Dubai World Trade Centre‘s hospitality division served 1.28 million guests across 2,578 events in 2025, up from 930,000 guests in 2024 — a 37 per cent increase year on year.
The figures, released today, cover operations across DWTC’s venues – Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) and Jafza One Convention Centre (JOCC) – as well as events at locations and venues elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The division provides catering for government, corporate and private sector clients.
“DWTC Hospitality plays a key role in supporting Dubai’s dynamic events and business tourism ecosystem, delivering exceptional experiences through world-class service. Our strength lies in operating at scale while maintaining the precision and service quality expected of a leading global destination. Hospitality today extends far beyond catering, encompassing trusted execution and seamless delivery across the entire event journey. As we continue investing in our people, infrastructure and multi-venue capabilities, alongside the expansion of Dubai Exhibition Centre, we are well positioned to support the next phase of growth in the region’s mega events landscape and further enhance Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s leading events destinations,” Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President at Dubai World Trade Centre said in a statement.
Dubai World Trade Centre hospitality division reports record results for 2025
Exhibition catering was the division’s fastest-growing segment in 2025. Guest numbers rose to over 240,000, from 120,000 in 2024. The increase was linked to the expansion of DWTC’s exhibitions including Gulfood, World Health Expo (WHX) Dubai, Arabian Travel Market and GITEX Global. DWTC Hospitality also supported GITEX Africa in Morocco.
The conferences, associations and business meetings segment served over 123,000 attendees in 2025. DWTC said the growth reflects Dubai’s position as a destination for international business meetings.
DWTC Hospitality catered to over 600,000 guests at corporate and private events in 2025, compared with 400,000 in 2024. Within this, the wedding segment accounted for 56,554 guests.
DEC and Jafza One Convention Centre together accounted for over 80,000 guests catered to in 2025. The multi-venue model allows the division to handle a growing number of events across its portfolio.
Off-site operations grew by 12 per cent, serving over 160,000 guests across 1,211 events. These included the Dubai International Boat Show, Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Dubai World Cup, MEBAA Show and events at Ain Dubai.
“Moving forward, we will continue to raise the benchmark for event hospitality across the region. As Dubai’s events industry becomes more sophisticated and globally competitive, the role of hospitality becomes even more integral to overall event success. We are focused on building long-term partnerships with organisers, investing in culinary talent and innovation, and embedding sustainable practices across our operations,” added Julfar.
