ADNEC Group

Name

ADNEC Group

Legal name

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company

Website

https://adnecgroup.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibition and Convention Venue Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC), Government & Municipal Event Venues (THAHAAAE), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM), Exhibitor/Sponsor Management (Corporate Conferences) (THACAFAN)

Keywords

• Exhibition venue services
• Event management services
• Conference hosting
• Catering services
• Venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Event Hosting: ADNEC Group generates primary revenue by renting out its exhibition halls, conference rooms, banqueting facilities, and outdoor spaces (Marina, waterfront) to event organizers for exhibitions, conferences, meetings, corporate events, and weddings. Venues include ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi (153,678 sqm total area, 12 column-free halls), ADNEC Centre Al Ain, ExCeL London (100,000 sqm), and Business Design Centre (6,000 sqm).
2. Catering and F&B Services: Capital Catering (with Capital Catering+ and Capital Catering & Services brands) provides event catering, airline catering, and healthcare catering across 100+ locations, delivering 45 million meals annually. Revenue is generated through per-event catering contracts and large-scale catering service agreements. The 2024 acquisition of Royal Catering Services (50,000+ meals/day capacity) significantly expanded this stream.
3. Event Organisation and Management: Capital Events organises flagship exhibitions and conferences (IDEX, NAVDEX, ISNR, ADIHEX, UMEX, SimTEX, ADIBS, Global Food Week, Abu Dhabi Summer Sports, Make it in the Emirates, Bitcoin MENA), generating revenue through event management fees and participation revenue.
4. Event Services (Capital 360): Capital 360 provides event management, design, brand experience, audio visual production, stand build, main contracting, graphics, and rigging services to event organisers, generating revenue through professional services contracts.
5. Tourism and Travel Services: Tourism 365 (established 2021) provides destination management, travel management, transportation services, and tour operations. Capital Holidays powers Etihad Holidays, the tour operator of Etihad Airways. Revenue is generated through service fees and package sales.
6. Hotel and Hospitality Operations: ADNEC Group operates a hotel cluster comprising Aloft London ExCeL, DoubleTree Hilton London ExCeL, Aloft Abu Dhabi, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Abu Dhabi Resort, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, and Reykjavik EDITION. Revenue is generated through room rentals, F&B, and hospitality services.
7. Media and Creative Services (twofour54): twofour54, the group's media subsidiary, supports content creation (film, TV, gaming, digital media) through facilities including a 300,000 sqm backlot, sound stages, studios, and AR/VR/XR production facilities, generating revenue through studio rentals, production services, and government relations services. Has supported over 2,400 productions since 2009.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ADNEC Group operates and rents out large-scale exhibition and convention venues (ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi at 153,678 sqm, ADNEC Centre Al Ain, ExCeL London at 100,000 sqm, and Business Design Centre) to event organizers, government entities, and corporate clients. The group also delivers integrated event management (Capital Events, Capital 360), large-scale catering across 100+ locations (Capital Catering, 45 million meals annually), VIP protocol services (Capital Protocol), tourism services (Tourism 365, Capital Holidays), and media production facilities (twofour54) to support exhibitions, conferences, and major events.

Product overview

ADNEC Group operates a diversified portfolio of venues, events, F&B, hotels, services, tourism, and media clusters. The core venue products include ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi (153,678 sqm), ADNEC Centre Al Ain, ExCeL London (100,000 sqm), and Business Design Centre (6,000 sqm). The events arm (Capital Events) organizes major exhibitions including IDEX, NAVDEX, UMEX, ISNR Abu Dhabi, ADIBS, and ADIHEX. Supporting services include Capital 360 (event agency), Capital Catering (100+ locations, 6,800 staff, 45 million meals annually), Capital Protocol (VIP services), Tourism 365 (destination management), and twofour54 (media hub with 300,000 sqm backlot). The Group also operates hotel properties including Aloft London ExCeL, DoubleTree Hilton London ExCeL, Aloft Abu Dhabi, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, and Reykjavik EDITION.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Capital Catering+: Event catering services providing delectable menus for events including exhibitions, conferences, stand catering and special events, offering Arabic, Emirati and international cuisines
• Capital 360
• Capital Protocol
• Tourism 365
• Capital Holidays
• twofour54
• Capital Catering

