Abu Dhabi has been confirmed as the host city for the inaugural edition of M&I Expo, scheduled to run from 14–16 April 2026 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), writes Ramy James Salameh. In a new strategic partnership between The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Worldwide Events, the expo will bring together the ‘MICE 1,000’, a handpicked community of influential global buyers and suppliers in the MICE industry, for three days of curated one-to-one meetings, networking and immersive destination experiences.
The expo will adopt a larger format than the M&I Fest Global events held in Marrakech in 2024 and 2025, although the organiser says it will maintain the core emphasis on high-value, relationship-driven meetings.
“Hosting the M&I Expo in Abu Dhabi reinforces the emirate’s strength and sustained growth as a premier destination for business events and incentive travel,” said Mubarak Al Shamsi, director of the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau. “With iconic venues like Qasr Al Watan and Yas Marina Circuit, plus new attractions like teamLab Phenomena, this event will showcase the very best of Abu Dhabi.”
Richard Barnes, CEO of M&I, said: “We don’t want to become another big faceless exhibition. Our focus is on quality over quantity. M&I Expo caters exclusively to the elite of the MICE industry, the 1,000 most influential players. We believe that 1,000 is the sweet spot — not too big, not too small.”
The event will also align with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, which identifies business events as a key pillar of economic growth. In Q1 2025, the emirate recorded 1.4m overnight guests, with rising visitor numbers from markets including India, China, Russia, the UK, and the USA.
Organisers expect the expo to attract a wide range of global exhibitors, including CVBs, hotel groups, DMCs, and event tech firms.
