Gulf nations must showcase the differences in their offerings while presenting a united front to international visitors, according to regional business events leaders speaking on day two of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026. The 33rd edition of ATM is being hosted at Dubai World Trade Centre until Thursday 17 September.
Maryam Toorani, Director of Marketing and Promotions, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Dr. Debbie Kristiansen, SVP Venue Development & Operations MEAA, OVG Middle East, Ahmed Al Binali, Director of Festivals & Events, Visit Qatar, Iyad Rasbey, Vice President Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, and Khalid Waleed Ramadhan Al Zadjali, Director, Oman Convention Bureau gathered at ATM 2026’s Experience Hub to examine the relationship between collaboration and competition within the GCC’s business events community.
Moderated by Anju Gomes, CICD, Senior Regional Director, ICCA ME, the session explored how the region can promote joined-up business event experiences without giving the impression that each GCC country’s offering is identical.
Dr. Kristiansen said: “Unfortunately, when people think about the Middle East, [they think of it as] collective. But when you look at Europe, you don’t see it as collective; you look at the individual countries within Europe. It’s exactly the same in the Middle East. Every country and destination has something unique to offer.”
Commenting on the need to emphasise individual national identities while working collaboratively, Toorani said: “I do genuinely believe that our growth is connected as a region, and there is an opportunity to position ourselves as one connected region without each of us losing the identity of our diverse countries. Having more people coming to our destinations allows us to move away from that global perception.”
Rasbey said: “Destinations shouldn’t look at developing [meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions] in isolation. In Ras Al Khaimah, it’s part of the development of the destination. While we are investing in our infrastructure – the venues, the hotels – the [business events] development goes in parallel. And this is what we have been doing for the last decade.”
Speaking on the importance of maintaining a destination’s individuality, Al Zadjali said: “We should not change ourselves [to fit with the events]. We should design the events to match our destination. Because event organisers have been to many parts of the world. They have experienced the best beaches, the big historical areas, they have been to the ‘wow’ hotels – everywhere. What they’re looking for is the experience, and that should be our focus.”
In reference to the region-wide benefits delivered by mega-events such as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Al Binali said: “The GCC needs to share the legacy of the delivery of any major events, because it’s got that visibility – not only for the destination itself, but also for the region.”
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX Global, said: “The Gulf’s business events market continues to move from strength to strength, with the latest ICCA figures showing regional growth more than double that of the global average. It is exciting to see industry leaders capitalising on their nations’ unique offerings and cultural heritage, while working closely together to present seamlessly connected experiences to international visitors.”
This year marks the introduction of ATM’s refreshed brand identity, visible across the event. The evolution reflects the show’s continued growth beyond the traditional exhibition floor into a year-round platform connecting communities, ideas and commercial opportunities across the global travel and tourism ecosystem.
Held under the theme Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology, ATM 2026 will examine how artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and evolving traveller expectations are influencing the future of tourism. The Experience Hub hosted a total of seven sessions on the show’s second day, including Round Table: Rebooting Hotel Revenue, Where to Start? and
Closing the Missing Link in the Transportation Journey.
Now in its 33rd edition, Arabian Travel Market remains the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East, bringing together the global travel community to develop partnerships, share knowledge and explore new business opportunities across the sector.
