ADNEC Abu Dhabi wins five global awards at Eventex 2026

 ADNEC Abu Dhabi has won five international awards as part of Eventex 2026, one of the most prominent and well-known awards in the events, exhibitions, conferences and marketing experiences sector around the world, in a new achievement that reflects its leading position on the map of the exhibitions, conferences and major events industry, confirming Abu Dhabi's leadership as an international destination for hosting specialized events and exhibitions.

The five awards received by ADNEC Abu Dhabi in the Eventex 2026 Global Awards include 'World's Best Sustainable Event Centre', in recognition of its pioneering efforts in sustainability and the operation of its facilities using clean energy, 'Best Exhibition Centre', 'Best Wedding Destination', 'Best Sports Event Destination', and 'Best Convention Centre'.

These awards reflect the exceptional diversity of ADNEC Abu Dhabi's capabilities and its global excellence in hosting and managing various types of events, from major exhibitions and conferences to sporting events and weddings, in accordance with the highest international standards in operation, sustainability and customer experience.

Eventex 2026, the world's leading awards for events and experiential marketing, revealed the winners for its 16th edition, following an exceptional edition that saw a record 1,405 entries from 58 countries around the world.

The Eventex 2026 Awards jury includes 251 experts and specialists from 43 countries, representing some of the world's leading leaders in the events and experiential marketing industry, including heads of agencies, professional associations, conference and visitor offices, as well as creative leaders and dedicated journalists.

The panel includes representatives of prestigious international organizations and brands such as FIFA, the Financial Times, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Salesforce and Siemens, while this year's edition included 14 members of the judging panel to oversee the evaluation process and ensure the highest standards of integrity and transparency.

The awards cover a wide range of categories that recognise excellence and innovation in various aspects of the events industry, including events, brand experiences, marketing, communications and strategy, agencies and teams, destinations and venues, event technology, and event production, reflecting the global status of these awards and the significance of ADNEC Abu Dhabi's achievements by winning five global awards in the 2026 edition.

Criteria for evaluating the participating entities include: creativity and innovation, to measure the extent to which the participating ideas are innovative and distinct and demonstrate their ability to introduce new concepts; planning and implementation, to assess the quality of event organization, operational strategy, and event execution efficiency; in addition to effectiveness and outcomes, which measure the tangible impact of the event based on specific data and statistics, including the reach of the audience and the achievement of the desired goals.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group Chief Executive Officer of ADNEC, said: "These awards reflect Abu Dhabi's strategic position as a leading global destination for international exhibitions, conferences and meetings, and this global achievement reflects ADNEC Abu Dhabi's exceptional role in hosting and delivering the world's most important and prominent major events, in a clear indication of the great trust that our partners and customers, both institutional and individual, place in organizing mega and diverse events, thanks to ADNEC Abu Dhabi's advanced facilities and world-class infrastructure. The Centre contributes directly to Abu Dhabi's position as a global destination for business, innovation, growth and expansion, by supporting various sectors globally.

"At ADNEC Group, we see this global recognition as a great responsibility to continue our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to our partners in the exhibition, conference and business tourism sectors," he added, explaining that the Group continues to implement its ambitious strategies to achieve its goals of promoting diversification within its core sectors, accelerating the pace of growth and expansion into new markets and sectors, in support of the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision and the Group's contribution to driving the sustainable growth of the emirate's economy.

Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Chief Commercial Officer at ADNEC Abu Dhabi, said: "This global achievement reflects ADNEC Abu Dhabi's strong presence in the global exhibitions, conferences and events sector, as well as the excellence, innovation and leadership that ADNEC Group continues to build through its state-of-the-art facilities and integrated services to the highest international standards.

He added that ADNEC Abu Dhabi has achieved this position thanks to a clear strategic vision to deliver world-class standards in the field of event management, as well as the enormous potential of professional operations and operations teams working on a methodology that uses the latest event management methods.

ADNEC Group is one of the most diversified groups in the UAE, managing an integrated portfolio of exhibition and convention centres, event organisations, hotels, hospitality, services, tourism and media, as well as the development and management of international strategic assets.

The Group operates four major hubs, including ADNEC Abu Dhabi, the largest event centre in the Middle East and North Africa, ADNEC Al Ain Centre, Excel London Centre in the UK, and Business Design Centre, and is well positioned to provide world-class services and facilities that support the hosting of multiple simultaneous events, reflecting its advanced operational capabilities and modern infrastructure.

ADNEC Group continues to strengthen its global position by expanding into new strategic sectors and enhancing its contribution to the development of Abu Dhabi's business and leisure tourism sector, in line with the emirate's position as a global destination for exhibitions, conferences, tourism and culture.

It is worth mentioning that the "Eventex 2026" Awards were launched in 2009 and aim to honor excellence, creativity and innovation in the events industry, customer experiences and marketing, as it annually attracts participation from major companies, institutions, exhibition centers and international destinations, and the categories of the awards include multiple sectors, most notably: exhibition and conference centers, sports and entertainment events, sustainability in events, visitor and customer experiences, organizing conferences and exhibitions, innovation in the events industry, tourist destinations, and wedding destinations.

Eventex is globally renowned because its evaluation is based on an international judging panel of experts and specialists in the events industry, marketing, communications and visitor experiences from around the world.