DECC signs up for IBTM Arabia 2016

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Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, the latest venue in Doha, the Capital of Qatar has confirmed the presence of their team at IBTM Arabia, the region’s leading one-to-one business event for the MICE industry, taking place at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, from February 9 to 11.

This step comes as an official announcement to the region’s top event organizers on DECC’s readiness for receiving any inquiries from the region which comes after a previous participation at IBTM world 2015 in Barcelona.

DECC Management, commented: “The opening of DECC precedes a new era for event delivery and business tourism here in Qatar. The Middle East is the fastest growing international meeting market in the world and growing year on year. I believe DECC is set to become one of the most attractive MICE venues in the Middle East, and we are looking forward to welcoming clients and guests to transform this massive potential into a reality for Qatar.”

DECC is located in the heart of the central business district (West Bay) and has an approximate gross area of 47,700 square meters including 29,000m² of pillar-less exhibition space which can be split into 5 separate halls, and with 18m height & 96m width the hall is considered the highest & widest in the Middle East. In addition, DECC boasts 18 meeting rooms equipped with state of the art technology & 13 commercial offices all surrounded by more than six 5-stars Hotels within a walking distance.

DECC was opened 18^th Oct. 2015 & has already hosted 7 major exhibitions in the past 3 months (including events like: Qatar Motor Show, Energy World Qatar and Civil Defense Conference & Exhibition), with very positive reviews of both the venue and its international management team from both event organizers and visitors alike.

DECC is expected to host more than 36 events in 2016 and has already started receiving inquiries for 2017/18 for events that aims to use the strategically centrally located venue.

The GCC hospitality industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.5% to US$ 35.9 billion by 2018 compared to the US$ 22.8 billion in 2013. Average occupancy rates are likely to be in the range of 68% and 74% between 2013 and 2018 while ADR is likely to average between US$ 225 and US$ 263 during the same period. Saudi Arabia is expected to continue its dominance as the largest market in terms of revenues, followed by the UAE. Upcoming mega events in Qatar and UAE are expected to be the key growth drivers for the hospitality industry in these countries.

With the recent wins in mega events like the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 and the Dubai World Expo 2020, the region is gearing up for an increase in tourist arrivals. Due to the forecasted increase in demand, the sector is going through capacity expansion as well as increasing investment into infrastructure. The industry is expected to sustain this growth momentum supported by the regional governments’ initiatives to grow the sector, international tourist arrivals, especially those from the Asian region, and growth in the MICE segment among other factors.