The Dallas Market Center (DMC) and its parent company, Market Center Management Company, has announced a strategic alliance with Dubai Global Connect to support the development and management of the 10-million-sq.-ft. wholesale marketplace in Dubai opening in 2023. The multi-year agreement was signed with the Dubai Global Connect ownership team consisting of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) in partnership with Dubai South.
Dubai Global Connect will be the first permanent B2B marketplace for consumer goods in the Middle East and will be open year-round to qualified retail buyers and designers, manufacturers, and industry professionals. The purpose-built “City of Trade” is already under construction and will feature permanent showrooms, exhibition space, an innovation hub, auditorium, meeting rooms, offices, and private warehousing for tenants. The wholesale consumer goods showcased by Dubai Global Connect will include home furnishings, fashion, and food.
“Establishing a permanent marketplace is perfectly timed as event producers and their attendees cope with reduced travel budgets and the need for smaller, more controlled gatherings,” says Douraid Zaghouani, COO of ICD and Chairman of Dubai Global Connect. “In order to help realize our vision and to develop and manage this monumental project we are excited to have Dallas Market Center on board. Their deep experience globally and unique understanding of successfully creating year-round marketplaces will be invaluable.”
Cindy Morris, President & CEO of DMC, adds, “We are pleased to join this respected team creating a global destination for wholesale trade in Dubai, a historic and modern crossroads for commerce. The market for new products moves faster than ever and demands a marketplace that exceeds modern expectations. We look forward to utilizing our experience, skills and assets in design, development, operations, events, and marketing to launch a thoughtful and contemporary marketplace facilitating trade year-round and around the clock.”
For the past year, the Dubai Global Connect ownership team has engaged in an international search for a suitable partner to contribute to the delivery of their vision of a global wholesale marketplace in Dubai. Their criteria included a sustained record of international trade center and trade event management, facility design and management expertise, consumer products industry knowledge, and an understanding of international sourcing dynamics. The result of this search was the selection of Market Center Management Company as the best-suited partner for a multi-year agreement.
For the past 60 years, DMC and Market Center Management Company have developed, owned and/or managed wholesale trade centers around the world. Its executive team has deep experience across multiple consumer products industries and trade shows including home furnishings and fashion. In addition, MCMC is the only management team with multinational experience involving both ownership and management including Brussels International Trade Mart and ShanghaiMart as well as consulting experience on trade center development projects in Colombia, Vietnam, and Portugal.
Dubai Global Connect, located at the crossroads of Dubai’s logistics corridor in the Dubai South district and adjacent to Al Maktoum Airport and Jebel Ali Port, will be supported by best-in-class services for on-site meetings and events as well as a state-of-the-art digital wholesale trading platform connecting buyers and sellers online and facilitating hassle-free trade through Dubai Global Connect.
The ownership team responsible for Dubai Global Connect is Investment Corporation of Dubai. Its holdings include energy (Emirates National Oil Company), transportation (Emirates Group including Emirates Airline and SkyCargo), finance (Emirates NBD), industrial (Dubai Aluminum Company Ltd.), and real estate (Dubai World Trade Centre).
