Dubai World Trade Centre
The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), (Arabic: مركز دبي التجاري العالمي) has played a pivotal role in the growth of international trade for the Middle East, ever since its inauguration in 1979. Initially through the landmark 39-storey Sheikh Rashid Tower and now as the region’s largest purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions. It's iconic presence has led to the building being featured on the 100 Dirham bank note.
With over 1.3 million square feet of covered exhibition and event space, comprising 21 halls and over 40 meeting rooms across 3 floors, Dubai World Trade Centre hosts over 500 events annually. In 2015 alone, the venue held 396 trade events, including 104 mega-events and welcomed over 2.74 million visitors. With nearly 41% international participation across its portfolio of events, DWTC contributed an incremental 1,066,865 global visitors to Dubai’s overall business tourism figures.
History
Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road highway is now a tower block metropolis, within a global city. In 1979, it was the Sheikh Rashid Tower, as it is known today, that started it all. Dubai’s very first major high-rise and business centre, the Dubai World Trade Centre building instantly became the heartbeat of Dubai's growing global business community.
Renamed after the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the 39-storey Sheikh Rashid Tower no longer stands alone as it did when it was first built. The tower soon turned into a major landmark. A focal point for overseas businesses to establish their presence in a country rich with opportunity, the Dubai World Trade Centre embodied Sheikh Rashid’s vision of a modern city that would attract the world’s leading companies.
The demand for major events in Dubai soon skyrocketed, and the complex greatly expanded. Over the years, the Dubai World Trade Centre has been extended to include numerous Exhibition Halls, Sheikh Rashid Hall and Maktoum Hall as well as the Al Mulaqua Ballroom, Sheikh Saeed Halls, Za’abeel Halls and the Trade Centre Arena. In addition, several commercial building have also been added including the Convention Tower and the recently established One Central development with several mixed-use buildings.
Since its inception, Dubai World Trade Centre has been joined by numerous other skyscrapers alongside the Sheikh Zayed Road. But it remains as it has always been - the pioneer of Dubai's rise as a cosmopolitan commercial centre at the crossroads of the world.
Dubai World Trade Centre Today
Although Dubai World Trade Centre remains the region's largest hosting destination, with a global calendar of world-class events, blockbusting consumer shows and prestigious conferences, it has also grown and added several business divisions to its overall portfolio.
Venue Management - From large conferences and gala dinners to private networking and boardroom meetings, the acclaimed complex of multiple event spaces provides an ideal showcase for organisations around the world to reach out and connect with local and international trade partners, both regionally and globally.
Exhibition and Event Management - Every year DWTC’s Events and Exhibitions team put on an impressive portfolio of shows, ranging from niche trade events to mass-market consumer expos across a wide range of sectors including ICT, food, marine, automobile, education, healthcare, jewellery and luxury goods, including 18 of the region’s largest exhibitions.
Event Services - DWTC’s innovative stage design and venue decor, combined with high-tech audio-visual and multimedia services, are all delivered by the dedicated team of specialists which service both the internal shows as well as external events.
Hospitality – DWTC’s award-winning chefs provide exceptional cuisine options from around the world – ranging from royal banquets, day-long conference catering and exhibition stand hospitality, to catering for events, whether large or small, at any location across the Emirates.
Real Estate - Within the landmark commercial developments set in the heart of Dubai’s pulsating business district, DWTC’s real estate division stems from the original Sheikh Rashid tower to several hotels and other commercial and Mixed use building including the Convention Tower and the more recent One Central project.
Facilities Management - To service the real estate offering, DWTC also provides engineering, security and housekeeping services across all it’s properties for in-house business units as well as corporate tenants. These include commercial office towers and hotels, government offices, foreign embassies, trade commissions and headquarters of several Fortune 1000 corporations.