Dubai Business Events confirms 504 global conferences and forums for 2025, supporting city’s D33 strategy and enhancing Dubai business events impact.
DUBAI: Dubai has confirmed a strong calendar of 504 global business events for 2025, reinforcing its status as a world-leading hub for international conferences and corporate gatherings. The success was driven by Dubai Business Events (DBE), the official convention bureau under the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and represents a 15 percent year-on-year increase in secured event bids.
These events are projected to attract 272,262 delegates through 2029, up 29 percent from 209,545 in 2024. This growing delegate presence will boost Dubai’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector, stimulate the city’s tourism economy and foster knowledge-sharing across sectors.
In addition to future wins, 481 DBE-supported events were hosted in 2025, compared to 429 in 2024. DBE also submitted 747 new bids in 2025, showing continued international interest in Dubai as a host city. This upward trend demonstrates how Dubai’s strong infrastructure, safety, global connectivity and public-private partnerships continue to attract high-profile events.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “Guided by the vision of our leadership, business events continue to play a pivotal role in supporting Dubai’s economic growth, knowledge economy and global positioning. The strong performance delivered in 2025 reflects the confidence international organisers place in Dubai as a destination that consistently delivers excellence, scale and impact.”
Looking to 2026 and beyond, Dubai’s pipeline includes high-profile congresses such as 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. In a major milestone, Dubai will also host the Annual SWIFT Conference and Exhibition – SIBOS 2029, one of the world’s leading financial forums with 12,000 delegates.
Dubai has also attracted top-tier corporate and incentive programmes, including The Africa Energy Forum 2026, UNLEASH Middle East 2026, and Herbalife India President Retreat 2026, showcasing the emirate’s ability to host diverse and large-scale events.
DBE’s success in 2025 was supported by an active global presence at events such as IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America, IBTM Barcelona, and IBTM World, along with targeted sales and study missions. These engagements kept Dubai business events impact high on the agenda for global planners.
DBE also strengthened its Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme, empowering UAE-based professionals to attract events in their sectors. Partnerships with international organisations such as BestCities Global Alliance, IAPCO, ASAE, and ICCA have further embedded Dubai in global business events networks.
Dubai’s achievements are validated by global rankings. The city was named #1 globally for average attendance per association meeting and #1 in the Middle East and Africa for hosted meetings by ICCA and Cvent. Dubai also climbed to #4 in the IMD Smart City Index 2025 and saw record traffic at Dubai International Airport, reinforcing its appeal for global event organisers.
As the emirate moves into 2026, its confirmed calendar of global events will continue to generate economic value, support tourism, and build its status as a knowledge economy aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
