Prime Highlight
- Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa Group have partnered to launch inD, a unified platform combining over 40 major B2B trade events.
- The initiative aims to strengthen Dubai’s global position as a hub for business events, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
Key Facts
- The inD platform will cover key sectors including food, technology, aviation, healthcare, energy, and cybersecurity, operating across the UAE, India, Turkey, Egypt, and Bahrain.
- Dubai Exhibition Centre will add 140,000 square metres of new event space by 2026, supporting larger and more complex international shows.
Background
Dubai’s biggest trade events, including Gulfood, GITEX Global, Dubai Airshow and WHX, are set to power a new B2B live events business expected to generate more than $650 million in annual revenue by 2026. The development follows a new partnership between Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Informa Group to create a unified events platform named inD.
The new venture will bring together more than 40 well-known B2B event brands under one umbrella. These events cover key sectors such as food and beverage, technology, aviation, healthcare, energy, and cybersecurity. Along with flagship shows, the portfolio includes Middle East Energy and GISEC, strengthening Dubai’s position in the global events market.
The combined events platform will operate across several key markets, including the UAE, India, Turkey, Egypt, and Bahrain. Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO of DWTC, said the partnership reinforces Dubai’s role as a leading global hub for business events, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
The launch of inD comes alongside a major expansion of Dubai’s exhibition infrastructure. The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) will add 140,000 square metres of new event space by 2026. The expansion aims to reduce overcrowding and parking problems for visitors and let Dubai host bigger, more complex global shows.
Gulfood 2026 will be the first event held under the inD banner. Scheduled from January 26 to 30, the show will, for the first time, run across both the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre. Organisers expect more than 8,500 exhibitors, 1.5 million products on display, and participants from 195 countries.
Following Gulfood, WHX Dubai and WHX Labs Dubai will take place in February, bringing together over 270,000 healthcare professionals. Informa Group CEO Stephen A. Carter said the inD platform reflects growing global demand for high-quality, in-person B2B events.
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