This report counts the trade fairs, exhibitions and conferences listed on Events Checker that open between 1 November 2026 and 30 June 2027. It covers 323 events in 14 countries across the Gulf, North Africa, the Levant, Iraq and Türkiye, run by 162 organisers. It shows when the season peaks, where it concentrates, which sectors fill the halls, and the two pauses every exhibitor should plan around.
Key findings
- November is the peak. 116 events open in November 2026, more than a third of the season (35.9%) and more than December and January combined (87). The single busiest week is 23–29 November, with 37 openings; 15 events open on Monday 23 November alone.
- Our listings pause for Ramadan. None of the listed events opens between 8 February and 9 March 2027, the expected dates of Ramadan. February's ten events all open between 1 and 4 February, and the next opening is Gulfood in Dubai on 15 March. The pause is clearest in the Arab markets: Istanbul's venue calendars show a few fairs in that window that we do not list yet.
- A second, shorter pause around Eid al-Adha. No event opens between 12 and 23 May 2027. Eid al-Adha is expected on 16 or 17 May.
- Three countries hold 57% of the season: the United Arab Emirates (73 events), Türkiye (68) and Saudi Arabia (44).
- Istanbul and Dubai lead the cities with 57 and 55 events, ahead of Riyadh (33) and Cairo (28).
- Construction and industry fill the halls. Construction and real estate (51 events) and manufacturing, plastics, printing and packaging (48) make up almost a third of the season (30.7%).
- Three to four days is the norm: 242 events, or three in four, run for three or four days.
The season month by month
| Month | Events opening | Share | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 116 | 35.9% | Peak month; UAE 33, Türkiye 23, Saudi Arabia 18 |
| December 2026 | 43 | 13.3% | Activity shifts to Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt |
| January 2027 | 44 | 13.6% | UAE leads with 15 |
| February 2027 | 10 | 3.1% | All open on 1–4 February, before Ramadan |
| March 2027 | 23 | 7.1% | Openings resume on 15 March |
| April 2027 | 42 | 13.0% | Türkiye leads with 9; North Africa picks up |
| May 2027 | 13 | 4.0% | Pause from 12 to 23 May around Eid al-Adha |
| June 2027 | 32 | 9.9% | Türkiye 9, Egypt 8, Tunisia 5 |
Where the season happens
The six Gulf Cooperation Council states account for 148 events (45.8%), North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) for 91 (28.2%), Türkiye for 68 (21.1%), and Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq for 16 (5.0%).
| Country | Events | Share | Largest sectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 73 | 22.6% | Construction; energy; transport |
| Türkiye | 68 | 21.1% | Construction; food and agriculture; manufacturing |
| Saudi Arabia | 44 | 13.6% | Manufacturing; construction; technology and business |
| Egypt | 28 | 8.7% | Manufacturing; construction; food and agriculture |
| Morocco | 28 | 8.7% | Education fairs; fashion and textiles |
| Algeria | 21 | 6.5% | Manufacturing; food; energy |
| Tunisia | 14 | 4.3% | Manufacturing |
| Oman | 13 | 4.0% | Furniture and interiors |
| Qatar | 8 | 2.5% | — |
| Bahrain | 7 | 2.2% | — |
| Jordan | 6 | 1.9% | — |
| Iraq | 6 | 1.9% | — |
| Lebanon | 4 | 1.2% | — |
| Kuwait | 3 | 0.9% | — |
By city, Istanbul (57) and Dubai (55) are almost level, followed by Riyadh (33), Cairo (28), Casablanca (18), Algiers (17), Muscat (13), Abu Dhabi (12) and Tunis (11).
Five venues host almost two in five events (124, or 38.4%): the Dubai World Trade Centre, including its Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City (40), the Istanbul Expo Center (32), the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo (21), the TÜYAP Fair, Convention and Congress Center (16) and the Palais des Expositions (SAFEX) in Algiers (15).
Which sectors fill the halls
| Sector | Events | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Construction, real estate and building materials | 51 | 15.8% |
| Manufacturing, plastics, printing and packaging | 48 | 14.9% |
| Food and agriculture | 32 | 9.9% |
| Energy, water and environment | 29 | 9.0% |
| Technology, media and business services | 29 | 9.0% |
| Fashion, textiles, beauty and jewellery | 29 | 9.0% |
| Transport, logistics and automotive | 28 | 8.7% |
| Healthcare, medical and pharmaceuticals | 21 | 6.5% |
| Furniture, interiors and home | 15 | 4.6% |
| Education and training | 15 | 4.6% |
| Tourism, hospitality and leisure | 14 | 4.3% |
| Security, defence and government | 9 | 2.8% |
| General and other | 3 | 0.9% |
November is also the construction month: 27 of the 51 construction events open in November.
What this means if you exhibit or visit
- Book November early. With 37 openings in a single week, hotels, freight slots and stand contractors are stretched in the main hubs. If you plan to cover more than one show, compare them first with our trade fair selection checklist.
- Plan around Ramadan and Eid al-Adha. In the Arab markets, expect almost no exhibitions from 8 February to mid-March 2027, and none in the week of Eid al-Adha. Use those weeks for preparation and follow-up rather than travel.
- Look beyond Dubai and Riyadh. Istanbul alone hosts as many events as Dubai, and North Africa holds more than a quarter of the season.
- Confirm every date with the organiser. Dates can move, and the religious holidays above depend on the sighting of the moon.
Method and limits
- Source: every in-person event listed on Events Checker on 22 October 2026 whose first day falls between 1 November 2026 and 30 June 2027. The dates are those shown on each event page on that day.
- Coverage: Events Checker lists events from organisers' public announcements and from organisers who manage their profiles with us. Coverage is not complete, and it is stronger in some countries, such as Türkiye and the UAE, than in others. These figures describe our listings. They do not measure the size of the exhibitions market.
- What is excluded: events with unannounced dates, online-only events, and tobacco and alcohol events, which Events Checker does not list.
- Sectors: each event is counted once, in one of 13 sector groups built from the categories on its page. Where an event's category was clearly wrong, we classified it by the event's own description.
- Venues: where the same venue appears under more than one name, we counted it once.
- Religious holidays: Ramadan is expected to run from about 8 February to 9 March 2027, and Eid al-Adha to fall on 16 or 17 May 2027, according to astronomical estimates reported in the UAE press. The actual dates depend on the sighting of the moon.
For the underlying list, or questions about the method, write to info@eventschecker.com. To see every upcoming event, browse all events on Events Checker.
