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MOHAMMAD GHAZAL (ABU DHABI) - Leveraging its world-class infrastructure, diverse products, services, and venues, the ADNEC Group is driving the UAE’s sustainable business tourism sector forward as the nation’s capital ushers in a new era for a diversified economy as a sought-after destination for global events and business travellers.
In a wide-ranging interview with Aletihad, Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC, said that by attracting international exhibitions and conferences, ADNEC Group generates significant economic impact for the Emirate, including visitors’ and participants’ on accommodation, dining, transportation, and leisure activities.
MICE Tourism
“We have capitalised on our world-class infrastructure, such as the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, to bolster and support Abu Dhabi’s business tourism sector, playing a key role in transforming the Emirate into a major global hub for MICE tourism.
"Tourism 365, part of ADNEC Group and its leisure tourism arm, focuses on creating a sustainable, vibrant, and financially attractive tourism sector in Abu Dhabi,” Al Dhaheri told Aletihad.
The MICE industry (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions tourism) is one of the key growth drivers for the region’s economy, contributing through income and employment along with attracting substantial foreign investment, he pointed out.
Regarding Abu Dhabi’s long-term goals of economic growth and diversification through business meetings and events, Al Dhaheri said that the ADNEC Group supports the expansion of industries targeted for economic growth in the Emirate’s economic vision by encouraging the development of businesses and activities that support and stimulate faster growth of key sectors such as aviation, aerospace, and defence.
The group seeks to positively support the evolving interests of businesses in the Emirate and the UAE, and at the same time, explore new and innovative ways to showcase Abu Dhabi as a fast-growing and dynamic business and tourism destination, he highlighted.
Seven Business Clusters
Elaborating further, Al Dhaheri said that across seven business clusters – venues, events, services, hotels, food and beverages (F&B), tourism, and media – the group plays a key role in attracting both tourism and business to Abu Dhabi, fostering positive social and economic benefits for the Emirate.
“The ADNEC Group has provided world-class venues for MICE tourism that have resulted in significant boosts to numerous sectors of Abu Dhabi’s economy. By hosting a myriad of business meetings and events, ADNEC brings together global experts, industries, and investors, facilitating knowledge exchange and fostering innovation.
This influx of international interactions nurtures local industries, stimulates investment, and positions Abu Dhabi as a global hub for commerce and thought leadership,” he said. “With its business units that cover a range of sectors, the group brought Dh3.56 billion direct and indirect income to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 2022, while providing more than 21,000 job opportunities in various support sectors, serving as a key driver for the Emirate’s economic growth.
"Year to date, we exceeded Dh5.5 billion economic impact and supported 40,000 jobs in 2023,” the ADNEC Group CEO said.
A Meeting Point for Global Businesses
When asked about the key strategy behind making the ADNEC Group one of the most accessible and sought-after venues in the world, Al Dhaheri said that Abu Dhabi has laid the groundwork of a robust infrastructure across its exhibition spaces, hospitality, and aviation verticals.
“Through our world-class facilities, services, and offerings across the ADNEC Group, we are able to facilitate business and leisure travellers while raising awareness about the Emirate’s attractions, culture, and investment opportunities,” Al Dhaheri continued.
ADNEC is strategically positioned between the East and the West, making it a convenient meeting point for global businesses and professionals. Its proximity to the Abu Dhabi International Airport and major roadways ensures easy accessibility for international and regional visitors, he emphasised, adding that there are direct flights from major cities around the world to Abu Dhabi, facilitating smooth travel for attendees.
“Through our integrated service offerings, including event management, logistics, catering, and technical support, ADNEC is able to ensure a seamless experience for event organisers and attendees alike,” he said.
The Sustainability Factor
Bringing attention to the sustainability factor in ADNEC’s overall operations, Al Dhaheri said: “Sustainability is a key part of our corporate strategy across the ADNEC Group, with the launch of our Sustainability Strategy and ESG Framework, which clearly identifies our material issues, sustainability priorities, and objectives.
To cascade down to the operational level, we have created specific, sustainability-related initiatives that are championed by teams from our business units across the group and clusters.
“We support this with sustainability policies and procedures to ensure adoption and deployment. We have also adopted international standards related to sustainability as well.”
