DUBAI, 26th January, 2026 (WAM) -- Dubai strengthened its position as a leading global destination for international business events in 2025, securing the hosting rights for 504 global business events across key economic sectors and professional fields 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, this achievement represents a 15 percent year-on-year increase in successful bids. The secured events are expected to attract an estimated 272,262 delegates to Dubai through 2029, a 29 percent increase compared to 209,545 delegates secured in 2024.
Beyond future pipelines, Dubai hosted 481 DBE-supported business events in 2025, up from 429 in 2024, marking a 9 percent annual increase. Bid activity also rose, with 747 bids submitted in 2025 compared to 669 the previous year, reflecting growing global confidence in Dubai as a business events hub.
The secured events are expected to generate significant economic impact across meetings, incentives and conferences, while also bringing global expertise, talent and investment opportunities to the city. This performance supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and reinforces Dubai’s role as a platform for innovation, knowledge exchange and cross-sector collaboration.
Ahmed Al Khaja, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said business events play a pivotal role in supporting economic growth, the knowledge economy and Dubai’s global positioning. He noted that the strong results achieved in 2025 reflect international confidence in Dubai’s ability to deliver large-scale, high-impact events, adding that collaboration with partners will remain a priority in line with D33 ambitions.
Dubai secured several major international congresses, 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 key win was SIBOS 2029, one of the world’s leading financial services events, expected to attract 12,000 delegates.
The city also strengthened its position in the corporate and incentive segments, securing events such as The Africa Energy Forum 2026, UNLEASH Middle East 2026 and the Herbalife India President Retreat 2026, reinforcing Dubai’s ability to attract complex, large-scale global programmes.
Throughout 2025, DBE maintained an active international engagement programme, participating in major industry platforms including IMEX Frankfurt and America, and IBTM Barcelona, alongside year-round sales and study missions across priority markets. Strategic initiatives such as the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme and partnerships with global industry bodies further supported bid success.
Dubai’s performance builds on continued international recognition, including top global rankings for association meeting attendance and strong positioning in global benchmarks, alongside record air connectivity at Dubai International Airport.
With a robust pipeline of confirmed international events secured for the coming years, Dubai enters 2026 well positioned to drive sustained economic impact, global visibility and long-term, knowledge-led growth through its business events strategy.