The US$158 million project, scheduled for completion next September, will see the venue double in size to become one of the Middle East’s largest purpose-built exhibition centres, with an interconnected exhibition floor space totalling more than 55,000 sqm.An extra five exhibition halls, a multipurpose hall with seating for more than 5,000 people and 15 meeting rooms will be built to give the centre a distinctive U-shaped design.Incorporated in the design is an expansion of the visitor concourse, which will growto 18,000 sqm and become the world’s largest air-conditioned exhibition concourse.Simon Horgan, ADNEC CEO, said: “The development of Phase Two of the buildingis an important milestone in the short history of ADNEC.“Phase One provided Abu Dhabi with the most modern and flexible exhibition andconference venue in the world.“The completion of Phase Two next year will provide the city with one of the largest.”
The increasing number of new exhibitions held at ADNEC sparked the development project. By 2008, ADNEC will see one million visitors per year and increase the size of the UAE exhibition industry by more than one quarter.