Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) said that Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) and Al Ain Convention Centre (AACC), the UAE Capital’s leading event venues, contributed a whopping Dh2.3 billion to the Abu Dhabi economy in the first half (H1) of 2019.

This takes the company’s cumulative economic impact to Dh34.3 billion since its establishment in 2005.

The company’s direct and indirect contribution to the UAE capital’s economy increased by 45 per cent this year, compared to the same period in 2018. The significant increase was due to the successful International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) and the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), both held at Adnec.

Reinforcing the company’s status as the leading and preferred international exhibition venues operator, Adnec and AACC hosted 29 exhibitions, 108 conferences and events, as well as 88 special events and supported more than 12,502 jobs in business tourism related sectors in the first half of 2019. The total number of the venues’ surrounding hotels registered 343,100 overnight visitors.

In H1 2019, Adnec and AACC welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors from the UAE and across the world, marking a significant increase of 79 per cent of visitors, compared to the first half of 2018 (684,747). Since their establishment, the venues welcomed more than 19 million visitors.

The Emiratisation rate reached 73 per cent and Emirati women now represent 41 per cent of the total national workforce, with 86 per cent of Emiratis holding senior management positions.

Noura Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, chairwoman of Adnec Group, said: “The UAE capital is leading the way in positioning itself as the region’s preferred business tourism hub and Adnec’s H1 performance testifies to our concerted efforts to maintain this status.”

“In line with our priority to contribute to achieving the Abu Dhabi Plan and its Economic Vision 2030, Adnec will continue to drive the diversification and growth of the emirate’s economy as a central part of its strategy,” she added.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of Adnec, said: “The impressive number of events hosted by our venues in the first half of 2019 reinforces our position as a leading destination in the flourishing business tourism sector.

“The company’s direct and indirect contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy increased by 45 per cent this year, compared to the same period last year, reaffirming our mission of becoming the leading destination for national and international events. We are optimistic that we will also witness great success in the second half of this year, as we gear up to host more than 150 events and exhibitions.”

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is the largest venue operated by the company and offers 133,000 sq m of flexible events space. The state-of-the-art venue offers unparalleled facilities to support local and international event organisers in hosting high-profile MICE events.

 Al Ain Convention Centre, which is ideally located next to both the Municipality District and Al Ain’s bustling Al Jimi Mall, has direct access to major roads to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The venue includes 12,000 sq m of interconnected column-free space.

In 2018, the company achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating of 94.7 per cent in the global events and exhibitions industry. – TradeArabia News Service