Dubai, UAE — Dubai Business Events (DBE), the official convention bureau under the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), has wrapped up a highly successful participation at IBTM World 2025 in Barcelona, further cementing the emirate’s status as one of the foremost international destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). This year’s showcase highlighted Dubai’s rapidly expanding business-events pipeline, continued global recognition, and strong alignment with the ambitious Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
DBE was accompanied by a robust delegation of 32 industry partners, including major hotels, event venues, destination management companies, event planners, and leading organizations such as Emirates Airline, Dubai World Trade Centre, Expo City Dubai, Coca-Cola Arena, and several top-tier hospitality providers. Together, they presented Dubai’s unique blend of connectivity, innovation, and world-class facilities that make the city a reliable partner for hosting global-scale gatherings.
IBTM World’s 2025 theme, “People. Power. Potential.”, resonated closely with Dubai’s mission to cultivate collaboration, encourage meaningful global exchanges, and accelerate collective progress. The event follows DBE’s presence at several other strategic global industry engagements earlier in the year, including IMEX Las Vegas, EPEX, the ICCA Congress in Porto, and the ICCA Middle East Summit in Bahrain—all demonstrating Dubai’s commitment to shaping the future of the global events industry.
Global Rankings Reflect Dubai’s Growing Influence
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), emphasized the importance of Dubai’s participation, stating that the strong interest and engagement witnessed at IBTM underscore the city’s solid reputation. “Our performance this year and the recognition we continue to receive around the world reaffirm Dubai’s position as a destination that consistently delivers high-impact, globally relevant business events,” he said.
Dubai’s international rankings in 2025 continue to showcase its leadership:
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#1 globally for highest attendee numbers per association meeting (ICCA)
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#1 in the Middle East & Africa for total number of association meetings hosted
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Named #1 meetings destination in the region by Cvent
These achievements reflect both the scale and quality of Dubai’s MICE offerings, as well as its ability to support global associations seeking to expand their international reach.
Record-Breaking Performance in 2025
Dubai’s MICE momentum shows no signs of slowing. In just the first half of 2025, DBE secured 249 successful event bids, a 29% increase compared to 2024. These upcoming conferences and exhibitions—scheduled through 2029—are expected to attract more than 127,000 delegates, representing a 35% year-on-year rise.
This strong bidding performance is supported by a higher conversion rate of 64%, as well as the continued expansion of Dubai’s Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme, now exceeding 370 active ambassadors across various academic, scientific, medical, and professional fields.
Tourism Growth Fuels MICE Expansion
The emirate’s flourishing tourism sector continues to bolster the business-events industry. Dubai International Airport (DXB)—the world’s busiest for international passengers for the 11th straight year—handled 70.1 million passengers between January and September 2025, marking a 2.1% increase. During the same period, Dubai welcomed 13.95 million overnight visitors, reflecting a 5% rise and demonstrating the synergy between leisure and business travel.
Preparing for the Next Phase of Global Events Leadership
Dubai is already looking ahead, accelerating infrastructure projects to meet growing global demand. Major investments include the expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, enhanced airport capacity, and broader city-wide upgrades. These developments will further strengthen the emirate’s ability to host mega-events, international conventions, and world-class exhibitions at unprecedented scale.
