Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, ADNEC, today announced that the value of its direct and indirect impact on the Abu Dhabi economy in 2018 registered AED3.41 billion, taking the total value of its contribution to the local economy since its inception in 2005 to AED32 billion.

The company shared its 2018 results at a press conference at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre headed by Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, CEO of the ADNEC Group, which was attended by senior ADNEC officials and representatives of major media outlets.

ADNEC’s strong 2018 results followed a 14 percent growth in the number of events hosted by Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre, AACC, which collectively notched up a record 502 events in 2018, compared to 442 events in 2017. That brings the total number of events hosted by ADNEC’s venues since its inception 14 years ago to 3,390.

ADNEC welcomed more than two million visitors from across the globe in 2018, taking the total visitor count at its venues to more than 17.5 million since 2005.

The company also revealed that it supported the creation of over 20,000 job opportunities in related sectors and helped generate 473,454 guest nights for the hospitality sector in the emirate.

Meanwhile, ADNEC recorded steady growth in the number of UAE nationals among its workforce that reached 72 percent in 2018, up from 69 percent in 2017. In addition, Emiratisation of senior management positions reached 85 percent last year.

Commenting on the results, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development and Chairperson of ADNEC, said, "ADNEC pursues Abu Dhabi’s vision to develop its business tourism sector, one of the key sectors identified by Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. For the past 14 years, the company has marked multiple achievements at the local and international levels, owing to the unwavering support of the wise leaders of the emirate and their continued commitment to the development of this vital sector."

In 2018, ADNEC venues collectively hosted 57 local and international exhibitions, including nine new additions, representing a 7.4 percent increase over 2017, when they welcomed 54 exhibitions. Furthermore, the number of rotational conferences of specialised international associations presented by ADNEC venues, some of them marking their Middle East debut, increased from 14 in 2017 to 19 in 2018, posting a 35 percent growth.

In addition, the company achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating in the global events and exhibitions industry at 94.7 percent, up from 92.6 percent in 2017.

In 2018, Al Ain Convention Centre hosted 90 events, while ExCeL London, the wholly owned subsidiary of ADNEC in the UK capital, put on 412 events and welcomed 2.3 million visitors.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri said, "Capping its past achievements, ADNEC has notched up excellent results in 2018, buoyed by the record growth in the number of events hosted by its venues as well as the solid performance of its key business segments, especially exhibitions and conferences. Over the years, ADNEC has significantly increased its market share within the region’s fast-growing event industry."

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