Dubai - a bridge to emerging markets
Situated at the crossroads between East and West, Dubai continues to be a powerhouse for business. And this combination of location and economic strength is attracting international associations looking to grow membership and share knowledge
Dubai has become the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia headquarters of choice for numerous multinational organisations over the last two decades, attracted by Dubai’s focus on innovation, business-friendly environment and diverse knowledge sectors. These same qualities are making it increasingly appealing to international associations.
With its excellent accessibility, associations are keen to make the most of the opportunities Dubai offers to reach emerging markets, increase membership and attract first-time attendees to events.
This is echoing wider interest in the city, with the number of new businesses joining Dubai’s Chamber of Commerce growing by an astonishing 40 per cent in the first half of this year, compared to 2022.
And as Dubai continues to invest billions in its world-class infrastructure, this global gateway is set to become an ever more important destination for associations.
Dubai Association Centre
The Dubai Association Centre (DAC) has been operating for almost a decade, successfully assisting associations establish and international associations open regional representative offices in the Emirate.
Offering its services to non-profit, apolitical and nonreligious professional associations and trade bodies, the DAC offers a formal environment for associations to establish in Dubai, allowing practitioners within a common industry or profession, who are registered in the Emirate, to form a member-based association.
DAC provides the framework for international associations to conduct business in the UAE and beyond. Associations benefit from its economies of scale, experience in the association marketplace and centralised facilities .
The DAC Conference, organised biennially, is highly regarded as an important platform for the sector to examine the role associations play serving the needs of their members and as agents of change. Targeting association executives and stakeholders who play a crucial role in leadership and management, including government officials and strategic partners, the fourth edition will take place in February. With the theme: Value Amplified: Associations Empowering Change, it will explore innovative strategies, best practices and collaborative approaches to create immediate civic, economic and social development providing lasting value for communities and societies.
Logistics nexus
With 2.5 billion people living within a four-hour flight, and five billion within an eight-hour flight, Dubai offers associations unparalleled access to the world’s largest emerging growth markets.
Through substantial investment in transport infrastructure and logistics capabilities, Dubai has become a major and competitive regional trade gateway.
A world-class aviation hub, acting as a hyper-mobiliser for trade and logistics, Dubai International Airport is consistently the busiest international airport in the world with passenger numbers this year eclipsing pre-pandemic figures. Home to airline Emirates, it is on track to reach 86.8 million passengers this year.
Dubai World Central (DWC) is Dubai’s airport of the future. Upon completion, DWC will become the world’s largest airport with an ultimate capacity of more than 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo each year. The airport forms the heart of a greater project, a 140 sqkm multiphase development of six clustered zones that includes Dubai Logistics City (DLC), Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City and Golf City.
Among the world’s top five shipping hubs, according to the International Shipping Centre Development Index, the heart of Dubai’s logistics operations is DP World’s Jebel Ali Port. The largest marine terminal in the Middle East and the flagship facility of DP World’s portfolio of marine terminals across six continents, it is the world’s ninth busiest port.
Looking to the future
Dubai’s hosting of COP 28 is just one example of its increasing importance in the world. Leading the way in the diversification of its economy, largely through clean energy and logistics, its investments in strategically important industries combined with its economic openness have proved a huge success. As technology transforms the world we live in and particularly the nature of financial transactions, Dubai is taking the lead in the region’s fintech and regtech sector as well as investing heavily in its AI strategy.
Hosting an international association meeting in Dubai enables organisers to reach into new markets, grow membership and attract first-time attendees. The city’s impressive infrastructure for events – sophisticated congress centres, variety of excellent accommodation at different price points plus an extraordinary array of attractions – makes it a big draw for attendees. The team at Dubai Business Events is on hand to help each step of the way.
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