Work is under way on the second phase of the AED10 billion ($2.7 billion) Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion at Expo City Dubai, while Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) prepares to host more than 100 exhibitions, conferences and business events in the last quarter of 2026.
The expansion is meant to add capacity for large international events and to support a goal of lifting the sector’s annual economic output to AED54 billion ($14.7 billion) by 2033.
Three phases of the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion
- Phase one (complete): indoor exhibition space of 140,000 square metres, with room for up to 50,000 visitors a day.
- Phase two (under way): indoor space rising to 160,000 square metres.
- Final phase (due by 2031): 180,000 square metres across a 1.2-kilometre development.
Once all three phases are finished, the venue will be able to receive up to 65,000 visitors a day and host more than 20 events at the same time.
Events lined up as the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion continues
DWTC’s programme runs across its central business district venue and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. It includes GITEX Global, Big 5 Global, WETEX, Gulfood Manufacturing and Automechanika, covering sectors from technology and artificial intelligence to construction, manufacturing, energy and sustainability.
Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President at DWTC, said the calendar reflects continued international confidence in Dubai as a place for business and corporate expansion. He noted that 2026 is the first year events are being run across the two linked venues, which gives organisers more space and flexibility, and said later phases would give existing events room to grow and help attract new ones. As an example, he said Gulfood has more than doubled in size and drawn over 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries.
Economic impact
Major events hosted by DWTC generated AED25.03 billion ($6.8 billion) in economic output in 2025, up from AED22.35 billion ($6.1 billion) in 2024. About AED14.66 billion ($4 billion) of the 2025 total was gross value added to Dubai’s economy.
Julfar said business events support growth directly and also lift activity in aviation, transport and hospitality, along with trade, professional services, local businesses and the supply chains serving visitors and exhibitors.
The Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion is intended to support larger simultaneous events and create opportunities for investment, spending and business partnerships across established and emerging industries. Event details are listed on the Dubai World Trade Centre website.
Related: how the UAE’s 10-year licence reforms are reshaping business.
Source: Arabian Business, citing Dubai World Trade Centre.
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