Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC)

Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) occupies a full block in West Bay, Al Dafna, the central business district of Doha, next to City Center Doha mall and within walking distance of more than 15 hotels. It opened in October 2015 and is operated by Qatar Business Events Corporation, the executive arm of Qatar Tourism set up in 2018. The building contains 47,700 sqm of gross area and 29,035 sqm of pillar-free exhibition space that can run as one hall or be divided into five halls of 5,368 to 7,160 sqm by a moving wall system; the hall measures 96 m wide by 302 m long with an 18 m ceiling, and the whole exhibition floor sits under a 20.5 m-high floating blade roof, the signature of Helmut Jahn's design, which also covers the conference rooms and a separate meeting centre. That column-free span and height let the venue take large vehicles, heavy machinery and tall stands, and it is the reason DECC has become the country's main consumer and trade show address, hosting the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, Hospitality Qatar and Project Qatar. Access is unusually good for an exhibition hall: DECC station on the Doha Metro Red Line is beside the building, nine stops and about 23 minutes from the airport station, and Hamad International Airport is a 20-minute drive. Taxi ranks and on-site parking serve the halls, and the Corniche is a few minutes away.