Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre visitor numbers up 12%

Leanne Bell , 28 June 2010

Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) attracted 1.24m visitors in 2009, up 12% on the previous year.

The venue is owned by Dubai World Trade Centre, which also owns Airport Expo Dubai.

Dubai World Trade Centre board chairman Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is deputy ruler of Dubai, said the number of companies exhibiting at DICEC was up 2.5%.

He said Dubai World Trade Centre has effectively positioned Dubai as a world-class business destination, and the partnership between government, private entities and associations combined with expertise and modern infrastructure had helped the destination attract ten major global congresses that will bring more than 70,000 delegates to Dubai over the next 18 months.

The congresses include the World Congress in Cardiology in 2012, World Diabetes Congress, International Hospital Federation congress and the Human Genome Congress.

Dubai World Trade Centre’s new venue, the Sheikh Saeed Halls, which includes The Trade Centre Arena, the UEA’s largest indoor events space, has also helped boost Dubai’s international events offering.