UAE - Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has announced that Simon Horgan, Group CEO, has decided to leave the company after six years.

 Horgan has been with ADNEC since its inception in 2005 and has been a driving force behind a number of projects which have seen Abu Dhabi grow into a global hub for major events, as well as a leading international business tourism destination.

Thanking him for his contribution, His Excellency Ali Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, ADNEC’s Managing Director, paid tribute to the legacy that Horgan leaves behind.

“From humble beginnings in 2005, ADNEC has grown into a regional giant of the exhibition and live events industry. In 2005, there were just 14 major events at the old facility in Abu Dhabi, last year there were 148 events at ADNEC; this increase is tribute to the impact that Simon has had on the industry in the UAE capital. His commitment to Abu Dhabi has been unwavering and his contribution to the live events industry has been immense, I thank him for his contribution and wish him well.”

ADNEC opened in February 2007 and in 2008 the company acquired Excel London. The group also announced its plans to develop the Al Ain Convention Centre in the same year. 

In recent years ADNEC has also become a major player in the hospitality industry, developing hotels in Abu Dhabi and London. 

Additionally, ADNEC has played a strategically important part in the commercial development of the UAE capital, masterminding the Capital Centre district, a mixed-use development of 23 towers which is under construction adjacent to the exhibition centre; and developing Capital Gatetower.

Commenting on his departure, Horgan said: “Inevitably, I feel a touch of sadness that my time with ADNEC has come to an end. But more than that, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride in what has been accomplished since 2005.  We have laid the foundations for what I’m sure will become one of Abu Dhabi’s most significant industries over the next decade. I thank the ADNEC Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, His Excellency Ali Seed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, and the ADNEC Board, for the unwavering support they have given me over the last six years. I have been honoured to play my part in the success story which is ADNEC and I look forward to whatever I decide to do with my life next.”

ADNEC said it would announce Horgan’s successor “in due course”, with Mike Henderson, ADNEC Group Chief Financial Officer, assuming interim responsibilities. 

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