When will the city’s mega exhibitions move to Expo City Dubai?

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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister, and the Ruler of Dubai, has approved a 10 billion dirham expansion plan for the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. This development is part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, the completion of which will make it the largest indoor event space in the Middle East region. Estimated to be completed by 2033, Expo City Dubai will double the number of large-scale events hosted annually in Dubai, from 300 to 600.

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The expansion will take place in stages, with the first phase set to be completed as early as 2026. The first phase will have 140,000 square meters of exhibition space, or about two and a half times the current capacity.

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The following phase will be finished by 2028 and will include an extension space of 160,000 square meters. This phase will also see enhancements to infrastructure, road networks, and a dedicated multi-story parking space.

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The final phase is expected to be completed by 2031 and will feature 26 halls spanning 1.2 kilometers. It will be able to accommodate one mega event or 20 smaller events all at the same time. This phase will also comprise around 300 significant hotels, retail stores, business offices, and other amenities.

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When completed, the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai will be one and a half times the size of the current Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC). We can expect all the major exhibitions spanning various sectors, from technology to healthcare, food and beverages, financial services, energy, and real estate to take place here.

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During Sheikh Mohammed’s briefing of the new exhibition centre, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA), highlighted the DWTC’s commitment to tripling the economic contribution of its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sector to 54 billion dirhams annually by 2033. Almarri added, “The expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre will propel the next phase of the MICE sector’s evolution, building on our regional leadership and advanced event-hosting capabilities to drive sustainable growth and economic progress for the global MICE industry. Our goal is to solidify Dubai’s standing as one of the top three global destinations for tourism and business, reinforcing the city’s role as a model of innovation and opportunity on the global stage."

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