The event will open with an Opening Cocktail on Sunday with an opportunity for delegates to get together before the serious business of the week begins.

MEADFA has released details of the programme for its forthcoming Conference, which will take place from 9th to 11th November at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, promising three days packed with insights, debate, and networking.

The conference will start in earnest at 9:00 with a welcome from moderators Dermot Davitt and Michele Miranda, and remarks from MEADFA President, Abdeslam Agzoul.

“As this year’s event draws closer, it gives me great pleasure to be able to share details on the packed programme we’ve crafted for delegates joining us in Dubai. Each session will be of great value, and we have worked hard to ensure that the learnings offered throughout the week will be both comprehensive and relevant to all professionals attending,” said Abdeslam Agzoul, MEADFA President.

Delegates will then hear from a powerhouse panel of Abdeslam Agzoul (Avolta), Nuno Amaral (ARI), Chichi Maponya (Africa Travel Retail), Vincent Romet (Lagardère Travel Retail), and Bernard Schlafstein (Gebr. Heinemann) who will debate ‘Leading through change’, offering perspectives on navigating through complexities and rethinking the value proposition for a new generation of travellers.

After a networking coffee break, delegates will be seated for the ‘Safeguarding tomorrow’s travel retail’ session, where they will hear from MEADFA Advocacy Committee Chair, Nuno Amaral, joining fellow members Roger Jackson and Chichi Maponya, along with DFWC President Sarah Branquinho and COMESA Secretary General Teddy Soobramaniem, to discuss how advocacy efforts are adapting to meet the challenges of today.

The first day will close with two sessions: ‘The business of airports: Economic trends & non-aero growth’ led by Ilia Lioutov, Head of Economics at ACI World, and ‘Luxury, local, and lifestyle: the new face of MEA travel retail’, led by Stephen Hillam, Managing Director at Pi Insight.

These discussions will present the latest economic outlook, highlighting trends impacting retail, F&B, and commercial services as well as unveiling new data on how younger, experience-hungry shoppers are shaping demand for sustainable luxury and lifestyle-driven offers.

On Tuesday, the agenda explores some of the region’s most dynamic markets.

Trevor McFarlane, Managing Director at EMIR, will lead a session titled ‘Risk & resilience: navigating MEA’s business landscape’, offering a timely briefing on the macro-trends influencing investment, consumer confidence, and developments across the region, equipping delegates with critical insights to guide strategy.

This session will be followed by ‘Destination Saudi: growth & opportunity’ which will unpack the scale and significance of Saudi Arabia’s transformation, and a ‘MEADFA sustainability update: call to action’ where Dr. Munif Mohammed, head of the MEADFA Sustainability Committee will look at how brands, retailers, and airports can collaborate, stay accountable, and genuinely promote change, turning sustainability commitments into concrete action.

“We are once again very pleased to be working with MEADFA. Looking at the programme that has been put together for this year’s event fills me with confidence that this edition will be both enjoyable and productive, leaving delegates with many valuable learnings to take back to their business,” noted Philippe Margueritte, TFWA President.

The next wave of Africa travel retail will be the topic of a conversation between Ali Tounsi, Secretary General of ACI Africa, and Harald Suenner, Area Manager for Middle East and Africa at Gebr Heinemann, and Claudio Ferreira, Vice President Global Travel Retail, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), who will share insights from the front lines of travel retail’s African expansion.

The following session will spotlight one of travel retail’s key regions in ‘The India Effect: How Indian travellers are reshaping MEA’s travel retail’ with viewpoints from Pooja Padmanabhan Bommidala, CEO of BBM Travel Retail, Renat Rozpravka, CEO of Muscat Duty Free, and Mudit Srivastava, COO at Cococart.

IATA’s Martina Bednarikova will lead the final session ‘Travel takeaway’, presenting the latest aviation trends from route expansion and passenger booking patterns to infrastructure investments and the economic levers driving tourism, leaving delegates with a clear view of what’s next for the region.

This year’s Gala Dinner will be hosted by Avolta, with Heinemann Middle East Africa sponsoring the Welcome Cocktail, and lunches presented in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail and Mazaya.

Among the Diamond Partners are Chkoudra, Hama Gulf, JT International, ARMAF, and Al Haramain. Platinum Partners include ARI Middle East, Gulf Beverages, Imperial Brands, DFP World, and MMI. Gold Partners are Aphrodite Sarl, Bahrain Duty Free, Blue Gulf Marketing, House of Grapes, IDF, Kreol, Pernod Ricard, Scent Of Africa, and Suntory Global Spirits. Loacker will support the conference as Coffee Break Sponsor.

Other sponsors include Store Makers, Seeberger, Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes, and Oriental General Trading, while Media Partners include TRBusiness and other publications within the industry.

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