DWTC expects 24,000 delegates over nine congresses

Devina Divecha, February 12th, 2017

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has won a strategic bid to host nine new international congresses at the venue from 2017-2021, and is expected to welcome more than 24,000 delegates from around the world.

DWTC senior vice president - venues Ahmed Alkhaja said in a statement: "DWTC is committed to Dubai’s economic diversification strategy firmly aligned to the Dubai Plan 2021 and is working towards contributing business visitors to the tourism target. Our latest wins is not only a reflection of our investment in growing the MICE sector but also of Dubai’s dedication to welcoming international and regional congresses in the UAE."

With healthcare, energy and environment emerging as important industries for the country's economic growth, Alkhaja said it was essential for DWTC to also support those sectors.

One of the new additions to DWTC’s calendar within the arena of healthcare is the Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR), which will take place in October 2017. In 2018, DWTC will host a variety of new congresses such as the 13th Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands focusing on environmental conservation, and the World Tunnel Congress, which brings together top engineering minds in the field of tunnelling for the world’s most sustainable cities.

World Cardiology Congress and World Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity & Metabolic Disorders will also be hosted in the same year, providing medical practitioners a platform to share advancements in the field of surgery and medicine.

In 2019, DWTC welcomed the 60th Amway APAC Leadership Seminar and the International Federation for Health Information Management Association.

DWTC will also receive the Meeting of International Children's Continence Society in 2020, and the World Congress of the World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons in 2021.

DWTC hosted 34 congresses in 2016 including The Society of Petroleum Engineers Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition which saw over 7,000 delegates; Think Science 2016 which saw over 7,000 visitors, the 34th International Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion which saw over 3,000 delegates; and YPO Global Leadership Conference 2016 which saw over 3,000 visitors.