UAE trade shows and exhibitions, 2026 and 2027: the calendar for marketing teams

The UAE's biggest trade shows between November 2026 and May 2027 are Gulfood Manufacturing (3 to 5 November), GITEX Global (8 to 11 December), Intersec and WHX Dubai in January, Gulfood (15 to 19 March) and Arabian Travel Market (3 to 6 May). Each one puts thousands of brands in the same hall for a few days, and each one rewards the companies that arrive with film and photographs ready to use.

The calendar

These are the shows we would plan content around, in date order. Dates and venues come from public listings checked on 6 October 2026.

Two shows have just finished or are running: The Hotel Show and Gulf Print & Pack ran on 28 to 30 September 2026, and Beautyworld Middle East runs on 6 to 8 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

How much to trust a date

Treat every date here as provisional until the organiser confirms it. Gulf Print & Pack was first set for 31 March to 2 April 2026 and was later moved to 28 to 30 September 2026. The Hotel Show moved to the same dates. Intersec 2027 is listed by its organiser for 12 to 14 January, while another listing gives 11 to 13 January, so check before you book travel or a crew.

What each kind of show asks of your content team

• Food and beverage (Gulfood, Gulfood Manufacturing). Product and packaging photography, a stand film and short vertical edits. Buyers see a lot of products, so clean pack shots matter.
• Technology (GITEX Global). Launch and demo film, interviews and a fast social cut.
• Healthcare, security and construction (WHX Dubai, Intersec, The Big 5). Film that shows how products work, plus a photo set of the stand and team.
• Design, culture and luxury (Dubai Design Week, Sharjah International Book Fair, Dubai International Boat Show). Atmosphere and detail photography, where the look of the content is part of the brand.
• Travel (Arabian Travel Market). Destination and property film, interviews with partners and a social edit for each market.

When to start

This is our rule of thumb for a stand, working back from the first day of the show.

1. Eight weeks out. Decide what you will publish afterwards, and book the crew.
2. Six weeks out. Agree the shot list: stand, product, team, meetings and interviews.
3. Four weeks out. Ask the organiser for the filming rules and passes. Shoot product and packaging in a studio now, not on the show floor.
4. Show days. Film and photograph the stand, people and interviews.
5. After the show. Photography is normally delivered in 5 to 10 working days, so plan your follow-up emails around that.

Who commissions coverage

Organisers generally arrange their own official coverage. The work open to outside crews is mostly commissioned by exhibitors, national pavilions and sponsors, who each need material about their own stand rather than the whole show. That is the work we plan for.

Where to go next

For the Gulfood-specific plan, read Gulfood 2027: a content plan for exhibitors. For what we offer, see event video and photography. If you are choosing a supplier, ten questions to ask before you hire covers access, deliverables and price. To brief us, send the event name and dates.