Trade fairs in the Middle East

The Middle East is a region where oil and gas wealth, ports and new national development programs have turned a few cities into business hubs. Its trade fairs cluster in the Gulf states, with energy, construction, food and health as recurring themes.

The region sits between Europe, Africa and Asia, which has made it a crossing point for trade for centuries. Today its economies depend heavily on hydrocarbons, and several states are investing in tourism, logistics, health and real estate to widen their base. Gulf cities have modern airports and purpose-built exhibition centers. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have their own pages with more detail.

Dubai is a trading and tourism city, with the Dubai World Trade Centre among its fairgrounds. Abu Dhabi, the federal capital, hosts ADIPEC, the energy exhibition and conference at ADNEC. In Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is the capital and business center, where Global Health Exhibition and Cityscape Global take place, and Jeddah on the Red Sea coast is a port city and the home of Foodex Saudi.

The region's industries explain the calendar. Urban development makes construction and architecture a recurring theme, with Saudi Build as an annual construction exhibition. Energy and water have their own events under energy and environment, and food importers meet at shows such as the Middle East Organic & Natural Expo in Dubai.

Luxury and consumer trades also have a place. Jewelry and watches are sold through events like Jewellery Arabia in Bahrain, and fashion, beauty and luxury fairs cover consumer brands. Many fairs are held in the cooler months, from autumn to spring, when summer heat no longer limits travel.