At its recent meeting, the Executive Committee of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) approved the membership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—represented by the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences—in the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), making it the second international association specializing in the meetings industry that the Kingdom has joined, following the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). UFI has approximately 754 members representing 87 countries, and the association also includes more than 55 local and regional organizations.
Engineer Tariq Abdulrahman Al-Issa, Executive Director of the National Exhibitions and Conferences Program, said in a press statement to the Saudi Press Agency on this occasion: The Kingdom’s membership in the International Exhibition Industry Association (UFI) aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, in terms of strengthening the Kingdom’s standing and encouraging international participation in bodies, associations, and federations specializing in exhibitions and conferences, and because this membership generally helps build bridges of communication, develop the organizational infrastructure and service standards in the Saudi meetings industry, and link it to the global industry. In particular, it will contribute to raising the quality of trade exhibitions held throughout the Kingdom, as the association is distinguished by its international standards applied to the world’s leading trade fairs and recognizes 950 international exhibitions in 87 countries; the Kingdom has committed to applying these standards as one of the conditions for membership acceptance.
Al-Issa added that the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeks to join more international organizations and associations specializing in exhibitions and conferences, which will enhance the Kingdom’s capabilities, contribute to building relationships and acquiring knowledge, and support marketing efforts to attract international conferences, meetings, and business events to be held in the Kingdom. He explained that there are four other international associations the Kingdom aims to join: the International Association of Meeting Professionals (MPI), the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), and the Professional Conference and Meeting Association (PCMA). The announcement of membership in these associations is expected before the end of 2018, in accordance with Cabinet Decision No. 119, issued on February 25, 1439 AH, which expands the powers of the Supervisory Committee of the National Exhibitions and Conferences Program and amends Clause 4 of Cabinet Decision No. 246 dated 17/7/ 1434 AH by adding a provision to its duties that grants it the authority to join international organizations specializing in exhibitions and conferences in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is worth noting that the “Trade Exhibition Licensing” service won the award for Best Service Promoting the National Economy on the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences’ website, as part of the 2018 Government E-Transactions Achievement Award.
Program statistics revealed that there has been growth in the number of trade fairs held in the Kingdom from 2014 – 2018, with an average annual increase exceeding 7%. The number of licensed trade fairs held in the Kingdom in 2017 reached 82, and the Saudi meetings industry recorded 42 trade fairs held in the first half of 2018. Most trade fairs are concentrated in the major administrative regions of Riyadh, Makkah, and the Eastern Province, with the city of Riyadh accounting for nearly half of them, The program expects the number of trade shows held in the Kingdom to continue rising, with a 7% increase in 2018 compared to 2017.