Products and services

• ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi Multi-award winning venue spread over 153,678 sqm, offering 12 (or 13) column-free exhibition halls, conference facilities for up to 6,000 people, banqueting facilities, ICC Abu Dhabi (7,919 sqm), Marina Hall (10,000 sqm, the largest waterside exhibition hall in MENA), and award-winning meeting spaces like The Hive. Hosts exhibitions, conferences, corporate events, and weddings. Located 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi Airport with 1,827 on-site hotel rooms.
• ADNEC Centre Al Ain Event venue in Al Ain featuring unique architectural design in harmony with the city's heritage. Provides facilities for exhibitions, conferences, weddings, and special events. Hosts over 500 events annually and is now powered by 100% clean and renewable energy through ADNEC's partnership with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).
• ExCeL London London's largest international exhibition and convention centre, spanning 100,000 sqm. Includes ICC London (the UK's largest fully-flexible auditorium for up to 7,000 delegates), London's largest banqueting hall (up to 3,000 guests), and conference facilities for 50 to 1,200 delegates. On-site hotels include Aloft London ExCeL and DoubleTree Hilton London ExCeL.
• Business Design Centre One of London's most popular conference and exhibition venues with a footprint of 6,000 sqm, incorporating unique showrooms and private office space. Now fully powered by clean and renewable energy as part of ADNEC Group's zero-carbon venue operations.
• Capital Events In-house event management arm of ADNEC Group that organises flagship exhibitions and conferences, including IDEX, NAVDEX, UMEX, SimTEX, ISNR Abu Dhabi, ADIBS, Global Food Week, Abu Dhabi Summer Sports, ADIHEX, Make it in The Emirates, and Bitcoin MENA. Drives recurring venue utilisation and global participation.
• Capital 360 Award-winning brand and event agency offering customised turnkey event solutions including event management, design, brand experience, audio visual production, stand build, main contracting, graphics, and rigging services to event organisers at ADNEC venues and externally.
• Capital Catering & Services (Capital Catering) F&B arm of ADNEC Group providing catering services for events, airlines, and healthcare providers across 100+ locations. Operates with 6,800 staff delivering 45 million meals annually, with sub-brands Capital Catering+ and Capital Catering & Services. The 2024 acquisition of Royal Catering Services (50,000+ meals/day) further expanded capacity.
• Capital Protocol Specialised VIP protocol service providing customised services to high-level delegations, VIPs, and government officials in the UAE.
• Tourism 365 Tourism company established in 2021 offering destination management, travel management, transportation services, and tour operation services with focus on Abu Dhabi and UAE tourism. Karavel (French tourism group) was acquired in December 2023 to expand its European presence.
• Capital Holidays (Etihad Holidays) Tour operator powering Etihad Holidays (the tour operator of Etihad Airways), creating travel experiences and tailor-made packages including romantic retreats, family getaways, city breaks, and safari adventures.
• twofour54 Media and entertainment hub featuring a 300,000 sqm backlot, multiple sound stages, studios, and AR/VR/XR production facilities. Has supported over 2,400 productions since 2009, including Hollywood blockbusters such as Mission Impossible, Fast and Furious, and Star Wars. Home to industry leaders such as CNN, Unity Technologies, and Ubisoft.
• ADNEC Group Hotel Cluster Hotel and hospitality operations comprising Aloft London ExCeL, DoubleTree Hilton London ExCeL, Aloft Abu Dhabi, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Abu Dhabi Resort, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, and Reykjavik EDITION. Revenue is generated through room rentals, F&B, and hospitality services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 million meals delivered annually by Capital Catering
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, strategic and core.

