With the continuing Iran conflict, trade show operators are approaching what had been scheduled as the August-September resumption of Middle East events, many of which had been deferred from earlier in the year. The industry, whose rapid expansion across the Gulf had exploited the fact that 85% of the world’s population live within an eight-hour flight of the region, has been at the forefront of tourist and business strategies, especially in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The events and exhibitions market in the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) had been valued at some $650mn in 2023 and forecast to exceed $800mn within five years. The countries have been investing heavily in infrastructure, recognizing that business events deliver incremental tourism, trade promotion and soft power benefits. Trade shows have been seen as catalysts for ‘business tourism’ and the strategic longer-term move away from oil dependency.
The US-Israel military action against Iran and the spillover attacks across the Middle East have, therefore, been a specific shock to the B2B events industry well beyond the region. By early April, Northbourne Advisory was reported to be tracking 269 rescheduled events across the Gulf, with the UAE absorbing the heaviest toll: 17 cancellations and 50 postponements. Casualties included the JP Morgan MENA Global Opportunities Summit, the UITP Summit and a planned crypto conference, and large numbers of smaller trade shows and conferences. In Saudi, postponement of the World Economic Forum’s Global Collaboration & Growth Meeting, in Jeddah, cost not just direct event revenue but also prestige.
Early on, the crisis for trade shows was symbolized by the inaugural IAAPA Expo Middle East, the attractions industry’s planned regional counterpart to its Orlando flagship. Due to open at Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC Centre at the end of March with more than 325 exhibitors, it was pushed back a full year, to April 2027. RX’s Arabian Travel Market was postponed twice: first from its May slot, tentatively to August, and ultimately settling on 14-17 September at Dubai World Trade Centre.
DMGT’s trade show subsidiary DMG Events (about 25% of parent company revenue) is concentrated on the Middle East, mostly through five large-scale shows: ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi), Big 5 Dubai, Big 5 Saudi, EGYPS (Egypt) and Gastech. They may account for at least 50% of all DMG revenue.
Messe Frankfurt, organizer of Automechanika Riyadh and Beautyworld Riyadh, has postponed them until 2027, when it also launches the local edition of its largest event, the Bauma construction equipment show, in a JV with DMG.
For Informa, the world’s largest trade show operator, the conflict has risked disrupting its whole strategy. The GCC has been its fastest‑growing region, with events revenue growth of more than 30%.
It had expected now to be preparing for an early IPO of inD, its Middle East joint venture with Dubai World Trade Centre, finalized only in January this year.
The JV (owned 52% by Informa) has some 40 major brands and 100 separate events across the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, India, Turkey and Africa. It had forecast $650mn revenue and $195mn EBITDA (a 30% margin) in 2026. With expected growth of 15%, next year’s result would have been at least $750mn/ $225mn. On this basis, an IPO valuation in Dubai would have been some $4bn, almost 30% of Informa’s current enterprise value.
The deal even involved the relocation to Dubai of Informa CEO Stephen Carter.
A 2026 IPO would have underlined the potential growth rates in Dubai (boosted by the planned doubling of its venue capacity during 2026) and of the expansion expected across what Informa describes as the ‘IMEA’ region. It also signalled the strategic ambition of Informa whose global trade show revenue is already double that of RX, the second largest company. It was also assumed that inD (pronounced “indee”) might just become the collaborative template for further Informa JVs in, for example, Southeast Asia and South America.
But it all came to a shuddering halt in February.
Scarcely four years after the end of Covid (with which the UAE, in particular, was reckoned to have coped among the best of all countries), Informa was forced to confirm the delay of events across more than 10 brands in the Middle East to later months of 2026, and that the company expected to absorb the rescheduling costs. Carter said only a “nominal number” of clients had pulled out and that postponed events were being rescheduled at the same venues, not relocated: “There are certain fixed expenses we will have to bear… because we had some events already in progress”.
At the same time, The Times of London reported the CEO expressing “a strong level of assurance” that scheduled events would still go ahead, while cautioning that if the conflict dragged on longer than expected, Informa might need to relocate or push events into the following year, hitting revenue. He divided the region into “business as usual” markets (Turkey, Egypt, most of Africa — about 40% of expected regional revenue already secured) versus disrupted markets — Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE — with Saudi Arabia sitting in between.
Informa later disclosed 15+ brands had been rescheduled within 2026, and it had actively deferred several new launches to 2027 — including Vitafoods Dubai, the Fortis interior security show, WHX Tech, and Gulf Print & Paper. It flagged that it would provide a fuller market update at its half-year results on 30 July — five weeks ahead of the first major rescheduled brands. LEAP in Riyadh, a major tech show, had been pushed from April to 31 August–3 September and Middle East Energy, in Dubai, from 7–9 April to 1–3 September,
It has become clear this week that the two Informa flagship events are expected to take place on schedule. But, with transport across the region still disrupted, it is inevitable that the movement both of exhibits and people will be constrained.
There has been some coverage in the region and elsewhere of an alleged $20bn payment by UAE to Iran in exchange for “no bombs”. But, whether this or the negotiation of any localized peace agreement is accurate, the resumption of trade shows in August (after a few months of only occasional, regional events) will be an important demonstration – both by organizers and governments – that the Gulf events industry will eventually rebound, just as it did after Covid; the boom will be back.
The governments, especially in the UAE and Saudi, will also be expecting international exhibitors to demonstrate their support.
To encourage event organizers, the UAE has been offering liquidity support, fee deferrals, hotel-tax relief, and tourism-demand stimulation. Some organizers report that the Dubai venue owner has allowed them to reduce the scale of contracted tenancies without penalty. Saudi Arabia’s support is said to be more medium-term and strategic, centered on venue investment, event promotion and channeling more corporate and government events into the domestic market. Saudi agencies are also reportedly being pushed to hold more conferences and events, using local resorts, hotels and tourism venues more heavily.
The principal near-term pressures are travel restrictions, flight / shipping disruption and rising costs, particularly for freight and insurance. But, in a region where governments are not just regulators but also sponsors or partners in trade shows, there is a strong will to keep as close as possible to the existing autumn resumption schedule.
But shipping, insurance and travel factors potentially hamper trade shows and may yet restrict some re-openings, despite official determination.
Stephen Carter, whose big bet on Middle East events might still mean some challenging short-medium term financials for Informa investors at next week’s results, has said: “The military activity is creating conflict and disruption, and in some instances some distress, but the fundamentals of what we are doing in that part of the world are strong, and our market position is unique and our strength and ability to scale is unrivalled…when this passes, we are confident we can return to that market with punch and with purpose”.
His next comments to shareholders are awaited with interest across the industry and the Gulf.
But there are few doubts that the Middle East will – eventually – resume its role as the world’s most dynamic region for trade show development. There is a strong confidence in the medium-term. International body UFI characterizes the conflict’s overall impact on the global industry so far as “limited”, implying that the shock has not (yet) translated into a worldwide structural downturn for organizers.
Again, the impact on Informa will be a crucial short-term indicator.
But nobody is giving up on Middle East trade show growth prospects, especially in the UAE and Saudi. Stay calm.
