Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, recorded a total of 301 successful bids for meetings, conferences and incentives in 2019. Set to attract an expected 150,095 delegates to Dubai over the coming years, the winning bids will deliver approximately 620,000 room nights for the city and, added to wins from previous years, means the total expected hotel room night pipeline stood at 1,031,060 at the start of 2020. The city’s convention bureau also witnessed steady growth of its Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors Programme, with 342 active ambassadors in 2019, up from 316 ambassadors in 2018.
DBE submitted a total of 595 bids in 2019, marking an increase of close to 7% in comparison to 2018, making it the bureau’s most active year in terms of bid submissions. This reflected an uplift in the number of events identified in partnership with local associations, businesses and other stakeholders, and the increasing confidence in the city’s ability to host them, taking advantage of Dubai’s strong infrastructure, ease of connectivity, world-class hotels and state-of-the-art venues.
Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Last year was a significant one for Dubai Business Events, and the successful bid wins are a testament to the city’s rapid growth as a leading business and knowledge hub. We would like to thank our partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support in driving the contribution of business events to achieving our overall tourism ambition. With Expo 2020 Dubai approaching, this is set to be a landmark year for the city, providing an unrivalled opportunity to further demonstrate the city’s ability to host successful and impactful events of all sizes. Our aim is to build on the momentum we have already gathered and continue to partner with stakeholders and business events professionals globally to pursue opportunities to bid for and secure key events for the city.’’
