The current competitive rates in Abu Dhabi should mean great opportunities for the corporate market in the short term, according to speakers at GIBTM, which opened in Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre) today.

GIBTM (the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition) is in its sixth year and is the largest gathering of meetings industry professionals in the Middle East.

“Our hotels are hungry for business,” said Gillian Taylor, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority business tourism manager, “And at the moment the lower rates we are able to offer may be very attractive to short term corporate business.”

In addition, a basket of benefits is available to corporate events via the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority business events division.

Rob Nicholas, publisher of Meetme, reported that Dubai’s high occupancy rates in January of 86 per cent compared to Abu Dhabi’s 61 per cent has seen an unusually high difference in rates between the two destinations of 50 per cent.

Enormous improvements in events infrastructure throughout the UAE have increased opportunities for event organisers, while Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar are also major global air hubs.