Founded in 2005 under a decree by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, ADNEC initially set out to develop and construct a venue to replace the old Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Center. In just a few short years, it has grown to form part of one of the largest international venue development and business management companies in the world.
The ADNEC Group now comprises some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Centre, ExCeL London, Capital Gate, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Aloft Abu Dhabi, Aloft London ExCeL, DoubleTree By Hilton London ExCel, and Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Abu Dhabi Resort.
Naturally, such an incredible portfolio of venues has seen the company earn an international reputation for world-class events. Its venues host hundreds of shows a year, winning ADNEC numerous awards for its operations. Notable accolades include Best International Venue, Best Meetings and Conference Centre, Exhibition Venue of the Year, and Best Purpose Built Venue.
ADNEC is also a vital pillar of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, which aim to deliver significant direct and indirect impact on the emirate’s economy to drive further diversification. And it has undoubtedly played its part in this regard. Since the company’s launch, it has contributed an estimated AED 37bn to the local economy and created almost 30,000 job opportunities. In 2019 alone, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre hosted 500 events and welcomed 2.3 million visitors to the UAE.