• Special Olympics UAEminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026ADNEC Group is a partner supporting the UAE Games 2026 in Abu Dhabi alongside ADNOC and Aldar. The event features more than 1,000 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• UAE Ministry of InteriorstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026The UAE Ministry of Interior is a key strategic partner for ISNR Abu Dhabi, the premier national security and resilience exhibition organised by ADNEC Group. ISNR is held under the patronage of Lieutenant General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The Ministry collaborates with ADNEC on event organisation, policy frameworks, and international security partnerships.
• Abu Dhabi Police General HeadquartersstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Abu Dhabi Police GHQ is a strategic partner for ISNR Abu Dhabi, collaborating with ADNEC Group on event organisation and the Abu Dhabi Global Sustainable Security Summit.
• Tawazun Council for Defence EnablementstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Tawazun Council was announced as Strategic Enablement Partner for ISNR 2026. The Council supports UAE national defence entities participating at ADNEC Group-organised defence exhibitions (ISNR, IDEX, NAVDEX) and co-organises the UAE National Pavilion at international defence exhibitions like Eurosatory and SAHA 2026, facilitating partnerships between UAE defence companies and international entities.
• Tawazun Council for Defence EnablementstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Tawazun Council coordinates the UAE National Pavilion at international defence exhibitions including Eurosatory 2026 (Paris), SAHA 2026 (Istanbul), and others, with ADNEC Group serving as the organising partner. The UAE pavilion showcases Emirati defence companies including EDGE Group, Calidus Group, and AAL Group.
• PresightstrategicTechnology or Integration · 18 March 2026ADNEC Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Presight on March 18, 2026, to deploy AI-powered smart venue management solutions across ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi and ADNEC Centre Al Ain. The partnership utilizes Presight's Intelli platform for traffic management, health and safety, crowd monitoring, and waste management, representing the first national-level AI infrastructure application in the events sector.
• Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026ADNEC Group partnered with EWEC to supply 100% renewable and clean energy to ADNEC Centre Al Ain, enabling zero carbon emissions from energy use. Following this agreement, all four ADNEC Group event venues (ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, ADNEC Centre Al Ain, ExCeL London, and Business Design Centre) are now powered entirely by clean and renewable energy. EWEC issues International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) for ADNEC venues, verified by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy. ADNEC Group has set a target to achieve net zero carbon events by 2045.
• UAE Ministry of DefencestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UAE Ministry of Defence supports and co-organises the UAE National Pavilion at international defence exhibitions (Eurosatory, SAHA) through ADNEC Group's Capital Events, and is the primary government partner for IDEX and NAVDEX events.
• EDGE GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDGE Group is a major UAE national defence entity that participates in UAE National Pavilions at international exhibitions (Eurosatory, SAHA) organised by ADNEC Group. EDGE regularly signs MoUs with international defence companies at these events, including agreements with Safran, Leonardo, Naval Group, and others.
• EDGE GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt Eurosatory 2026, EDGE Group signed nine agreements and MoUs with European companies, including a joint venture with EM&E Group (Spain) to be established in the UAE, and MoUs with Thermoteknix (UK), Ursa Major (USA), and others.
• IDEX LLC / Capital EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital Events, the event management arm of ADNEC Group, organises the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX), and promotes future editions at international defence exhibitions (Eurosatory, SAHA). The 2027 editions of IDEX and NAVDEX are expected to be the largest in the events' history.
• Capital 360coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCapital 360 is an award-winning brand and event agency and a subsidiary of ADNEC Group. It provides event management, design, brand experience, audio visual production, stand build, main contracting, graphics, and rigging services to event organisers at ADNEC venues and externally.
