Messe Düsseldorf on Expansion Path in the Middle East
K, interpack, and drupa expand into Saudi Arabia; EuroShop heads to Dubai
Saudi Arabia is currently showcasing the dynamic and diverse development of the Middle Eastern economy. From 12-15 May, Riyadh Exhibitions Company (REC) hosted the Saudi Plastics & Petrochem and Saudi Print & Pack trade shows, featuring over 500 exhibitors from the petrochemicals, plastics, print, and packaging industries. The flourishing trade fair quartet, whose exhibitor numbers have climbed by 70% since 2018, offers plenty of perfect touchpoints for Messe Düsseldorf.
REC Chairman Prince Saud Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz and President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf Wolfram Diener, have signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate Düsseldorf’s world-leading trade shows K, interpack, and drupa into the future of Saudi Plastics & Petrochem and Saudi Print & Pack events.
Countless Tie-ins with Düsseldorf’s Trade Show Portfolio
Messe Düsseldorf’s Diener emphasises the significance of this decision: “We’re in the right place at the right time. Our commitment to one of the world’s fastest-growing trade show markets reinforces our position as one of the most successful trade show companies worldwide. More and more, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are diversifying their economies, which creates numerous links to our broad trade show portfolio as well as new potential for our customers.”
Messe Düsseldorf Drives Momentum in the Gulf Region
REC Chief Operating Officer Akram Masri welcomes the partnership: “Our trade shows have evolved successfully in recent years. The fact that they are now part of Messe Düsseldorf’s international portfolio – alongside global number one trade shows such as K, drupa and interpack – underscores the growing significance of our market. At the same time, we expect the collaboration to generate significant momentum for our events.”
metalflow ALLIANCE Saudi Arabia: Strong Premiere in Riyadh
Earlier this May, Messe Düsseldorf, in cooperation with Arabian German International Exhibitions (AGEX), held its first event ever in Saudi Arabia. The premiere of metaflow ALLIANCE Saudi Arabia was held from 5-7 May, bringing together 86 exhibitors from Düsseldorf’s seven world-leading trade shows for metal and flow technologies to Riyadh, with Messe Düsseldorf contributing to almost a third of the approximately 275 companies exhibiting at the concurrent Metal & Sheet Saudi Arabia.
The metalworking industry in Saudi Arabia has significant growth potential due to government-backed economic transformation and major investments in industry and infrastructure.
EuroShop Middle East 2026 Marks Another Milestone
The retail sector is also undergoing dynamic growth. According to global market research firm MBB, it is expected to expand by an average of 5.7% annually in the Gulf region through 2026, reaching a projected market volume of around $370 billion. To tap into this potential for Messe Düsseldorf’s customers, EuroShop Middle East will take place in Dubai for the first time in autumn 2026. “Securing EuroShop Middle East 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre marks a significant milestone in our Gulf region strategy. This is just the beginning – our aim is to bring more leading global exhibition brands to the region in the near future,” says Tarek Sibai, Managing Director, Messe Düsseldorf – Gulf. The new management company has been driving Messe Düsseldorf’s business development efforts in the UAE since the start of this year.
First Independently Organised Trade Fair in the Gulf
Petra Cullmann, Executive Director at Messe Düsseldorf, stresses the significance of this step: “With EuroShop Middle East, we are launching our first independently organised trade fair in the Gulf region. Considering the rapidly growing retail sector in the region, the general business environment couldn’t be better.
Benefits for Messe Düsseldorf Customers and Shareholders
Messe Düsseldorf is now represented in the Middle East with a total of eleven regional spin-offs of its 20 leading Düsseldorf-based global trade shows. “We’ve brought more than half of our portfolio to the Gulf region – and more shows will follow,” says Diener. “Customers and shareholders alike will benefit from this expansion; by reinforcing the hub between Europe and Asia, we’ll attract even more international companies and trade show attendees to our leading global trade shows in Düsseldorf – from Asia, but also from the Gulf region itself.”
Between 2014 and 2024, 1,677 exhibitors and 1,73,947 visitors travelled to Düsseldorf from the Middle East.
Building on Existing Strength: Previous Steps in the Region
The current new-business activities aren’t Messe Düsseldorf’s first foray into the region. The company has enjoyed a successful partnership with ArabPlast in Dubai since 2007, besides advancing its business in Egypt with pacprocess MEA and Food Africa Cairo – the link between the Middle East and Africa – since 2019. In addition, a new subsidiary joined Messe Düsseldorf’s global network in 2024 in Türkiye – the bridge between Europe and the Middle East. The recent offensive in Saudi Arabia and in Dubai, where the new Messe Düsseldorf Gulf office is based, marks the logical next step.
