Big Interview
ADNEC’s exhibition hawkeye
EW meets the driving force behind Abu Dhabi’s venue jewel in the emirate’s
exhibition crown, Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO at ADNEC
Interview by Paul Colston
hat first attracted you
to work in the events
industry?
With a background
in finance and banking, I joined Abu
Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
in 2005. The exhibitions and events
sector was quickly developing in Abu
Dhabi and I could see great potential
for events to help deliver new and
exciting business opportunities.
I initially worked for ADNEC in the
finances sector where I could use my
core skills to establish myself. But I
quickly realised that if ADNEC was
to compete at the top level, we would
need to establish sound international
standards – not just in finance, but in
health and safety, event management
and business continuity.
I became Chief Commercial Officer,
responsible for all of the sales and
marketing activities. This gave me
a great insight into the mechanics
of how we grow our business. Our
business grew with the acquisition
of ExCeL London, hotel properties
and in-house service companies and
I became Chief Executive of ADNEC
Group in 2017. I am proud to have
led the team through this period of
innovation, creativity and change.
Abu Dhabi is a global hub for the
oil and gas industry, but it is clear that
business diversification is critical for
the emirate. ADNEC is a main driver
for economic impact through hosting
a diverse calendar of events. We are
seeing new developments in areas
such as sustainability, renewable
energy, innovation, healthcare and
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education. The events we attract
and host provide critical and solid
platforms for these industries to grow
and thrive here.
I am also happy to have played a
role in bringing several renowned
international exhibitions for the first
time to Abu Dhabi.
Above:
ADNEC has
How have you changed strategy
over the years to adapt to trends?
Abu Dhabi’s strong connectivity
with major global cities, cutting edge
infrastructure and the strong backing
of its government have played a
critical role in confirming Abu Dhabi’s
status as a serious new player in the
exhibition business.
ADNEC has grown its exhibition
business year on year helping Abu
Dhabi to emerge as one of the as
one of the top 100 destinations in
the world. The sector’s contribution
to the local economy has seen
significant growth reaching AED3.9bn
(US$1.06bn) in direct and indirect
economic impact in 2017. (We are still
awaiting the final tally for 2018).
ADNEC focuses on strategic
sectors identified by the Abu Dhabi
2030 Economic Vision including
tourism, healthcare, petrochemicals,
transportation, financial services,
media and broadcasting, renewable
energy among others.
ADNEC has responded to the
competition from other prominent
business destinations within the
region through developing a joint
collaborative bidding approach with
its key strategic partners.
grown its
exhibition
business year
on year
“I quickly
realised that
if ADNEC is
to compete
at the top
level, we
would need
to establish
sound
international
standards
– not just in
finance, but
in health and
safety, event
management
and business
continuity”
Which sectors have been the most
productive for exhibitions for
ADNEC?
As one of the global centres for the
oil and gas industry, Abu Dhabi is
understandably the home of one of
the largest and most highly regarded
events within this industry - ADIPEC.
Organised by DMG, this flagship
event, which takes place every
November, services the industry
here and serves as a platform for
the national oil company, ADNOC, to
reach out to a global market.
However, we recognise that
business diversification is key to the
ongoing success of Abu Dhabi.
Education and healthcare events
are moving up the agenda as well as
emerging technologies, sustainability
and innovation. We help to support
these industries in line with the 2030
Economic Vision.
We have seen positive growth
across all sectors in the trade and
consumer shows. Also, recently
launched shows have rebooked
asking for extra space which is a
strong indicator of the healthy market
and strong economy.
What trends do you observe in the
Middle East exhibitions market?
Perhaps you will launch some new
exhibitions yourselves?
As the exhibition market consolidates
through mergers and acquisitions,
more international organisers are
seeing Abu Dhabi as a solid location
for regional clones of their global
brands. We have a stable economy,
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk