Dubai's DWTC and Informa create exhibitions, event management joint venture

DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Dubai World Trade Centre is forming a joint venture with Informa, the world's largest exhibition group, to pursue opportunities in exhibitions and event management, targeting revenues of over $700 million, it said on Thursday.

The emirate is seeking to triple the sector's annual contribution to GDP to $14.7 billion by 2033.

The strategic joint venture, Informa International, will be fully operational by the last quarter of this year and will be headquartered in Dubai.

It will include exhibitions, conferences, professional training and accreditation businesses of both companies in Dubai "and connected partner markets", DWTC said in a statement.

Over the past two years the events sector has rebounded after pandemic-induced disruptions, with a resurgence in in-person business conferences and exhibitions.

The partnership with Informa, which on Thursday reported an 11.6% rise in 2024 underlying revenue, plans to expand "beyond Dubai and the wider Middle East, across high-growth markets globally", DWTC added, without providing further details.

DWTC owns and runs event venues like the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre, which have a combined capacity of over 203,000 square metres of indoor event space.

Informa