ADNEC Group posts record AED 9.2bn economic contribution in 2025
ADNEC Group reported a record AED 9.2 billion direct and indirect economic contribution in 2025, driving tourism, events and jobs across Abu Dhabi.
ADNEC Group delivered its strongest annual performance to date in 2025, registering an 8% rise in economic value added to AED 9.2 billion from AED 8.5 billion in 2024. The company’s expansion across exhibitions, conferences, hospitality and leisure underpinned higher visitor numbers and increased hotel nights, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s strategic push for a diversified, knowledge-based economy.
Record economic contribution and growth metrics
ADNEC Group’s economic contribution rose to more than AED 9.2 billion in 2025, according to the company’s results released this year. That growth was driven by expanded activity in business tourism and entertainment, and represents the highest value the group has reported in its history.
The group also reported the creation of over 2.17 million hotel room nights linked to its events and operations, highlighting growing demand for Abu Dhabi as a regional events hub. Executives cited the results as evidence that sustained investments in infrastructure and services are translating into measurable economic gains.
Event volumes, visitor numbers and record attendance
ADNEC Group’s venues staged 1,149 events in 2025, an increase of 15% year-on-year, and welcomed 6.3 million visitors, a 17% rise compared with 2024. Those figures mark the highest annual attendance and event volumes in the group’s history and reflect stronger global demand from organisers and delegates.
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre played a central role, hosting more than 77% of the year’s conferences and 19% of new exhibitions launched in the UAE and wider Middle East. Notably, ADNEC reported an unprecedented single-day turnout of 70,000 visitors at the 2025 ADIPEC exhibition and conference, surpassing previous attendance records.
International conferences and high-profile gatherings hosted
In 2025 ADNEC Group’s portfolio included some of the year’s most significant international gatherings, including the largest-ever regional edition of the IUCN World Conservation Congress. That conservation summit drew around 10,000 participants and positioned Abu Dhabi as a host for high-impact global policy discussions on biodiversity and climate resilience.
The mix of energy, environmental and business events across ADNEC venues helped diversify the city’s event calendar and attracted organisers from North America, Europe and Asia. Executives highlighted the balance between returning flagship events and new international conferences as a key factor behind the year’s performance.
Awards, recognition and sector leadership
ADNEC Group secured 19 international awards in 2025, raising its total global accolades to 202 across various business lines. Among the honours, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre was named best exhibition centre globally, and several awards recognised the group’s sustainability initiatives.
Company leaders pointed to those acknowledgements as validation of long-term investments in venue quality, service delivery and environmental performance. The awards also supported efforts to market Abu Dhabi as a competitive destination for premium events and exhibitions.
Economic spillovers and job support across sectors
The group’s activity in 2025 sustained employment across the exhibitions, conferences and supporting industries, contributing to more than 70,000 jobs. Organisers, hospitality operators and supply-chain partners benefited from increased bookings and visitor spending tied to ADNEC-run events.
Officials stressed the broader economic spillovers of event tourism, including higher hotel occupancy, retail and transport demand. Those linkages, they said, align with Abu Dhabi’s strategic objective to grow non-oil GDP and anchor the emirate’s reputation as a global events capital.
Leadership perspective and strategic priorities
Modon Holding and ADNEC executives described the 2025 results as proof of the emirate’s success in building a diversified and sustainable economy. Modon’s chairman highlighted the role of innovation, global-standard infrastructure and supportive policy in attracting multinational organisers and visitors.
ADNEC’s chief executive noted that the group’s strategy to deepen sectoral contributions, transfer advanced knowledge and forge partnerships was central to the performance gains. Management flagged continued focus on sustainability, international collaboration and venue enhancements as priorities for maintaining momentum.
ADNEC Group’s 2025 performance underscores Abu Dhabi’s growing pull as a destination for major international events and conferences, with tangible benefits for tourism, employment and the wider economy. The combination of record attendance, high-profile international gatherings and industry recognition positions ADNEC and its venues as pivotal assets in the emirate’s strategy to expand non-oil economic activity.