IBIS Middle East 2025 has been hailed as a major success, with nearly 200 industry professionals gathering for a welcome networking dinner and a full day of thought leadership discussions on February 18-19 at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Robert Snook, IBIS conference director and IBIS Middle East moderator, kicked off the 2025 event.
The conference centered on IBIS Worldwide’s 2025 theme, Shaping the Future: Leadership Through Collaboration, featuring multiple networking breaks and sessions that tackled key challenges and opportunities within the regional collision repair industry. The 14 speakers covered a range of topics, from advancements in artificial intelligence to emerging trends in the electric vehicle market, providing insights expected to shape industry standards for years to come.
Robert Snook, IBIS conference director and IBIS ME moderator, reflected on the event’s impact, stating, “The 2025 edition of IBIS Middle East was a vintage year that will leave a lasting legacy in the minds of all who attended – the extensive and unanimously positive feedback and online posts evidence that.”
Attendees praised the event, with one participant calling it, “Such a great opportunity to meet professionals from the auto industry from all over the world.” Others described it as “a delightful experience connecting with esteemed customers and partners,” “excellent content,” “amazing opportunity,” and “great insights.”
Snook added, “From discussing an emerging New OEM World Order, through the specific impacts of AI throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle, the evolving role of some of the most respected industry leaders in the region, and on to the global on-stage launch of the world’s first role-specific professional qualifications that provide evidence of skills up to master’s with honours and honorary doctorate levels, this really was an IBIS experience that will shape the future by leadership through collaboration for all that were there.”
IBIS Middle East kicked off with a welcome dinner sponsored by Axalta, setting the stage for meaningful networking and in-depth discussions. The following conference delivered on IBIS’s promise to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead effectively in an interconnected market, featuring interactive sessions enriched by expert data and engaging visual content.
Louise Cooke, IBIS Worldwide’s head of event content, highlighted the event’s success, saying, “The positive feedback we’ve had on our socials and in person speaks for itself. The sessions have had a truly positive impact on our attendees, but we couldn’t have achieved what we did without our Platinum Partners 3M, Axalta, Cyber Automotive Solutions, and Repairify; Gold Partners BASF, Car-O-Liner, KAPCI Coatings, and Solera; Silver Partner Thatcham Research; and our Supporting Partners Bodyshop News Gulf, Automechanika Dubai, CESVIMAP, GiPA, and WorldSkills International.”
IBIS Worldwide’s 2025 calendar continues with IBIS USA in Chicago on April 1-3, followed by the flagship IBIS Global Summit in Istanbul on June 24-26. For more information and updates on IBIS events, visit IBIS Worldwide or check the latest event program at IBIS 2025 Event Programme.