MUSCAT: The regional meetings of the International Association of Associations and Conferences in the Middle East began yesterday, August 30, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center in Muscat.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is hosting the event under the theme “Forging a Common Path for a Promising Future,” with the participation of more than 120 local and regional experts over the span of two days.
Khalid bin Walid al Zadjali, Director of Oman Convention Bureau at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said the meeting underscores the Sultanate of Oman's interest in developing a high-level sector for hosting events, looking forward to developing this sector locally and regionally and building a partnership with the International Association of Associations and Conferences.
The Oman Convention Bureau, he said, is in charge of carrying out plans and programs for this sector and working with all parties to put the Sultanate of Oman on the map of the world for attracting exhibitions and conferences in all their forms. He also emphasized that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is keen on developing and enhancing the conference sector in Oman and achieving the desired goals by attracting regional and international specialized conferences.
In 2022, MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions) events in the GCC attracted over 12 million visitors through major exhibitions and events.
MICE events organised by the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center) during Q4 2022 generated around RO 9.31 million in knock-on benefits to the tourism sector and national economy. More than 10,000 foreign delegates attended events at OCEC during Q4 2022, staying an average of 5.5 days in Oman, and spending around RO 169.4/day.
OCEC also predicted that in Q4 2023 there will be roughly 50 events and 300,000 attendees. In comparison, 70 events were organized in the fourth quarter of 2022 with more than 500,000 attendees. Of this number, 46 were corporate events, 10 were exhibitions, 7 were live events, 4 were graduation ceremonies and three were conferences.
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