The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the global hub for the international association meetings industry, and Emirates (EK), the world’s largest international airline, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration and drive the growth of global business events.
The MoU was signed on 28 April by Dr. Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, and Dina Al Herais, Emirates’ Vice President, Global Sales and Commercial Support, on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market 2025, the region’s largest gathering of the travel and tourism industry. The signing was held in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates, and Anju Gomes, Senior Regional Director, ICCA Middle East.
This partnership will foster greater synergies between air travel and international meetings and events. Through this agreement, both organisations aim to facilitate more seamless connectivity for association meetings, support destination development strategies, and empower the global events ecosystem through knowledge exchange and capacity building.
Dr. Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, stated: "Our collaboration with Emirates will unlock new opportunities for our members and global stakeholders. Connectivity is key to successful association meetings, and Emirates’ extensive network will be a game-changer in bridging destinations and advancing our shared vision for a thriving global events industry."
Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, said: "At Emirates, we recognise the vital role that business events play in connecting people, ideas, and industries. Our new partnership with ICCA reflects Emirates’ commitment to strengthening Dubai’s position as a global MICE hub while supporting the wider travel and tourism sector."
The MoU is also aligned with Dubai’s strategic ambitions to assert its position as a world-leading destination for international conferences, and reinforces ICCA’s ongoing efforts to engage with key industry leaders in shaping the future of business events. Every year, the city hosts hundreds of major events and conferences, welcoming millions of visitors, and the business events sector is instrumental in supporting the emirate's D33 economic agenda.