Dubai World Trade Centre

Dubai World Trade Centre
Dubai World Trade Centre (middle)
General information
Status	Completed
Location	Trade Centre 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates	25°13′39.4″N 55°17′19.6″E
Construction started	1974
Completed	1979
Inaugurated	February 26, 1979; 45 years ago (1979-02-26) by Queen Elizabeth II[1]
Owner	Investment Corporation of Dubai
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John Harris

The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) (Arabic: مركز دبي التجاري العالمي) is a convention and exhibition centre.^[2] 

History

The Dubai World Trade Centre was originally a single tower, constructed in 1979, and has since been expanded into a business district built around an exhibition centre complex. Originally named the Sheikh Rashid Tower and designed by John R. Harris and Partners (JRHP), the tower was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II on February 26, 1979.^[3][4][5] Subsequent expansions included the inauguration of Halls 1 and 2 of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) in 1988, followed by Hall 3. In 1996, Halls 4–8 expanded DWTC's exhibition space by approximately 27,870 square meters. In 2003, a major expansion saw the complex renamed the Dubai International Convention Exhibition Centre, along with a concourse connecting Halls 1 and 2, the Convention Tower, Novotel, and Ibis Hotels.

In 2009, a further expansion took the total exhibition floorspace to 92,900 square meters with the addition of the Sheikh Saeed halls. In 2015, the DWTC Authority was established, making the district a free zone.^[6] In 2016 the addition of the Za’abeel Halls saw a further15,500 square meters of event space. Simultaneously, phase 1 of One Central, a commercial development in DWTC, was completed, including Offices 1 with 14,197 square meters of leasable space for businesses and multiple retail and F&B outlets. The same year marked the opening of the 588-room Ibis One Central hotel.

In 2017, phase 2 of One Central was completed, featuring offices 2 and 3, offering over 69,000 square meters of combined leasable space for companies, along with numerous retail and F&B outlets and a rooftop restaurant space. In December 2018, One Central's phase 3, including Offices 4 and 5, was completed, providing more than 64,500 square meters of commercial space.^[7]

DWTC Authority

Established in 2015, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) is a free zone, home to 2,000+ companies from 40+ industries spanning construction, healthcare, IT, media, and trade.^[8][9][10] In December 2021, DWTC's mandate was expanded to include virtual assets and crypto, including digital assets, products, operators, and exchanges.^[11][12]

References

1. "40 construction projects that built Dubai". Dubai World Trade Centre. 26 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
2. "Dubai World Trade Centre to conclude its 2023 events calendar with strong line-up of industry-leading MICE events". www.zawya.com.
3. Bedirian, Razmig (2023-02-17). "Timeframe: 44 years since Dubai World Trade Centre opened". The National.
4. "DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE". johnrharris. 2019-02-13.
5. Rai, Aneesha (2023-09-11). "The Space: Dubai World Trade Centre".
6. "Dubai World Trade Centre becomes a free zone". gulfnews.com. 2015-05-18.
7. "Dubai World Trade Centre marks 40th anniversary". gulfnews.com. 2019-03-01.
8. "Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) - Consultant for UAE Free Trade Zone". www.uaefreezones.me.
9. "Registrars Company in the United Arab Emirates". Ministry of Economy UAE.
10. "Dubai World Trade Centre - About | Dubai Free Zones Gateway". freezones.invest.dubai.ae.
11. "Regulation of digital properties | The Official Portal of the UAE Government". u.ae.
12. "Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority becomes world's first regulator to make its debut in Metaverse". mediaoffice.ae.

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