Emirate awarded ‘Recommended Incentive Travel Destination’ accolade at major
industry development event

Beijing, China, 17 January 2022: Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has won the top award in the ‘Recommended Incentive Travel Destination’ category at the 17th Direct Selling Industry Development Forum, which was recently held in China.

This year the forum attracted more than 200 attendees, who came together to discuss trends, challenges and innovative solutions in China’s direct selling industry. Industry awards were presented at the forum to recognise businesses, organisations, and individuals who have made major contributions to the development of the direct selling industry in China over the past year. 

Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted to receive this award as China is our top source market for MICE business. This accolade will reinforce Abu Dhabi’s reputation as an attractive MICE destination, with a diverse portfolio of unique offerings and world-class infrastructure. We look forward to becoming one of the first destinations to welcome MICE groups and visitors from China in the upcoming period.”

Abu Dhabi has a busy calendar of events planned for 2022, including the launch of 11 new business events. The six tradeshows and five association conventions will further establish the emirate as an ideal destination for meeting planners, conference organisers and exhibition organisers looking to hold key events and meetings.

The six new tradeshows include the Gulf International Flower and Garden Show scheduled for February 2022, the World Utilities Congress, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) and the Trucks, Tyres & Trailers Expo in May 2022. In September 2022, Abu Dhabi will welcome Oman’s largest event organiser, CONNECT, with their inaugural editions of Middle East Design & Build Week and Middle East Manufacturing & Technology Expo outside of the Sultanate and to close out the year, the Global Media Congress, in collaboration with the Emirates News agency (WAM), will take place in November 2022 and will include a media conference and an exhibition.

To accommodate the expected attendees, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) recently announced an expansion to boost its competitiveness and ability to attract and hold major international events for all sectors. Development is underway to build the largest exhibition hall in the MENA region and increase ADNEC’s overall interior space by 12 percent, giving exhibitors a combined internal and external area of over 151,000 square metres.

Abu Dhabi sees MICE as a critical catalyst for the recovery of the tourism sector and the overall economy. To support this growth, DCT Abu Dhabi is creating several initiatives, to drive visits to the destination which offers ‘the world in one place’.

Such initiatives will support market-ready capacity, best-in-class services and support, upgraded visitor experiences, improved international offices, a performance-driven market approach, recognition as MICE destination, competitive convention bureau set-up, and best-practice execution.

Additionally, the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, under the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, has pioneered the Advantage Abu Dhabi programme, a scheme that is aimed at increasing the overall value proposition of the destination, by providing an array of support throughout the event-planning and execution cycle, including financial aid.

In 2021, several landmark projects were brought to life in Abu Dhabi that have further elevated the destination’s global appeal, including Etihad Arena, the region’s largest multipurpose indoor arena set on the stunning waterfront of Yas Bay; Al Qana, a unique waterfront destination that houses The National Aquarium, the Middle East’s largest aquarium, and WB Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Warner Bros-themed hotel.

Abu Dhabi is open to all vaccinated travellers without the need for quarantine, as well as unvaccinated visitors from Green List countries, including China. It is anticipated that Abu Dhabi will be one of the first destinations to welcome tourists and MICE visitors from China once the country fully reopens its outbound travel market.