• Capital CateringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital Catering (Capital Catering+ and Capital Catering & Services brands) is ADNEC Group's F&B subsidiary, providing event catering, airline catering, and healthcare catering across 100+ locations. The acquisition of Royal Catering Services LLC (2024) expanded capacity to 50,000+ meals/day.
• Abu Dhabi Airports CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, serves as a board member of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, indicating a strategic working relationship between the two Abu Dhabi entities.
• Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerADIO is a partner in organising Make it in the Emirates (MIITE), the UAE's flagship industrial platform held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. ADIO collaborates with ADNEC Group, ADNOC Group, and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology for this event.
• ADNOC GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerADNOC Group co-organises Make it in the Emirates with ADNEC Group and is a partner for the UAE Games 2026. ADNEC hosts ADIPEC, the world's largest energy conference, at its venue.
• Ministry of Industry and Advanced TechnologystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is the primary government organiser of Make it in the Emirates, partnered with ADNEC Group, ADIO, and ADNOC Group.
• twofour54coreStrategic or Co-development Partnertwofour54 is a media and entertainment subsidiary of ADNEC Group, serving as a creative hub for content production (film, TV, gaming, digital media). It supports over 2,400 productions including Hollywood blockbusters and is home to industry leaders like CNN, Unity Technologies, and Ubisoft.
• ExCeL LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExCeL London, acquired by ADNEC Group in 2008, is one of four ADNEC venues. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri serves as Chairman of ExCeL London. The venue operates independently while being part of the ADNEC portfolio.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• dmg events: Dubai-headquartered organiser of major exhibitions including The Big 5, ADIPEC co-organisation, and numerous energy and construction events. Direct competitor to Capital Events in flagship event ownership and to ADNEC venues in hosting rights.
• ExCeL London: Wholly owned by ADNEC Group since 2008, ExCeL London is itself a UK convention venue comparable to ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi in scale (100,000 sqm) and event mix. It is the cleanest single-venue benchmark for ADNEC's UK venue economics and conference utilisation.
• Olympia London: Central London exhibition venue owned by Sixth Street and Elize. Comparable to ExCeL London and Business Design Centre as a UK conference and exhibition venue competing for the same organiser budgets.
• Dubai World Trade Centre: Dubai's flagship exhibition and convention complex and ADNEC's closest direct competitor for large-scale exhibitions and conferences in the UAE. Both are state-owned and pursue similar strategies of hosting flagship trade shows and integrating hospitality, making the comparison on venue economics and event portfolio highly relevant.
• KAOUN International (GITEX organiser): Dubai-based event organiser that runs GITEX Global and a growing portfolio of tech and consumer exhibitions. It competes with Capital Events for global organiser mindshare and competes with ADNEC and DWTC for hosting large exhibitions in the Gulf.

Regional players

• Qatar National Convention Centre / Qatar Tourism: Qatar's primary exhibition and convention venue, state-backed and competing with ADNEC Group for regional MICE events in the Gulf. Comparable on venue economics and government alignment, but geographically distinct.

Broad incumbents

• Reed Exhibitions (RELX): Subsidiary of RELX and one of the world's largest exhibition organisers across dozens of industries. Comparable to Capital Events as a global flagship event portfolio, though Reed is organiser-only without ADNEC's owned venue footprint.
• Informa Markets (Informa plc): Global B2B exhibitions, events, and content business and one of the world's largest exhibition organisers. Comparable as a portfolio organiser of trade shows across many verticals, but operates at much larger scale and as an organiser rather than a venue owner.
• Messe Frankfurt: German-headquartered global trade fair organiser and venue operator. Comparable to ADNEC Group as a combined venue-plus-event-organiser model, but with a much larger international footprint and longer history.
• Comexposium Group: Paris-based global exhibition organiser with a portfolio spanning food, agriculture, fashion, security, and tourism events. Comparable to Capital Events and Karavel combined as a French-rooted organiser with global event brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ADNECGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/ADNECGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adnec
• Instagraminstagram.com/adnecad

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADNEC Group