In short
A Dubai stand has two bills that people mix up. The organiser charges for the floor, power and rigging. A contractor charges to design and build the structure. One Dubai contractor, SOL, publishes build rates starting at AED 950 per square metre for modular, AED 1,650 for custom, AED 2,400 for premium and AED 3,200 for double-deck. Those figures are a list, not your quote, and they do not include the space.
Key points
- Space rental is the organiser's invoice. Build rates are the contractor's. Add them, do not pick one.
- Published Dubai bands from one contractor run from about AED 950/m² modular to AED 3,200/m² double-deck.
- LED, a hanging sign, a kitchen and a late drawing each move the build off that band.
- Ask every contractor to price the same plan. A render alone is not a scope.
- November to March is when DWTC halls stack up. Book the workshop before the manual's deadline.
The organiser's bill and the builder's bill
Exhibitors in Dubai often ask for one number. There isn't one. Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Exhibition Centre and ADNEC sell the square metres, then sell electricity, rigging points, water and compressed air on a separate form. The stand builder sells walls, flooring, furniture, graphics and the labour to install them during the build-up window, which is short.
If you only collect the builder's rate, you will under-budget a GITEX or Gulfood participation by the space invoice, the hotel and the freight. If you only look at the space, you will be surprised by a double-deck. Keep the two bills in separate columns and add a contingency for the week the truck is late.
| Bill | Who sends it | Typical contents |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space | Show organiser | Square metres, a shell package if you took one, registration |
| Venue services | Official contractor | Power, rigging, water, internet, cleaning |
| Stand build | Your contractor | Structure, joinery or system, graphics, furniture, install and dismantle |
| Freight | Your forwarder | Crates, customs, delivery to the marshalling yard |
| People | You | Flights, hotels, badges, catering on the stand |
Published build bands, in dirhams
SOL Dubai publishes build rates on its site: modular from AED 950 per square metre, custom from AED 1,650, premium from AED 2,400 and double-deck from AED 3,200. Treat that as a public price list from one workshop in this market, checked for this guide in November 2026. Other contractors in Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park will not match it line for line. A 36 m² custom island at AED 1,650 is about AED 59,400 of build before graphics upgrades, and the space rental sits on top.
- Modular, from about AED 950/m². An aluminium system with fabric graphics. Sensible when the same client shows at Gulfood and a second fair, because the frame flies home and the print is the consumable.
- Custom, from about AED 1,650/m². Joinery for one show. You are paying for a shape that will be skipped after dismantle.
- Premium, from about AED 2,400/m². Heavier finishes, more lighting, a room that actually closes.
- Double-deck, from about AED 3,200/m². The upper floor, the stair and the engineering package. The venue still has to accept the calculations.
What pushes a Dubai build off the band
The per-square-metre number assumes a straightforward single-storey stand with printed walls and hired furniture. It moves when you add things the hall charges for separately or the workshop cannot prefabricate.
- Hanging signs. DWTC rigging is booked with the official contractor, per point, and the sign has to pass their weight rules. A tower that stands on the floor avoids that invoice and uses your height allowance instead.
- LED. A fine-pitch wall rented for five days can cost as much as the joinery behind it. Decide the content before you decide the screen size.
- Water and a kitchen. Gulfood sampling needs a sink, a drain and sometimes a gas approval. That is a different stand from a tech meeting room of the same area.
- Arabic and English walls. Two languages means more graphic area and a proofing round. It does not double the structure.
- Drawings after the deadline. Official contractors surcharge late power and rigging. The workshop surcharges late changes because the hall will not give them extra nights.
How to ask for the number
- 01
Fix the plot
Width, depth, open sides and the hall's height, copied from the manual rather than from memory of last year.
- 02
Pick modular or custom
If the client has a second show within a year, price a system. If the stand is a one-off pavilion, price joinery and say so.
- 03
Draw it once
A 3D concept and a DXF from ExhibitionBase Studio give every estimator the same walls. New workspaces start with free credits; drawing export is free.
- 04
Ask for install and storage
The quote should say whether crates, the return freight and a night of overtime are inside the figure.
- 05
Hold 10 percent
A missed socket or a graphic reprint during build-up should not need a new purchase order.
For a budget that is not specific to Dubai, the general exhibition stand cost guide and the cost calculator are the wider view. Use this page when the invoice will be in dirhams and the hall is in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
01How much does a 3×3 stand cost in Dubai?
On the published modular band, 9 m² is under AED 10,000 of build before graphics changes. A custom 3×3 is often a shell-scheme upgrade instead, and the organiser's space fee is extra. Get a quote on a drawing.
02Are those AED rates from ExhibitionBase?
No. They are SOL Dubai's published list rates, cited so you can see the shape of this market. Studio does not build stands and does not sell at those rates.
03Does a double-deck cost twice a single floor?
Not exactly. The published double-deck band is about double the custom single-storey band per square metre of footprint, and you also pay for engineering and a longer install. Price it as its own scope.
04When should I lock the quote?
Before the organiser's order deadline for power and rigging, and before the workshop's production slot in the November–March season. After that, the same stand costs more.
Put it into practice
From a client brief to a 3D stand concept in minutes
An editable 3D exhibition stand concept from a written brief and the brand's website, at your exact size.
Guidance here reflects common practice. Venues, organisers and countries set their own rules: always check the exhibitor manual and work with a qualified stand builder and engineer for structures.
