Manama : The ICCA Middle East Summit 2025, hosted for the first time in Bahrain, brought together leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from the global meetings and events industry. The summit highlighted the region’s growing prominence as a hub for business events and explored strategies that use technology, sustainability, and infrastructure to support economic growth.
During the summit, participants shared insights on how leadership, innovation, and well-equipped venues are shaping the future of meetings and conventions in the Middle East.
Speaking to Bahrain News Agency, Dr. Senthil Gopinath, Chief Executive Officer of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), underscored the importance of infrastructure in positioning a city as a global meeting destination. He described convention centres and hotels not merely as venues, but as catalysts that bring a city’s vision to life and elevate its business sector.
He emphasised that Bahrain’s facilities offer a strong foundation for international meetings, and the Kingdom’s focus on quality infrastructure signals a long-term strategy for growth in the meetings industry.
“In our business, infrastructure plays a vital role. A convention centre or hotel activates the city’s vision and elevates the business sector. It puts the destination on the global map,” Dr. Gopinath said, highlighting Bahrain’s potential as a venue for international association meetings.
“It’s not about building big ones, it’s a huge investment as well. It has a strategy for the destination. Convention centres are great enablers,” he added.
Reflecting on the Middle East’s rise as a business events hub, Dr. Gopinath said, “The Middle East is fast-paced. With leadership and vision in place, they understand the importance of business events. That is very unique to this part of the world.”
He noted that the engagement of multiple industries, from healthcare to manufacturing, demonstrates that the impact of meetings extends beyond traditional event spaces, creating opportunities for economic development on a much larger scale.
“The farmer sector, the healthcare sector, the manufacturing sector, all are becoming part of it. This business is going to boom in this part of the world, much bigger than what it is now,” he said.
Technology, he said, is a critical driver for this evolution. AI, in particular, has the potential to transform how events are planned, managed, and experienced.
“AI technology is an integral part of what we do. We should embrace that, rather than getting concerned about it,” Dr. Gopinath said.
“By integrating AI as a partner in operations, organisers can work faster, make more informed decisions, and enhance the overall quality of events.”
He emphasised that technology should be leveraged thoughtfully, not to replace human insight, but to amplify it, helping planners anticipate needs, deliver more precise information, and improve the participant experience.
Khalid Al Zadjali, ICCA Middle East Chapter Chair and Director of the Oman Convention Bureau, highlighted Bahrain’s efforts to develop its conference and exhibition sector. “It shows the commitment from the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and the Kingdom as a destination to develop the exhibition sector,” he said.
He emphasised that hosting events like the ICCA Middle East Summit allows stakeholders to share knowledge, build partnerships, and raise the profile of Bahrain on a global scale.
“All the stakeholders within Bahrain can get the benefits to share their knowledge among their colleagues, friends, and industry partners within the region, and also globally,” he added.
Speaking on the wider impact of the conference industry, Al Zadjali noted, “When there is a conference business, it’s not only affecting a venue or the specialised people from that sector, but it is also affecting the whole society, airlines, airports, transport, hotels, it’s a huge industry.”
Additionally, Al Zadjali highlighted how these factors are shaping modern conferences. “These are becoming key factors whenever evaluating venues or destinations. They are always an important element in our professional life as a conference or events organiser.”
Anju Gomes, Senior Regional Director for ICCA Middle East, emphasised the foundational role of venues in event delivery.
“A venue holds the biggest share, actually, in hosting such kinds of events because you need the space, you need the catering, you need the audiovisual equipment, you need the resources as well as security. So all of these elements are fundamental,” she said. She also reflected on the Middle East’s rapid rise as a global hub.
“The Middle East is the new hub globally. What other destinations did in 50 years, we are doing in a year or two. And the number of people that we are attracting, and the people who come repeatedly, they see something new every time,” Gomes said.
Saif Mohamed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, commended Bahrain’s hospitality and infrastructure, describing the Kingdom as “a very hospitable environment.
“Very nice people, even the venue here in Exhibition World Bahrain is a tremendous new venue, one of the biggest in the region, which is really something very important for Bahrain to have.”
He highlighted the importance of industry collaboration, noting, “We complement each other. We have to work together now, not to compete, but to complement, because we are all close with each other, in proximity, and we all offer something very similar. Hospitality in this region is unmatched, best five-star hotels, best venues, airports, and airlines. Everything is happening in a very nice way with all the facilities that anybody as a visitor or exhibitor can come and enjoy.”
Al Midfa also high Bahrain’s heritage and compact size as strengths, saying, “Being a small island is something of a strength, because you can test and try, and see the effect immediately. If you want to adapt to change, it can be done very fast.” He added that the Kingdom’s central location, ports, free zones, and, most importantly, its people make it unique.
Al Midfa also highlighted the rising influence of artificial intelligence in the region. “AI is the buzzword right now, it will take us to the next level. It will improve customer experience, getting first-hand information very fast, which is something good and unique, especially for understanding what clients really want.”
He cautioned that proper usage and cybersecurity remain critical but emphasised that exhibitions and human interaction would remain central.
