ADNEC launches expansion plans in London and Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has said that it would expand its existing facilities in both London and Abu Dhabi.

The expansion plans include the building of a 10,000 square metre exhibition hall, the largest of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The development will also include the area across from the Grand Platform at the centre, which will include areas for outdoor activities, thereby raising the total outdoor space for exhibitions in the area by 70 per cent to reach 24,000 square meters.

Expansion and development work at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre will increase the overall interior space for exhibitions by 12 per cent to reach 92,000 square meters, while the overall outdoor space for exhibitions will exceed 59,000 square meters, increasing the overall area of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre by 7 per cent to over 151,000 square meters.

The process is expected to involve the development of infrastructure in the Canal and Marina area. Work on the waterfront will begin at the end of October 2021, and is expected to last for 12 months with the new hall opening scheduled for October 2022. Work on the Grand Platform will begin in March 2022 and will last for nine months, followed by its inauguration in November 2022.

Meanwhile, ADNEC has also confirmed development work for the ExCeL London centre in the UK, which is owned fully by ADNEC, will include beginning the third stage of expanding its facility there. This involves adding 25,000 square meters of space for exhibitions, establishing new halls for meeting and conferences, and adding several services facilities across three floors, which will increase the centre’s overall space by 25 per cent to reach 125,000 square meters. Work on the expansion of ExCeL London will begin early next year and will conclude in early 2024.

“ExCeL London has played a pivotal role is revitalising the economy through the events it hosts which help support the prosperity of sectors such as public transport, hospitality, accommodations, and aviation. This latest investment will enable ExCeL to continue having a positive economic and social impact for years to come, benefitting communities across London,” said Jeremy Rees, CEO at ExCeL London.

ADNEC said that its expansion plans will not impact operations and its continuing ability to host events at these centres, and this expansion drive will help it to attract more exhibitor companies from all over the world.

“The new expansion of the group’s assets in Abu Dhabi and London affirms the increasing importance of the business and leisure tourism sectors. These industries are key in advancing the next stage for both countries’ economies, as they help diversify sources of income and strengthen the main sustainable contributors to it,” said Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, managing director and group CEO at ADNEC.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre has gone through several stages of development since its inception in 2005 when the new centre was built along with halls 1 to 7. In 2008, the construction of halls 8 through 12 began along with the construction of the adjacent Hotel Aloft Abu Dhabi which opened in 2009.