Huge Dubai Exhibition Centre to open next year

Dubai: The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) is set to open on October 20, 2020 — operated by the Dubai World Trade Centre — and will become a new 45,000 square metre space from which to host conferences and other events.

Spread across two campuses, the centre will house a theatre, an auditorium, several multi-purpose halls, four suites and 24 meeting rooms, and will be completely customisable to large events, including indoor concerts.

Located at the Expo 2020 site, the DEC forms a key part of Expo 2020s legacy, organisers say, where it will continue to serve District 2020, the integrated urban development that will repurpose more than 80 per cent of Expo’s built environment.

A driver of growth in the business services sector, the DEC’s operation and expansion will attract both domestic and international visitors and encourage a sustainable, resilient and diversified economy in line with UAE Vision 2021, a set of national priorities to mark the country’s Golden Jubilee, the statement said.

“By any standard,” said Ahmed Al Khatib, chief delivery officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, “the Dubai Exhibition Centre will be a cutting edge venue that will play a pivotal role during Expo 2020.”

“But the impact of such a unique space will stretch well beyond the six months of the Expo,” he added, “boosting the region’s meetings and events industry, furthering the UAE’s reputation as a destination for major conferences, and fuelling growth in Dubai’s knowledge-based economy for many years to come.”