Dubai mega events Gulfood, GITEX, Airshow to power $650m B2B events business

Dubai: Dubai’s biggest trade shows — Gulfood, WHX (formerly known as Arab Health), GITEX Global and Dubai Airshow — will form the backbone of a new B2B Live Events platform expected to generate more than $650 million in annual revenues by 2026.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Informa Group have confirmed a partnership to create inD, a new business that combines some of the world’s most influential B2B event brands under a single platform.

inD brings together more than 40 major B2B brands, across sectors such as food and beverage, technology, aviation, healthcare, energy and cybersecurity. Key brands include Gulfood, GITEX Global, Dubai Airshow, WHX, Middle East Energy and GISEC.

The combined portfolio will operate across the UAE, India, Turkey, Egypt and Bahrain. Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO of DWTC, said the partnership strengthens Dubai’s position as a global hub for B2B events, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Dubai venue expansion

The launch of inD coincides with a major expansion of Dubai’s exhibition infrastructure. The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) will add 140,000 square metres of event space in 2026, enabling larger shows. Overcrowding and difficulty finding parking spaces have been a challenge for DWTC visitors.

This expanded capacity is expected to support the continued scale-up of Dubai’s flagship trade shows, many of which already rank among the largest of their kind globally.

The first inD-branded event will be Gulfood 2026, running from January 26 to 30. For the first time, the show will span both the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and DEC.

Gulfood 2026 is expected to host over 8,500 exhibitors, showcase 1.5 million products, and attract participants from 195 countries. It will be followed by WHX Dubai and WHX Labs Dubai in February, bringing together more than 270,000 healthcare professionals.

Stephen A. Carter, CEO of Informa Group, said inD reflects strong demand for high-quality B2B live events as global industries continue to seek in-person engagement.