Abu Dhabi’s events sector witnessed a strong and lively comeback in May as the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions centre (Adnec) played host to a number of major international conferences and events.
Adnec, the largest exhibition and conference centre in the Middle East and North Africa, hosted 10 major local and international events, including five international conferences during the month, as part of its efforts to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination for business tourism and leisure tourism.
In the same context, and as part of the group’s efforts to support business sectors, the Centre hosted four Specialised International Exhibitions.
Specialised events
As part of the group’s strategy to attract specialised events in various economic and social sectors, Adnec witnessed the launch of a distinguished event in the sports sector: the IFMA Muaythai World Championships, which was attended by athletes from all over the world.
Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Chief Commercial Officer of Adnec, said: “In May, we witnessed many major international exhibitions and conferences, which constitute a strong return of the business sector’s activity in Abu Dhabi. This significant activity in the business tourism sector reflects the pivotal role played by Adnec Group in emphasising Abu Dhabi’s position as the capital of the events industry in the region.
“It also contributes to the sustainable growth of the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi by attracting tourists and visitors for the purposes of business and leisure while at the same time achieving positive economic and social returns for Abu Dhabi. This also reflects Adnec’s commitment to transferring and localising knowledge by bringing together global expertise in one place.
Busy agenda
“The busy agenda and the varied successful activities witnessed by Adnec in May reflect its resources and capabilities. Adnec provides advanced infrastructure and exceptional facilities capable of hosting many activities and events at the same time, in addition to the support provided by the specialised teams in the group to allow exhibition and conference organisers around the world to organise successful events,” he added.
Adnec started off May with the World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) conference from May 8 to 9, where the conference addressed the challenges related to belonging to the contemporary Muslim community.
The centre then hosted the World Utilities Congress 2022, from May 9 to 11. This event, which was attended by a group of experts and specialists from around the world, was a platform for exploring the latest innovations in the global utilities and energy sector. It attracted more than 10,000 professionals, in addition to 120 international exhibitors, and more than 200 speakers specialised in the utilities sector.
Substance use
Then from May 12 to 16, the 6th annual conference of the International Society of the Substance Use Professionals organised by the Society and the National Rehabilitation Centre took place. The conference brought together scientists, researchers, and specialists in the field of behavioural addiction to discuss many research papers that focused on the subject of addiction. In which more than 1,000 global experts participated. The event included 25 workshops in addition to 15 international training programmes.
From May 17 to 18, Adnec hosted the Roads and Traffic Expo ME, which was held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with the Middle East Rail 2022 exhibition and conference, which was also held for the first time in Abu Dhabi, with the two events bringing together hundreds of experts and specialists from around the world. The events attracted more than 6,000 visitors, 200 specialised speakers, and more than 250 exhibitors.
On May 22, the centre also witnessed the launch of the first edition of the International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries, which discussed the latest trends in the Arab publishing and content industry, constituting an effective platform to facilitate dialogue between publishers, content makers, intellectual leaders, and entrepreneurs of all creative orientations.
Book Fair
The centre then saw the 31st edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The Fair saw the participation of 1,130 publishers from more than 80 countries and included more than 450 cultural, intellectual, and creative events.
In conjunction with the Book Fair, Adnec witnessed the launch of the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS), held for the first time in Abu Dhabi with the participation of major electric car manufacturers with the aim of networking, identifying sources, and showcasing the latest technology. Some 1,000 representatives from the competent authorities participated in its activities, which included 30 dialogue sessions, in addition to more than 50 speakers and experts in this vital sector.
As the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair continued, the Centre witnessed the launch of the IFMA Muaythai World Championships 2022, which was attended by more than 700 participants representing more than 70 countries.
Adnec concludes its busy agenda in May with the Worldchefs Congress & Expo on May 30, with more than 1,000 competing chefs and 200 participating brands from 100 countries in addition to attracting more than 4,500 visitors from all over the world.
