Gulf Events Market Splits Along Passport Lines

When 40,000 visitors gathered in Saudi Arabia’s Madinah last week for the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum — a religious tourism conference — it wasn’t the picture of a region in paralysis. But for every event that goes ahead, another has vanished from the calendar.

As of April 7, 269 events across the Gulf have been rescheduled since the Iran war began on February 28, with the UAE absorbing the heaviest blow: 17 cancelled, and 50 postponed, according to Northbourne Advisory.

The economic blow is yet to be tallied, but last year the UAE Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions market was valued at around $6 billion, while the Saudi Arabian MICE market was worth $3.2 billion.

Cancellations, Postponements

Key events that have been cancelled include Dubai events like the JP Morgan Mena Global Opportunities Summit in March, the UITP Summit 2026 in April and the Ton Gateway crypto conference, initially slated for May. The common denominator betwee