Dubai World Trade Centre set for major expansion

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has announced plans to build a 15,500 sq-m extension to its current indoor complex space in bid to capitalise on the double-digit growth in exhibitions sector and international business tourism.

With this addition, the available multipurpose indoor event and exhibition capacity at DWTC will increase to more than 122,000 sq m, said the region’s largest Mice (meeting, incentive, conference and event) venue operator in its statement.

This infrastructure expansion will also support improved diversity within the DWTC offering, and most specifically the ability to host more events concurrently, both key pillars to fostering future business tourism growth – an important aspect of Dubai’s target of 20 million international visitors by 2020, it added.

With the continued increase in demand for new shows, and year-on-year scale up of strategic events within the DWTC calendar, the planned custom-built and flexible event space is expected to cater to the next five years of portfolio growth that will in turn support increases in Dubai’s business tourism traffic.

Adjacent to the existing Zabeel Hall complex, three new halls – named Zabeel 4, 5 and 6 – will form the extension beyond Halls 1, 2 and 3. The construction is expected to commence later this month with the new space becoming operational from the first quarter of 2016.

Dubai’s location and connectivity infrastructure remains a strategic lever, allowing industries access to nearly two billion people in some of the world’s fastest growing markets, all within a four-hour flight radius.

The expansion of the venue will provide the supporting platform for home-grown local and regional businesses, as well as global corporations, to take greater advantage of commercial prospects being made available through existing events, and new entrants into the 2016 calendar.

Structurally designed to cater for both exhibitions and conferences, the three new halls will have four meeting rooms, be self-sufficient to house their own VIP majlis spaces and organiser offices, and have a dedicated set of services and amenities like medical service zones, food and beverage outlets and others.

The location of the new halls is conveniently close to the Arena Plaza in the DWTC complex, allowing ease of access by metro, and is linked though the current Zabeel concourse for ease of internal connectivity with the rest of the exhibition complex.

Accompanying the expansion will be a new 300-car park area with the flexibility to be transitioned into a 6,000 sq m tented temporary event area, bolstering capacity when required, said a statement from DWTC.

Dubai stands at the centre of business and commerce in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and South Asian region, stimulating the growth of companies and economies alike. Its commitment to infrastructure, a sustainable economy and safety has allowed it to garner international recognition as a global metropolis, it stated.

“The Mice sector will retain its strategic role as a commercial catalyst, solidifying Dubai’s position as a global destination of choice for businesses, whether they are multi-national conglomerates looking to establish their regional presence or regional SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) and start-ups seeking expansion into new markets,” noted Almarri.

“Ultimately, the influx of trade visitors, particularly the international business travellers, has a domino-effect stimulating several adjacent sectors such as tourism, hospitality, retail, infrastructure, among others, contributing collectively to Dubai’s and the UAE’s  overall economic prosperity,” he added.