Market Report: UAE

Primary ticketing
According to Statista, Platinumlist has approximately 80% of the entertainment market in the UAE. Ticketmaster and Virgin Megastores are other key ticketers.

“We offer a dynamic backend organiser panel, which allows organisers to: improve their ticket sales, enable team management, [include] a high-load and surge traffic system, manage marketing campaigns, control network distribution, and see their live sales dashboard,” says Platinumlist CEO, Cosmin Ivan.

“Additionally, we have rolled out a full venue management system and the technology to enable flexible and agile promotional activities such as discounts, special rates, and promo codes.”

“We’ve been busy launching several exciting initiatives tailored specifically to the UAE audience.”

According to Andreas Müller – general manager and vice president of Ticketmaster Middle East, “We’ve been busy launching several exciting initiatives tailored specifically to the UAE audience. This includes targeted marketing campaigns that leverage the power of social media, local influencers, and strategic partnerships with popular venues.

“In addition to these marketing efforts, we’ve secured exclusive ticketing partnerships with a host of event organisers, ensuring that we can offer our customers access to the best events in the region.”

The emirate’s largest venue, the Coca-Cola Arena, recently launched its own ticketing service, backed by Lebanon- headquartered white-label firm Tixity.

Distribution of sales
Ticketmaster’s Müller says: “More and more events in the UAE are going digital, with 80% of tickets delivered digitally.”

“More and more events in the UAE are going digital, with 80% of tickets delivered digitally.”

Value of market
Revenue in the music events market is projected to reach $140.40m in 2024, according to Statista, who project a market volume of $146.90m by 2028.

Secondary ticketing
Platinumlist recently launched an “ethical ticket fan-to-fan ticket exchange and safe and secure transfer (end-to-end encoded, dynamic QR code access control), which keeps the organiser in control and the main beneficiary from ticket resale,” according to Ivan. “This comes in line with our initiative to empower the event organisers with more significant income from their events. We are working closely with the Dubai government on the steps of rolling out this initiative to protect fans and provide benefits for organisers.”

“Platinumlist is a well-trusted brand in the region, which suits this initiative perfectly, as statistics show”

However, the firm’s white-label offer of this service is yet to work well on unbranded or white-label solutions, “as fans require recognition of the entity. Platinumlist is a well-trusted brand in the region, which suits this initiative perfectly, as statistics show,” Ivan explains.

International/domestic splits & genres
Home to almost 200 different nationalities, the huge diversity of the population is reflected in the breadth of content gracing the UAE’s venues, including two main arenas – the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and the 18,000-capacity Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Coca-Cola Arena general manager Mark Jan Kar told the Global Arena Guide in June 2024 that around 40% of the shows at the venue cater to Indian and Pakistani entertainment enthusiasts, while Western, K-Pop, C-Pop, and J-Pop concerts are also very popular.

Cultural analysis
While international touring is now well-established in the UAE, it’s still only five years since the Coca-Cola Arena opened, with the accompanying level of global superstars. “One of the challenges we face is navigating the complex regulatory environment for events in the UAE,” says Müller. “We’re collaborating closely with regulatory bodies to simplify these processes and ensure events run smoothly.”

“We’re collaborating closely with regulatory bodies to simplify these processes and ensure events run smoothly.”

Nonetheless, he says: “We’re seeing tremendous opportunities in emerging markets within the region. The entertainment and events sector is experiencing significant growth, and we’re excited to tap into new markets in the region.”

Taxes & charges
VAT on events in UAE is 5%, which is included in the ticket price. A government tax of 10% has been waived for the time being.