ADNEC Launches Phase II of Expansion of Al Ain Convention Centre

• Al Ain Convention Centre to Expand by 8%, taking total area to 14,000 sq m 
• Centre hosted more than 148 international exhibitions and conferences, drawing 1.3 million attendees since the completion of phase one in 2011
• Al Dhaheri: Development aimed at increasing the capacity of the centre and its ability to compete and attract international events 

Al Ain, UAE, August 15, 2016:  Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), today announced the commencement of the second phase of expansion and development of Al Ain Convention Centre (AACC). The Phase II expansion work is in line with ADNEC’s strategy to promote and strengthen the high-potential business tourism industry in Al Ain. 

Aimed at enabling the exhibition and conference venue to attract more national and international conferences, summits and exhibitions, the current phase of expansion will see AACC increase in area by 8 per cent, to register 14,000 sq m in total. The construction, development and refurbishment of all facilities is expected to take an estimated 150 days and the expansion is scheduled for completion by early 2017. 

The second phase of the expansion will deliver a dedicated new facilities for conferences that features new meeting halls and seminar rooms. Furthermore, the expansion will also enhance current infrastructure and facilities, and allow the venue to leverage new opportunities in hosting bigger and better activities, events, meetings and workshops. 

The new conference facilities and meeting halls are set to be inaugurated in February 2017, and will be managed by a qualified team of Emirati national employees. The new conference facilities will be designed to comply with the best-in-class standards of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). 

Spanning an area of 1,000 sq m, the conference facilities features five meeting rooms across two floors. Two of the meeting rooms – 112 sq m and 78 sq m in area – will be located on the ground floor. Likewise, three rooms spanning an area of 47 sq m each, are set to open on the first floor. The five meeting rooms will collectively accommodate 600 visitors. In addition, two VIP rooms at the venue and the theatre infrastructure are also set for revamp. 

Speaking on the new development phase, Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Acting Group CEO of ADNEC, said: “The launch of phase II of Al Ain Convention Centre is aligned to ADNEC’s ongoing strategy to upgrade and boost the efficiency of all our subsidiary entities within the Group. Through such efforts we can ensure that our world-class venues remain competitive and relevant in attracting and major local and international exhibitions and events to the emirate.”

He added: “The Al Ain Convention Centre is considered the most vibrant exhibition and conference venue in the Garden City and a major contributor to the UAE national economy. The business tourism sector is currently one of the strongest performing sectors in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and articulates the visionary UAE leadership’s efforts to diversify our economy away from a dependence on oil.  ADNEC seeks to support the national agenda and contribute to the growth of the knowledge and technology landscape for the benefit of the country as a whole.”

Al Dhaheri said: “The second phase of the expansion follows the successful completion of phase I, which ended in 2011. Phase I of the project enabled ADNEC to enhance the overall readiness of Al Khabisi Hall II, improve the quality of the exhibition and conference centre and grow the exhibition area to13,000 sq m from 6,700 sq m earlier.”

Al Dhaheri noted that Phase II will strengthen and fortify AACC’s status as a leading business tourism hub and significantly increase its ability to attract national and international events, thereby adding value to the city of Al Ain.   

He revealed that following the development of phase I, Al Ain Convention Centre, has hosted more than 148 international exhibitions and conferences. Likewise, the versatile venue has convened more than 1.3 million visitors from around the globe and has also been adapted to organise mass weddings on occasion. 

He explained that work is currently underway to ensure that all allied infrastructure and service areas, as well as all entry points to the venue are stepped-up to best international standards. The communication towers between AACC’s two principal halls Al Khabisi I and II are being revamped to help streamline the movement of visitors. Public areas around the venue and car parks are also being refurbished to meet the increasing visitor numbers.

The enhanced venue will offer hospitality services that cater to highest international standards and specifications, to ensure optimum food quality. Available from Q1 2017, all events, conferences, meetings and weddings hosted at AACC can benefit from these quality F & B offerings. 

The ADNEC Group is made up of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Centre and ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, in addition to Hyatt Capital Gate Hotel, Aloft Abu Dhabi Hotel and Aloft ExCeL London Hotel as well as IDEX LLC and ADNEC Services LLC.

ADNEC is committed to achieving its strategic objectives and works to attract world class events and conferences to the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Group seeks to accelerate the growth of business tourism in the emirate through increasing the number of visitors and hotel occupancy, in order to translate direct and indirect economic benefits to the nation’s GDP.