ADNEC Group posts record Dhs9.2 billion economic impact in 2025

ADNEC Group, the primary driver of Modon’s events, catering and tourism pillar, celebrated its most successful year in 2025, achieving record economic impact and setting new milestones across all six of its business clusters.

In 2025, ADNEC Group generated Dhs9.2 billion in economic impact, an 8% increase from Dhs8.5 billion in 2024. Through its business and leisure tourism activities, the group generated 2.17 million hotel room nights, reflecting its growing role in driving economic growth and supporting the UAE’s strategic objective of building a diversified, knowledge‑based economy.

Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of Modon Holding, said, “ADNEC’s remarkable achievements are a testament to Abu Dhabi’s ongoing success in building a diversified and sustainable economy. By focusing on innovation, economic diversification, and world-class infrastructure, the Emirate has cemented its position as a leading destination for business, tourism, and high-profile global events. These results reflect the vision of our wise leadership, whose strategic planning and tireless efforts have created an environment where industries thrive, and opportunities flourish.”

Bill O’Regan, Group CEO of Modon Holding, said, “In 2025, ADNEC Group delivered another extraordinary year of growth and significant impact for Abu Dhabi. As a vital part of Modon’s platform, ADNEC Group is fundamental to our support for the emirate’s long-term economic growth and diversification. Through its exceptional performance across events, catering and tourism, ADNEC continues to unlock value across multiple sectors while showcasing Abu Dhabi as a premier destination for global events.”

Humaid Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said, “2025 witnessed record growth rates across all performance indicators, marking the largest in the group’s history. This reflects the success of our strategy to enhance direct and indirect contributions to the national economy, transfer and localise advanced knowledge, establish partnerships, and boost the competitiveness of national industries across various economic sectors. This aligns with the aspirations and vision of our wise leadership to position Abu Dhabi as a capital for these vital sectors in the region and a hub for innovation and development.”

ADNEC Group's excellence was recognised on the global stage in 2025, earning 19 prestigious international awards, including the coveted C&IT Best Venue outside of the UK, alongside numerous accolades in the sustainability sector. Among its honours, the Group received the Best Energy Management Initiative award, four Gulf Sustainability Awards in the categories of Energy, Waste, Circularity, and Leadership, as well as recognition from ICCA as the Model Venue for Sustainable Business Events for hosting the 63rd ICCA Congress, which achieved zero food waste to landfill. The group also received national recognitions for its achievements, including the Majra Impact Seal Gold Tier for large companies and the UAE Plan to Action: Year of Sustainability Seal. These achievements brought the Group's historic tally of global awards to 202 across its various business sectors.

ADNEC Venues, including ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, ADNEC Centre Al Ain, Excel London and the Business Design Centre, achieved a record-breaking year in 2025, hosting over 1,149 events, a 15% increase compared to 2024, and welcoming 6.3 million visitors, a 17% increase compared to 2024, marking the highest attendance in the group’s history. Additionally, they supported over 70,000 jobs through their business activities, showcasing their significant economic impact.

ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi hosted 77% of the total conferences and 19% of the total exhibitions held for the first time in the UAE and the Middle East, highlighting the growing global interest from event organisers worldwide, including from North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2025, the venue also held the largest-ever edition of ADIPEC, which shattered previous attendance records by drawing 70,000 visitors in a single day, a milestone for both the event and the venue.

Additionally, ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi held the prestigious IUCN World Conservation Congress, which took place for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and welcomed 10,000 attendees, setting the vision for nature conservation for the next 20 years.

Excel London, which marked its 25th anniversary in 2025, completed its 25,000 square metre ICC expansion, becoming the largest fully integrated conference and exhibition venue in Europe, spanning 125,000 square metres, with the season finale of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship marking the opening of the new purpose-built space. The venue solidified its status as a global events hub by hosting the largest edition of the World Travel Market London, the largest business-to-business tourism event in Europe, which saw over 46,000 industry professionals from around the world.

Capital Events, the event management arm of ADNEC Group, achieved several major milestones in 2025. These include organising the largest editions of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) and Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX), which attracted 206,073 visitors, a 55% increase compared to the previous edition.

The fourth edition of Make it in the Emirates was organised for the first time at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, which allowed the event to grow 300% in size and welcome a 16-fold increase in exhibitors compared to the 2024 edition. Capital Events also launched the first edition of the Al Ain International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition at ADNEC Centre Al Ain, attracting a venue record 116,617 visitors and establishing itself as a significant new event on Al Ain’s calendar.

 ADNEC Services arm, Capital 360 Event Experiences, had its most successful year to date, supporting 4,621 projects and reinforcing its international presence in key markets, including Egypt, the US, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. Capital 360 Event Experiences also organised the first edition of Challenge Sir Bani Yas, the first long-distance triathlon in the MENA region, which welcomed over 3,500 athletes from 47 nationalities and promoted Sir Bani Yas Island as a major tourism attraction in the Al Dhafra Region.

Capital Catering, the F&B arm of ADNEC Group, delivered 51.6 million meals across key sectors such as healthcare, aviation, defence, and energy in 2025, a 29% increase compared to 2024, highlighting its significant growth and impact. The company provided services to 29 hospitals across the UAE and 21 airlines through its airport facilities, while also serving as a key caterer for the UAE energy sector, supporting major clients such as ADNOC and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company.

Tourism365 continues to drive inbound tourism to Abu Dhabi. In 2025, Tourism365 managed the experience, accommodation and transport of over 330,000 travellers, increasing the number of its clients by 15%. Tourism 365 also served a record 144,000 stopover passengers, further driving inbound tourism to Abu Dhabi.

In 2025, the media arm of ADNEC Group, twofour54, made significant strides in empowering global storytelling, supporting over 40 local, regional, and international productions. It played a pivotal role in bringing Hollywood blockbusters such as Dune 3, Brad Pitt’s F1, and Bunker 13 to Abu Dhabi, further solidifying the emirate’s position as a premier filming destination.

In January 2025, ADNEC Group signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop a large-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic system at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, one of the most ambitious renewable energy projects within the region's events industry. Once operational, the system will generate clean electricity on-site and meet approximately 30% of the venue's energy demand. The solar PPA builds on ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi's position as the first large-scale events centre in the Middle East and North Africa to operate entirely on certified clean energy through the Group's partnership with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC). Since the signing of the agreement at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, a total of 36,658 MWh of clean energy has been supplied to the venue through renewable and clean energy sources.

Beyond its clean energy transition, the venue has also deployed several innovative technologies to further reduce its carbon footprint, including an AI-powered Building Management System designed to optimise energy consumption across its operations. Together, these initiatives underscore ADNEC's commitment to setting new benchmarks for environmental responsibility within the global events sector.

ADNEC Group remains committed to advancing Abu Dhabi’s vision for economic diversification and sustainable development. By pursuing new business opportunities across its core sectors, the group aims to further enhance its global leadership in business tourism, events, and hospitality while driving long-term value for the UAE and its people.

WAM