The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) on Wednesday said its contribution to Abu Dhabi's economy increased 26.66 per cent in 2017 to Dh3.9 billion compared to Dh3 billion in 2016 and helped create 22,300 jobs.
Adnec venues, including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Al Ain Convention Centre, collectively hosted 442 events in 2017 and received more than 2.08 million visitors, registering 36 per cent growth over 2016.
In 2017, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Al Ain Convention Centre collectively hosted 54 exhibitions, including 13 new additions, representing a 25.5 per cent increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, the venues staged 14 conferences, posting a 28 per cent year-on-year revenue growth.
According to the Oxford Business Group, Abu Dhabi has seen a surge in activity in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) sector as business travellers have become one of the emirate's principal sources of visitor revenue. In addition, Abu Dhabi has also jumped ranks in the International Congress and Convention Association by 161 places in three years - from 234 in 2012 to 72 by 2015.
A press statement issued by Adnec on Wednesday said it supported the creation of 22,300 jobs and helped generate 692,732 guest nights for the hospitality sector in the emirate.
Furthermore, Adnec recorded a steady growth in the number of UAE nationals among its employees. The ratio reached 69 per cent in 2017, up from 60 per cent in 2016.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, CEO of Adnec Group, said the numbers validate the effectiveness of Adnec's portfolio expansion into sectors prioritised in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 as well as the high flexibility demonstrated in successfully hosting a wide spectrum of events.
"Adnec is proud to play an integral role in consolidating Abu Dhabi's status as an international business tourism capital. In supporting the emirate's economic transformation, we act on our core mandate to create new opportunities for the Abu Dhabi economy through attracting more high-profile international events to our venues," Al Dhaheri said.
In addition, Adnec achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 93 per cent, up from 92.8 per cent in 2016.
