Dubai emerges as one of top 10 destinations for international meetings

Dubai has emerged as one of the top 10 destinations for international meetings, according to the latest edition of the International Meetings Statistics Report published last week by the Union of International Associations, UIA.

The report ranked 1,157 cities globally based on the total number of international meetings that took place during the year. Previously ranked 14th in the 2015 edition, Dubai has moved up the list to claim the 10th spot with a total of 180 meetings taking place in 2016, reflecting a growth of 24 percent in comparison to 2015.

Dubai is the only city in the Middle East and Africa to appear in the top 25 in the rankings, further underlining its status as the region’s number one destination for international meetings and conferences.

Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, "With these latest UIA rankings, it is once again clear that Dubai is now not only the regional leader in the sector, but also a major destination on the global stage for business events. We will continue to strengthen our business events offering, and strive towards transforming Dubai into a global knowledge hub."

The total number of meetings assessed include those that are organised by international organisations, as well as ones organised by national organisations or branches but with significant international character. Dubai’s current standing reaffirms the city’s status of being a premier destination to host business events, and reflects the tremendous growth experienced over the past five years.

Steen Jakobsen, Director of Dubai Business Events, said, "Dubai’s business events industry has undoubtedly grown over the past decade, and we are very proud that the city is being regarded as one of the top 10 international meetings destinations by UIA, competing with over 1,100 worldwide destinations for the spot. We have worked very hard to achieve this status, with strong support from public and private partners, including Dubai World Trade Centre, hotels, Emirates Airlines, flydubai and other meetings industry suppliers, and are aiming to continue enhancing our offering to remain competitive and further propel Dubai’s ranking in the years to come."

The latest UIA rankings report comes on the back of Dubai’s recent announcement to launch the Dubai Association Conference which will be held on 11th and 12th December 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

In addition to the this event, Dubai is also set to host key international business events this year, including the Academy of International Business Annual Meeting, Federation Internationale des Demenageurs Internationaux, FIDI, Annual Conference, Annual Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology, and the International Primary Immunodeficiencies Congress.

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