(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 14th February, 2018 (WAM) -- Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, ADNEC, today announced that the value of its direct and indirect contribution to Abu Dhabi's economy has increased by 26.66 percent in 2017 to reach AED3.89 billion, compared to AED3 billion in 2016.
The company shared its 2017 results at a press conference at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, headlined by Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, CEO of ADNEC Group, and other senior ADNEC officials.
Al Dhaheri said, "We are pleased with the outstanding results ADNEC has achieved over the past year despite the diverse challenges that the MICE industry faced regionally and globally. Our numbers validate the effectiveness of our portfolio expansion into sectors prioritised in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 as well as the high flexibility we demonstrated in successfully hosting a wide spectrum of events."
He added, "In 2017, ADNEC continued to deliver on its mandate to promote business tourism in Abu Dhabi through creating a platform that enables event organisers to realise their goals of connecting people via world-class events and venues, and offering best-in-class services that exceed stakeholder expectations. The company has greatly benefitted from the wealth of Emirati talent among its personnel, who lead various initiatives aimed at achieving long-term business growth. In the future, ADNEC seeks to reinforce its commitment to implementing the vision of the UAE leadership that recognises the crucial contribution of non-oil sectors to long-term economic growth."
Highlighting the importance of ADNEC to Abu Dhabi's economy, Al Dhaheri said, "ADNEC is proud to play an integral role in consolidating Abu Dhabi's status as an international business tourism capital. In supporting the emirate's economic transformation, we act on our core mandate to create new opportunities for the Abu Dhabi economy through attracting more high-profile international events to our venues."
ADNEC venues, including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Al Ain Convention Centre, welcomed more than 2.08 million visitors for the first time since 2007, registering 36 percent growth over 2016. The two venues collectively hosted 442 events in 2017.
The company also supported the creation of 22,300 jobs and helped generate 692,732 guest nights for the hospitality sector in the emirate.
ADNEC recorded steady growth in the number of UAE nationals among its employees that reached 69 percent in 2017, up from 60 percent in 2016. Forty of them have successfully completed a secondment at ADNEC's UK venue ExCeL London as part of the company's training and development programme.
In 2017, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Al Ain Convention Centre cumulatively hosted 54 exhibitions including 13 new additions, representing a 25.5 percent increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, the venues staged 14 world-class conferences, posting a 28 percent year-on-year revenue growth.
In addition, ADNEC achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 93 per cent, up from 92.8% in 2016, the highest in the global events and exhibitions industry. The results of a society perception survey also showed that the awareness of ADNEC's contribution to Abu Dhabi's economic development among its residents surged to 95 per cent. All these surveys are conducted by an independent agency to ensure impartiality and objectivity.
In 2017, the Al Ain Convention Centre continued to deliver significant economic benefits to the city of Al Ain due to the upgrade and expansion of its facilities. The latest phase involved the construction of a new convention centre offering 1,000 sq m of additional conference and meeting space that increased the venue's gross area by eight percent to 14,000 sq m. In addition to enhancing Al Ain's business tourism credentials, the expansion has allowed the Al Ain Convention Centre to attract more conferences and exhibitions to the Garden City.
In 2017, ADNEC also received the four-star excellence rating from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and TUV Innovation Management Certification. Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre scooped up the Sustainability Award at the Middle East Special Event & Exhibition Show (MESE) 2017 and the Sustainability Award at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards 2017. Since its inception, ADNEC has won 94 accolades across diverse industry sectors due to its quest for excellence in the events and exhibitions sector.
In 2017, the company continued to deliver on its sustainability commitments, reducing its CO2 emissions by 236 tonnes and saving 2,800 trees through recycling 1,000 tonnes of materials. Furthermore, through recycling 46 percent of materials, the company exceeded its recycling target of 34 per cent.
On 7 March 2017, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, inaugurated the Innovation Lab at ADNEC as part of the company's sustained efforts to foster a workplace culture based on creativity and innovation. Accessible to all employees and departments across ADNEC, the Innovation Lab provides a dedicated space for brainstorming and effective decision-making with the aim of helping employees deliver best-in-class services to ensure superior levels of customer satisfaction.
Among the key events ADNEC hosted in 2017, IDEX and NAVDEX – the collocated mega biennial defence and naval exhibitions – marked their largest editions to date. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the events drew the participation of 1,235 companies and attracted 105,000 visitors, up 4.3 percent over 2015. The two events have had a total economic impact of AED714 million since 1993. The value of transactions concluded in the 2017 edition reached more than AED 19.2 billion, compared to AED 13.3 billion in 2015.
