Dubai Exhibition Centre Expansion Advances
The Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion is progressing as Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a leading global destination for exhibitions, conferences and business events.
Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is advancing Phase 2 of the AED10 billion ($2.72 billion) development at Expo City Dubai, with the completed project expected to transform the scale and capacity of the exhibition venue.
Upon full completion in 2031, Dubai Exhibition Centre will extend approximately 1.2 kilometres and cover 180,000 square metres. The venue will be capable of welcoming around 65,000 visitors a day and hosting more than 20 events simultaneously.
The expansion is being delivered in three phases and forms part of DWTC’s wider long-term investment programme aimed at supporting Dubai’s growing business events sector.
Phase 2 to Increase Exhibition Space
Phase 1 of the project was completed in early 2026, taking Dubai Exhibition Centre’s purpose-built indoor event space to 140,000 square metres and increasing daily visitor capacity to approximately 50,000 people.
The next stage of the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion will increase indoor event space to 160,000 square metres and raise daily visitor capacity to around 60,000.
Phase 2 will also introduce infrastructure designed to improve the movement of visitors and exhibitors throughout the venue.
An extended Concourse will connect the Phase 1 and Phase 2 halls, creating a more integrated exhibition environment and allowing organisers greater flexibility when planning large-scale events.
The development will also feature a new Eastern Access Road, which is expected to improve connections between Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai and existing drop-off areas.
7,000 New Parking Spaces
Parking capacity will also be expanded as part of the project.
New multi-storey parking facilities will initially provide approximately 7,000 parking spaces, supporting the expected increase in visitor numbers as the venue continues to grow.
The additional parking and improved road connections are intended to enhance accessibility for visitors, exhibitors, event organisers and service providers attending major international exhibitions and conferences.
DWTC said the infrastructure will provide greater flexibility for staging major international exhibitions while allowing multiple events to take place at the same time.
Venue to Reach Full Capacity by 2031
The long-term vision for the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion is significantly larger than the facilities currently being delivered.
By 2031, the venue is expected to reach 180,000 square metres and stretch approximately 1.2km across Expo City Dubai.
At full completion, Dubai Exhibition Centre will be able to accommodate approximately 65,000 visitors per day and host more than 20 events simultaneously.
The expanded venue is designed to support increasingly large and complex international events, reflecting Dubai’s ambition to remain competitive in the global meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry.
Amer Al Farsi, Vice President of Real Estate Development at Dubai World Trade Centre, said the project is focused on preparing the venue for the future requirements of the global events industry.
He said Phase 1 had already demonstrated the scale and flexibility of the expanded venue, while Phase 2 would build on that foundation.
Al Farsi added that construction was progressing according to plan while Dubai Exhibition Centre remained fully operational.
He said the objective went beyond increasing capacity, with the project intended to create a world-class venue offering improved experiences for organisers, exhibitors and visitors.
Major Events Already Using Expanded Facilities
The first phase of the expansion has already played a role in Dubai’s major events calendar.
The expanded facilities hosted Gulfood and World Health Expo as their first major events earlier in 2026.
The successful use of the new facilities provides an early indication of how the larger venue can support high-profile international exhibitions and attract significant numbers of visitors and industry professionals.
As construction continues, DWTC will maintain operations at Dubai Exhibition Centre, allowing the venue to continue supporting Dubai’s busy events calendar while additional facilities are being developed.
DWTC Prepares for More Than 100 Events
The latest construction update comes as Dubai World Trade Centre prepares to host more than 100 exhibitions, conferences and business events across its two venues through the end of 2026.
The events calendar covers a wide range of sectors, including technology, travel and tourism, energy, real estate, construction, beauty and sustainability.
Upcoming events include DUPHAT, Middle East Energy and Arabian Travel Market in September, followed by Arab Lab, WETEX, World Green Economy Summit, Gulfood Manufacturing, The Big 5 Global and Beautyworld in October.
The year will conclude with GITEX Global, one of the region’s largest technology events.
GITEX Global is expected to bring together more than 200,000 technology executives, approximately 6,800 exhibitors and participants from more than 180 countries.
DWTC operates two major venues in Dubai: the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Central Business District and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai.
Supporting Dubai’s Economic Growth
The Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion is also linked to Dubai’s broader economic development strategy.
DWTC aims to increase its annual economic contribution to AED54 billion ($14.70 billion) by 2033, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
The expansion is expected to provide additional capacity for international exhibitions, conferences and business events, helping bring companies, investors and decision-makers from around the world to Dubai.
Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President at Dubai World Trade Centre, said the business events industry had demonstrated resilience and an ability to adapt, adding that DWTC was seeing continued momentum in the sector.
He said business events play an important role in Dubai’s wider economic activity by bringing international companies, investors and decision-makers to the city to trade, develop partnerships and access new markets.
Dubai Strengthens Global Events Position
The scale of the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion reflects Dubai’s continued investment in its business events infrastructure.
Increasing indoor exhibition space from 140,000 square metres following Phase 1 to 160,000 square metres during Phase 2, before reaching 180,000 square metres at full completion, will give organisers significantly more room to stage major international events.
The combination of additional halls, a connected Concourse, expanded parking facilities and improved road access is also expected to make the venue more capable of handling simultaneous large-scale events.
With completion targeted for 2031, the project will create one of Dubai’s most significant exhibition infrastructure developments and support the emirate’s ambitions to attract larger international events, businesses and visitors.
As construction progresses, Dubai Exhibition Centre will continue operating alongside the development programme, ensuring that the venue remains an active part of Dubai’s events calendar while its future capacity is being built.