Central to its operations, ADNEC Group’s eco-friendly initiatives encompass waste management, energy conservation, and responsible sourcing.
Additionally, by incorporating sustainable practices in event management, catering, and infrastructure development, ADNEC wants to reduce its carbon footprint and set a benchmark for the MICE industry, according to the group’s CEO.
Creating a Positive Environmental and Social Impact
Al Dhaheri also stressed the importance of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles throughout the ADNEC Group. “At the ADNEC Group, we want to grow our business in an ethical and responsible way.
Focusing on sustainability and ESG principles is fundamental, as creating positive environmental and social impact in our community and nation is as important as commercial success. We have pledged to create long-term value for all our stakeholders through conscious ethical and sustainable practices across our group activities.
ESG factors are critical as they align with our organisation’s broader commitment to sustainability, responsible corporate citizenship, and the long-term vision set out for Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” he explained. Strong governance practices throughout the ADNEC Group ensure transparency and ethical operations, fostering stakeholder trust.
Collectively, by investing and committing to these ESG targets, the ADNEC Group not only enhanced its offerings to the global business community but also aligned to evolving market demands and the UAE’s sustainability goals, he noted.
Net Zero Carbon Events by 2050
Al Dhaheri also reflected on the ADNEC Group’s pledge to achieve Net Zero Carbon Events by 2050 and the steps being taken to meet this ambitious goal. “In 2021, the ADNEC Group announced its participation in the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative. Working closely with core partners, we began developing a roadmap to achieve this ambitious goal of Net Zero Carbon Events by 2050. We are now committed to achieve the goal in 2045 instead of 2050,” he said.
“More importantly, we decided to extend this initiative across the whole ADNEC Group instead of solely focusing on the events cluster. To successfully do this, we launched a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy for all assets and activities across our seven clusters. For the first time, we were able to collect our emissions and develop a GHG emissions baseline of 97,000 CO2e tonnes, which through innovative sustainability practices we will reduce,” he added.
The group has begun its carbon reduction journey by adopting efficiency principles, energy optimisation, reducing water consumption, shifting to more sustainable materials, sustainable procurement, and reducing waste.
Contributing to Global Efforts The CEO outlined several initiatives as part of the group’s contributions to global climate action efforts. The ADNEC Group has adopted a net-zero commitment in support of both the Paris Agreement goals and the UAE’s national strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 2050.
Since 2010, ADNEC Group has adopted best-in-class sustainability practices and issues a regular sustainability report in accordance with the ESG framework and its principles. The Group is also a member of three external “green” initiatives – the UFI Sustainability Development Committee, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group, he said.
“We have already begun our carbon reduction journey by adopting efficiency principles, energy optimisation, reducing water consumption, shifting to more sustainable materials, sustainable procurement, and reducing our waste,” he noted.
Optimising Energy Consumption with AI
Recently, the ADNEC Group launched a detailed decarbonisation strategy, measuring its CO2 emissions across all its clusters and assets for the first time, the CEO said.
“Currently, our baseline is around 97,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions across all seven clusters. To reduce emissions, we are addressing energy consumption by launching an artificial intelligence building management system to optimise energy consumption. This will be a revolutionary project which we believe will have a significant impact on our energy usage,” Al Dhaheri noted.
The ADNEC Group has also launched an initiative for plastic segregation and waste management to reduce its carbon footprint.
“Additionally, we have executed a comprehensive water consumption optimisation project using smart sensors, and are currently developing a sustained procurement practices framework while introducing our sustainability criteria for suppliers’ selection and performance,” according to the CEO.
A Strong Recovery after Pandemic
Al Dhaheri also presented figures on the amount of food composted, materials recycled, and CO2 emissions reduced at ADNEC events. In 2022, the total waste generated was 791,000kg across the ADNEC Group.
“The total waste we were able to recycle was 391,000kg, with a 49% recycle rate,” he said. “Our electricity consumption in 2022 measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) was 21,901,239kWh. With several initiatives such as LED light installation, solar panels, and other energy control systems, we plan to reduce this by 5% year on year to meet our net-zero targets,” he added.
