Qatar’s events industry is advancing with the launch of the second Qatar Event Show, held this week at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. The event provides a dedicated platform for professionals in the sector to network, exchange expertise, and explore new business opportunities, reflecting the country’s rising profile as a host of major international sporting and entertainment events.

Malek Shishtawi, founder and CEO of Mangosteen Middle East—the company organizing the show—explained that the initiative stemmed from Qatar’s successful hosting of high-profile occasions such as the FIFA World Cup, Asian Games, Arab Cup, and FIBA basketball tournaments. Despite these achievements, the local events industry lacked a unified platform to bring together professionals and companies. “We asked ourselves: how can Qatar host some of the biggest events in the world, but event industry professionals do not have a platform of their own?” Shishtawi remarked.

First launched the previous year, the Qatar Event Show aims not only to showcase industry players but also to foster dialogue on opportunities, challenges, collaboration, and knowledge sharing within the sector. The event unites local, regional, and international participants, facilitating connections between global companies interested in entering Qatar and local businesses looking to expand beyond national borders.

Following strong feedback from the inaugural edition, this year’s show features an expanded exhibition and a broader content program. Participants include industry specialists from across the Middle East and beyond, underscoring growing regional and international interest. “We had people coming from around the region and the world, and local companies telling us, ‘Thank you for putting this together, we really needed this,’” Shishtawi said.

A significant new addition is the inaugural Qatar Events Awards, designed to recognize excellence across multiple categories such as venues, suppliers, and agencies. Organizers emphasized the importance of impartiality, appointing a diverse jury to ensure the awards maintain credibility in a rapidly developing industry.

The show’s expanding stature is also reflected in the presence of senior representatives from prominent global and regional associations, including UFI, the Dubai World Trade Centre, Oman Convention Bureau, and Saudi Arabia’s exhibitions and conferences sector. Their involvement signals Qatar’s increasing integration into the global events ecosystem.

The event is held under the patronage of HE Saad bin Ali al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism and chairman of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, whose officials also participate in the program. Shishtawi expressed the ambition to continue growing the platform to keep pace with Qatar’s evolving reputation as a premier host of international events. “We need to make it continuous, better and bigger,” he said.