Al Ain Convention Centre Wins Best Congress and Convention Centre in the Middle East

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 25 September, 2013 – Al Ain Convention Centre, owned and operated by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), has been awarded ‘Best Congress and Convention Centre in the Middle East' by Business Destinations magazine. The centre was chosen following a voting process during which more than 500 travel, tourism and travel association managers, were asked to cast their votes via e-mail and through the website.

His Excellency Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, Managing Director, ADNEC, said: “We are delighted that Al Ain Convention Centre has won this prestigious award, which is a reflection of the quality of services provided by the centre. It has become one of the leading and most important conference centres within the ADNEC group. This award will act as further motivation, encouraging us to work harder to secure more major events in the future.”

Al Dhaheri explained that Al Ain Convention Centre is of strategic importance to Al Ain city –aiming to make the city as attractive a destination for business and entertainment events as it is for leisure travel. Since inception, the centre has evolved from a wedding venue to a world-class exhibition and conference facility with state-of-the-art infrastructure and the necessary scope to support further growth in the meetings and conferences industry – a key element of economic development in the city.

Considered one of the most important facilities within the ADNEC portfolio, the centre is forecast to deliver significant economic benefits to the city in the near future. It is expected to host a range of large scale exhibitions, conferences, seminars, training sessions and public concerts that will positively impact Al Ain.

Al Dhaheri added that ADNEC's team cooperates with major international companies in the field of exhibition and conference organisation, working hard to attract top international exhibitions to Al Ain. Positioning the centre amongst leading new exhibition and conference facilities in the region, Al Ain Convention Centre is set to play a central role in the large industrial and commercial development of Al Ain. The city's industrial area is considered one of the most promising industrial zones in the region.

The focus during the next phase of the centre's growth will be to work with event organisers and exhibitors to allow them to better understand the potential of Al Ain Convention Centre, thus encouraging them use the centre as their chosen host.

The hall “B” of Al Ain Convention Centre has large flexibility which enables it to organise and host events, exhibitions, concerts and weddings. This hall has been designed to conform to the architectural and engineering features that make Al Ain so unique by integrating it with the traditional look and feel of the city's landscape. In line with globally recognised standards in business tourism, Al Ain Convention Centre is truly a five star facility.

Many leading convention centres in the region and across the world have won the coveted Business Destinations magazine of ‘Best Congress and Convention Centre' award. The list includes the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority, International Congress Centre Berlin, and Congress Centre Hamburg.

The magazine targets a broad audience base of up to 100,000 readers and distributes 20,000 copies monthly in Europe.