Running from 13 to 20 January, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017 welcomed five heads of state, 73 government ministers and 4,080 senior executives – an increase of 12 percent compared to 2016. Held under the theme 'Practical Steps Towards a Sustainable Future', the event featured international pavilions from 20 countries, representing an 11 percent hike over last year. ADSW 2017 was the first global gathering dedicated to sustainability since the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016.
From 30 March to 1 April, the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre opened its doors to the second International Motor Show Abu Dhabi (IMSAD) that offered a unique platform to launch new vehicles and showcase existing models. The event included Custom Show Emirates, the biggest custom cars and bikes show in the Middle East, highlighting the latest trends in auto customisation.
From 18 to 20 April, ADNEC hosted the 11th edition of Cityscape Abu Dhabi that drew the participation of over 100 exhibitors and four thousand visitors from the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and the UK, amongst others.
From 26 April to 2 May, the 27th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2017) welcomed 1,320 exhibitors from 65 countries. In addition to showcasing 500,000 titles in more than 30 languages, the event featured topics ranging from the life and times of celebrated Muslim poet and philosopher Ibn Arabi to China's cultural and intellectual achievements.
From 2 to 6 May, ADNEC hosted the International Jewellery and Watch Show Abu Dhabi (JWS), a high-end jewellery and watch exhibition that presented the world's leading brands and attracted elite retailers and designers. Other important events in May included the Abu Dhabi Summer Fair 2017, ATECH World, Children & Parents World, Lifestyle Abu Dhabi, Ramadan & Eid Festival, and Capital Majlis.
Organised by the General Secretariat of Abu Dhabi Executive Council 'Ramadan Majlis', was hosted at ADNEC last year, which attracted around 1,500 visitors from different government bodies and entities.
June at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre belonged to India-themed events with the International Day of Yoga, organised by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi on 20 June, and the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) that ran from 30 June to 1 July.
Held from 9 July to 31 August, the Abu Dhabi Sports Festival provided a unique platform to promote a healthy and active lifestyle among the community.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) convened its 60th international public meeting on 28 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Attracting 2,000 international attendees including representatives of governments, research institutions, the technical community and civil society, the event discussed the latest developments in the field of internet domains and other internet-related topics.
The 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2017) took place from 12 to 16 September at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Welcoming 600 companies from 40 countries, the region's largest hunting and equestrian event offered visitors an opportunity to explore authentic Emirati heritage and learn about hunting skills and equipment, watersports, outdoor sports and equestrian activities.
From 15 to 18 October, ADNEC hosted WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the largest edition in the event's history. Held for the first time in the Middle East, the world's biggest skills competition drew the participation of thousands of contestants from 59 countries and over 100,000 visitors.
The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) ran at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 November under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The 20th edition of one of the world's leading oil and gas events brought together more than 2,200 exhibiting companies, 27 country pavilions and 100,000 trade professionals from over 125 countries.
From 4 to 8 December, ADNEC hosted the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2017 Congress, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The event convened more than 300 world-renowned speakers, 230 national diabetes associations from 170 countries and key officials from Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector.
ADNEC's 2017 event calendar concluded with SIAL Middle East that took place from 12 to 14 December. The event attracted over 900 exhibitors and more than 16,000 visitors from the food, beverage and hospitality industry. At the same time ADNEC hosted Abu Dhabi International Palm Date Exhibition which is of great interest for the public.
Last year, ADNEC also succeeded in winning seven major international conference bids through its continued engagement with its partners from the tourism industry as well as the local chapters of international associations.
Notable additions to the company's event portfolio include the International Conference of Dialysis 2018, the 8th Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption 2019, Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Asia (SIOP-ASIA) 2019, the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) World Congress of Nephrology 2020, World Urban Forum 2020, International Orthodontic Congress 2021, and the 33rd International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Triennial Congress, set to take place in 2023. In a major boost to the conferences sector, these high-profile medical conferences are expected to bring thousands of international visitors to Abu Dhabi.
Offering 133,000 square metres of interconnected floor space to meet the requirements of a wide variety of events, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is one of the most technologically advanced exhibition venues in the region.
WAM/Esraa Ismail/Rasha Abubaker
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