Virtual reality concerts and matches, augmented reality apps, and immersive audio-visual will catalyse US $44 billion in UAE tourism receipts by 2020, and transform the live entertainment and mega-event experience for millions of people across the Middle East and Africa.
With the UAE enhancing its role as a global leisure, tourism, and entertainment hub, it is set to welcome 25 million visitors for Expo 2020 Dubai, and draw $44 billion in international tourism receipts by 2020, or 51% growth from 2016, according to BMI Research.
Due to mega-projects such as the UAE’s Bluewaters Island, Expo 2020 Dubai, and the Warner Brothers theme park, the Middle East and North Africa’s $4 trillion construction market is the world’s fastest-growing, according to reports by BMI Research and PwC.
“The Middle East and North Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing live event markets. The UAE has the potential to leapfrog established European and North American markets in using the latest audio-visual innovations to transform the visitor experience,” said Dan Bolton, president of the International Live Events Association Middle East.
As a result, the Middle East’s professional audio-visual market is one of the world’s fastest-growing at 15% CAGR, reaching $2.8 billion in 2016, with the UAE as the region’s largest at $1.2 billion in 2016, according to a report by InfoComm International, organisers of InfoComm Middle East and Africa.
