The International MICE Summit 2025 (IMS25) concluded today in Riyadh after two days of high-level discussions, strategic announcements, and global collaboration, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing hubs for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry.

Organized by the Saudi Arabia General Convention and Exhibition Authority (SCEGA), the summit attracted over 3,000 participants, far exceeding expectations. Government officials, global CEOs, venue leaders, creative industry innovators, and tourism experts gathered to explore the future of international meetings and the growing role of business events in driving economic and social transformation under Vision 2030.

During both days, IMS25 featured a major wave of investment announcements, revealing 20 business deals and memoranda of understanding involving companies with combined global revenues of more than $9 billion.

The event brought together more than 90 speakers and moderators from the world’s leading MICE companies, who joined the more than 10,000 global thought leaders and experts who have participated as speakers at events across the Kingdom to date.

The IMS speakers included an exceptional roster of global thought leaders who discussed the future of the events industry, sustainable venue design, innovation, talent development, and the role of the MICE sector in global economic progress. Among them were some of the most influential voices in the sector, including:

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, highlighted the growing influence of mega esports events;
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority;
Noha Kattan, Deputy Minister of National Partnerships and Development at the Ministry of Culture;
Mohammed Ahmed Al Robayan, Deputy Minister of Technology at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies;
Khalid Alkhattaf, CEO of the Saudi Investment Promotion Agency (SIPA).
They were joined by senior executives from Messe Frankfurt, MCH Group, Compexposium, Honegger, Terrapinn, RX Global, OVG, Messe München, Koelnmesse, Clarion Events, GL Events, UFI, ICCA, dmg events, Sela, AIPC, FT Live, World Football Summit and other major international organizers, reflecting the summit’s global impact and reach.

IMS25 successfully accelerated the Kingdom’s global integration into the events sector through a wave of new partnerships and investments. Six major international organizers—Messe Frankfurt, Koelnmesse, MCH Group, Oak View Group (OVG), Comexposium, and Honegger—announced their plans to enter the Saudi market through a series of new initiatives and the opening of offices in Riyadh, demonstrating growing confidence in Saudi Arabia’s rise as a world-class convention center. Richard Attias & Associates (RAA) also announced its intention to list publicly on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in 2026, further solidifying its commitment to the Kingdom.

The summit also featured significant launches of new events, such as Messe München’s BAUMA Saudi Arabia and RX Global’s MIPIM Arabia, complemented by expanded partnerships with GL Events, Clarion, dmg events, and Koelnmesse. Six government memoranda of understanding, covering national development, water management, social research, and disability inclusion, provided new momentum, along with plans for a large, multi-purpose convention center in Jizan, within the $2.9 billion Jaydana Waterfront Project.

Reflecting on the summit’s conclusion, Hatim Alkahily, CEO of SCEGA, stated: “By bringing together more than 3,000 of the world’s leading thinkers and industry leaders, IMS25 fostered new, high-value partnerships among global players and highlighted the deep expertise driving Saudi Arabia’s business events sector. The partnerships, investments, and ideas shared over these two days will strengthen our infrastructure and empower Saudi talent, advancing Vision 2030 and solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a global host in a new era of global events.”

The summit concluded with forward-looking sessions on sustainability, innovation clusters, next-generation venue development, and a gala recognizing excellence in the global events industry.