Al Dhaheri also described 2022 as an exceptional year for ADNEC Group, with the return to normal life following the pandemic and the growth of the events sector. In 2022, ADNEC Group hosted 490 events of all kinds with 2.7 million visitors in attendance, he said.
Last year also saw Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre return to its pre-pandemic state. The venue played host to 238 events and welcomed more than 800,000 visitors with numerous sectors represented, including corporate, sporting, medical, entertainment, and more.
A total of 11 new exhibitions were launched, and 24 noteworthy associations, both local and international, hosted live events. Elaborating further, Al Dhaheri said ADNEC’s business performance has shown a strong recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, ADNEC Group attracted an outstanding collection of major global events, 12 of which were held for the first time in Abu Dhabi and in the Middle East, he said. Overall, the number of exhibitions organised and hosted at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre by the end of 2022 saw a 16% increase compared with the period in 2019 before the pandemic had an impact on the global industry of exhibitions and events.
There was also an 11% increase in exhibition area for events during the last quarter of 2022 compared with the same timeframe in 2019, he added.
A State-of-the-Art Venue Not just a leading business hub and destination of choice for business travellers, Abu Dhabi has also proven itself as a leading destination for global sport by hosting key events supported by ADNEC, such as the Formula One Grand Prix, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and NBA games.
The group offers a skilled team of professionals and extensive service offerings that provides organisers, event planners and exhibitors with a wide range of customised solutions including Design, Audio Visual Production, Stand Build, Main contracting, Printing, Graphics and Rigging, the CEO said.
“ADNEC is just 15 minutes away from the rapidly expanding Abu Dhabi International Airport, which serves over 50 airlines and 100 destinations in 46 countries around the globe. In addition, it is only 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, and 90 minutes from Dubai International Airport,” Al Dhaheri said.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The ADNEC Group has an active network of partnerships and collaborations and is constantly seeking to consolidate and grow these ventures, according to the CEO.
“For instance, we signed a strategic partnership in August 2023 with Kenes Group, a global events management company, to stage events within Abu Dhabi. Through the agreement, ADNEC Services, in cooperation with Kenes, will host some specialised events in the UAE capital across several sectors in partnership with selected institutions with an interest in specialised conferences and exhibitions,” he noted.
In October 2022, the ADNEC Group signed a Preferred Service Provider Agreement with MICCO Logistics in collaboration with international logistics service provider DB Schenker. The agreement was intended to develop efficient and high-quality regional and international logistics solutions in support of exhibitions, conferences, and events organised and hosted by the ADNEC Group at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
A Holistic Approach
The CEO said that the group ensures a high-quality and smooth experience for both event organisers and attendees. “The ADNEC Group, situated at the heart of Abu Dhabi, prides itself on delivering unparalleled experiences by blending state-of-the-art facilities with professional expertise.
"Our holistic approach encompasses a suite of integrated services, from meticulous event management to cutting-edge technical support, ensuring that both organisers and attendees enjoy a seamless, high-quality experience tailored to their unique needs,” he said.
“Whether it’s advanced technological provisions or tailored logistical solutions, ADNEC stands as a beacon of excellence in the world of global events,” Al Dhaheri added.
The group also has award-winning in-house services from both Capital Catering & Services and the logistics arm, ADNEC Services, providing a turnkey solution to both organisers and exhibitors. According to the CEO, the ADNEC Group adeptly caters to the multifaceted requirements of its international clientele.
“With a blend of cultural sensitivity, multilingual staff, and versatile spaces, ADNEC ensures seamless interactions and event experiences. Our integrated services, from tailored logistics to diverse global cuisine offerings, coupled with easy accessibility and dedicated support, make the ADNEC Group a welcoming hub for international attendees and exhibitors, while also offering a taste of local culture and recreation, fostering a holistic experience in the heart of the UAE,” he said.
“We offer a premier venue solution. With six on-site hotels offering approximately 1,800 rooms, along with the hosting of world-leading events, ADNEC Group ensures a comprehensive and convenient experience. Moreover, our truly multilingual, internationally-experienced teams are capable of liaising with global partners, positioning us as a true regional and global player,” Al Dhaheri concluded.
