomes, ICCA’s regional director, said 2025 kicked off with a meeting with Middle Eastern industry thought leaders to “exchange expertise, tackle shared challenges, and influence the regional business events agenda, ensuring that the Middle East contributes actively to shaping industry direction”.
To raise the profile of the Middle East as a unified destination for meetings, the Chapter entered the IBTM@ATM collaboration and hosted the Breakfast with Buyers exclusive networking platform at IMEX Frankfurt. Both events engaged with international association buyers, creating opportunities for future events in the Middle East.
Recognising the importance of nurturing the next generation of industry leaders, the Chapter led the ICCAUni forum and Business Events Hackathon in Oman, which drew students from 26 universities.
However, the one “defining highlight” for the Chapter in 2025, according to Gomes, was the ICCA Middle East Summit in Bahrain. It connected local associations, government stakeholders, international media, academic and regional leaders, and reinforced Bahrain’s emergence as a forward-looking meetings destination and the region’s ambition in association meetings. The Middle East Recognition Awards was also launched during the Summit to celebrate exceptional leaders and organisations that are shaping the region’s business events landscape.
To grow its membership, the Chapter will roll out acquisition initiatives in 2026 that include digital engagement, capacity building via ICCAUni Forum and training, increased visibility and advocacy through knowledge-sharing and compliance-focused workshops, and more.
