Dubai Secures Record Pipeline of Global Business Events Through 2029

Dubai further cemented its status as one of the world’s leading destinations for international business events in 2025, recording a strong year of growth across bidding, hosting and future pipeline development.

Led by Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai secured the opportunity to host 504 global business events across key economic sectors and professional fields over the next four years. This represents a 15% year-on-year increase in successful bids, underscoring the city’s rising global competitiveness as a business events hub aligned with long-term economic priorities.

The events secured during 2025 are expected to attract an estimated 272,262 delegates to Dubai through 2029 — a 29% increase compared to the 209,545 delegates secured in 2024. Beyond generating direct impact across the meetings, incentives and conferences segments of Dubai’s wider tourism ecosystem, these events will bring global expertise, talent and investment opportunities to the city, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a platform for knowledge exchange, innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

Alongside building its forward pipeline, Dubai also delivered a strong hosting performance in 2025. A total of 481 DBE-supported business events took place during the year, up from 429 in 2024, marking a 9% increase year-on-year. This momentum was mirrored in bidding activity, with 747 bids submitted in 2025 compared to 669 the previous year — an 11% rise — reflecting sustained international demand and confidence in Dubai’s proposition.

Dubai’s continued success reflects the strength of its destination offer and the collaborative efforts of public and private sector stakeholders working together to attract global business events. The city’s accessibility, safety, world-class infrastructure and depth of experience in delivering complex, high-profile international gatherings continue to underpin its appeal. Importantly, this performance also highlights the growing contribution of business events to the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, supporting the ambition to position Dubai as a leading global city for both business and leisure.

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 associations, corporates and incentive planners place in Dubai as a destination that consistently delivers excellence, scale and impact.

“As we look ahead to 2026, we remain focused on deepening collaboration with our partners and stakeholders alike, elevate Dubai’s standing in the global business events landscape, in line with the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and to create long-term value for the city, organisers and delegates alike.”

Dubai’s future pipeline includes a series of major international congresses across high-value knowledge sectors, such as the World Engineers Congress 2027 (3,000 delegates), Apimondia 2027 (5,000 delegates), SICOT World Congress 2027 (2,700 delegates), World Congress of Intensive and Critical Care 2028 (4,500 delegates), SPE ATCE Annual Congress 2028 (8,000 delegates) and the World Ophthalmology Congress 2028 (12,000 delegates). A particularly significant win was the Annual SWIFT Conference and Exhibition – SIBOS 2029, one of the world’s leading financial services events, expected to attract 12,000 delegates to Dubai.

The city also strengthened its position in the corporate and incentive segments, securing major global programmes including The Africa Energy Forum 2026 (2,000 delegates), UNLEASH Middle East 2026 (2,000 delegates) and the Herbalife India President Retreat 2026 (2,500 delegates), reinforcing Dubai’s ability to attract complex, large-scale events with long-term economic and reputational impact.

To sustain this momentum, DBE maintained an active international engagement programme throughout 2025, participating in key industry platforms such as IMEX Frankfurt and America, IBTM Barcelona and IBTM World, alongside a year-round schedule of sales and study missions across priority markets. DBE also continued to strengthen strategic initiatives including the Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme, mobilising UAE-based subject-matter experts to attract international congresses, while partnerships with global industry bodies such as BestCities Global Alliance, IAPCO, ASAE and ICCA further enhanced Dubai’s international connectivity and bid success.

This strong performance builds on Dubai’s continued recognition by leading global benchmarks, including ranking first worldwide for average attendance per association meeting and first in the Middle East and Africa for meetings hosted by ICCA and Cvent. The city’s broader competitiveness was also reflected in its rise to fourth place in the IMD Smart City Index 2025 and record air connectivity, with Dubai International Airport recording its busiest half-year on record in H1 2025.

Entering 2026 with a robust forward pipeline of confirmed international business events, Dubai is firmly positioned to deliver sustained economic impact, global visibility and long-term knowledge-led growth through its business events strategy.

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