DWTC Hospitality and Emirates Flight Catering Join Forces to Set New Standards for Mega Event Catering in the GCC

DWTC Hospitality, the award-winning catering division of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), have announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that brings together two of the region’s leading forces in event catering and hospitality services. By combining their respective capabilities, the partnership aims to transform the event catering and hospitality landscape across the UAE and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The landmark agreement positions DWTC Hospitality and Emirates Flight Catering as the region’s premier partners for large-scale, mega, and prestige events. The partnership unites DWTC’s award-winning events catering expertise with EKFC’s global leadership in high-volume food production. Together, the two entities will deliver end-to-end solutions across multiple service models, from full event execution including operations, equipment, staffing, and catering, to specialised culinary production and customised menu development for diverse event formats across the region.

“This strategic partnership marks a pivotal milestone for DWTC Hospitality,” said Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President at Dubai World Trade Centre. “DWTC has long been the destination of choice for some of the region’s most prestigious international exhibitions and mega events. By combining our deep-rooted expertise in venue management, hospitality services and events delivery with Emirates Flight Catering’s world-class production capabilities, we are redefining what large-scale event catering can achieve across the region. Together, we are building a partnership that delivers seamless hospitality experiences for millions of guests, while setting new standards for innovation, quality, and service excellence.”

“DWTC remains committed to strengthening our global position through partnerships that not only elevate event experiences but also enhance Dubai’s broader economic and tourism ambitions”, added Julfar.

Shahreyar Nawabi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Flight Catering, said: “Emirates Flight Catering joining up with DWTC Hospitality brings together two industry leaders with complementary strengths to create a catering and hospitality solution that truly delivers excellence, consistently across any scale or format, to create something truly unprecedented. It also means access to world-class culinary expertise backed by the operational scale and reliability needed to elevate the event experience in Dubai and across the region.

The timing couldn't be better. With Dubai and the UAE’s event calendar becoming increasingly sophisticated and international in scope, this partnership positions both EKFC and DWTC at the forefront of the industry ecosystem that supports the UAE’s continued growth as a global destination while setting new benchmarks for what exceptional catering and hospitality looks like.”

Collaboration between DWTC Hospitality and Emirates Flight Catering will commence immediately, with high-profile engagements including the upcoming Dubai Airshow. At this flagship event, both organisations will collaborate to serve prestigious clients such as Dubai Civil Aviation's Royal Pavilion and the UAE Ministry of Defence, among a number of other high profile participants.

The partnership will also extend to a broad portfolio of mega events across the UAE, including the Dubai International Boat Show, Dubai World Cup, WHX and GITEX Global. Combined with EKFC’s globally recognised production capabilities, the two entities form a powerhouse partnership built to meet the demands of Dubai’s largest sporting, cultural, business and corporate mega events, delivering integrated hospitality solutions that align with Dubai’s rapidly growing events sector.

Across both DWTC venues – the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), the collaboration will introduce innovative service formats including food trucks, and semi-permanent outlets, designed to deliver flexibility, speed and elevated F&B access at scale. Pilot programmes will also introduce a curated range of retail-ready offerings, reflecting the partnership’s shared commitment to quality, cultural relevance and culinary innovation across events of all sizes.

Looking ahead, the ongoing AED 10 billion expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) is set to open new opportunities for further collaboration between DWTC Hospitality and Emirates Flight Catering. Once complete, the expanded venue will be equipped to host some of Dubai’s largest and most high-profile events, offering an even broader platform for operational collaboration. This strategic partnership reinforces Dubai’s position as a world-class hub for events, hospitality, and large-scale experience delivery on the global stage.