Dubai has once again asserted its leadership in the global business events industry. At IMEX Frankfurt 2025, Dubai Business Events (DBE) led a delegation of 30 stakeholders to showcase the city’s world-class MICE infrastructure. This comes as the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Dubai #1 globally for average attendance per association meeting and #1 in the Middle East and Africa for the number of association meetings hosted in 2024.
Event tech platform Cvent also confirmed Dubai’s top spot in its ranking of the Top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Middle East and Africa, reaffirming the emirate’s strong global standing.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, noted that business events play a vital role in advancing Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda—positioning the city among the world’s most innovative and future-ready.
In 2024, Dubai secured a record 437 event bids, expected to attract over 210,000 delegates in the coming years. Events include the International Council of Museums General Conference 2025 and World Congress on Medical Informatics 2027, among others.
Dubai welcomed 18.72 million visitors in 2024, a 9% increase year-on-year, with business events driving sustained tourism growth. Upcoming expansions to the Dubai Exhibition Centre and Al Maktoum International Airport are set to further boost capacity.
Dubai’s IMEX 2025 participation reinforces its role as a premier global hub for impactful, large-scale business events.
