The Middle East meetings industry has experienced 35% growth in the past 12 months, according to the third Middle East Meetings Industry Research Report released March 31 2009 at the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM). 

The report predicted that this upward trend would continue in 2009, with 73% of buyer respondents predicting that there would either be an increase in the number of events or that the number of events would remain the same over the next 12 months. 

Commenting on the report, organizer Reed Travel Exhibitions Group exhibition director meetings and incentives events Paul Kennedy said: “Despite a difficult and challenging year the results, both from a buyer and supplier perspective, show that the industry is in good shape to ride out the current economic climate”. 

The survey, which was completed by 258 buyers from 47 countries during January and February 2009, revealed that 81% of respondents had held events in the region in the past year — up from 46% in 2008.  

Just over half of the respondents — 51% — confirmed that they had organized more events in the Gulf and Middle East during the same period.The duration of events decreased slightly to 3.9 days from 4.1 days, with 87% of respondents holding events for less than 300 delegates. 

Thirty-one percent reported hosting more delegates in the past 12 months, however. 

Dubai remained the top meetings destination, according to the report, with Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Morocco and Jordan following. 

Locations predicted to prove the most popular over the next 12 months were Dubai followed by Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. 

The Middle East Meetings Industry Research Report also surveyed 167 suppliers to the meetings industry, with 67% of these respondents believing that the Gulf and Middle East have the most growth potential worldwide — up from 62% last year. 

This year’s GIBTM, which is being held at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi from March 31 to April 2, is 7% larger than last year’s event, with 2000 meetings industry professionals expected to attend.