The MEADFA Conference will be held under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Saad Hariri, Lebanese President of the Council of Ministers.

The support of H.E Mr Hariri was confirmed at a press conference held in Beirut on 12th September, hosted by MEADFA President Haitham Al Majali and H.E. Mr Avedis Guidanian, the Lebanese Minister of Tourism.

Managed by TFWA and hosted by Beirut Duty Free, the MEADFA Conference will take place at the historic Phoenicia Hotel, one of Beirut’s landmark venues, on 19th and 20th November 2018.

Among the business leaders opening the conference are our guest of honour Mr. Elie Saab, Chairman and President of ELIE SAAB GROUP, Phoenicia AerRianta Company Chairman and pioneer of the Middle Eastern duty free industry Mohamed Zeidan; and Middle East Airlines Chairman-Director General Mohamad El-Hout.

Themes to be explored during the conference will be the emergence of new customer profiles and consumption habits in the Middle East, along with the outlook for aviation and travel retail in Africa. The full programme is available online at both TFWA.com and MEADFA.com.

Middle East Airlines, the conference’s Official Carrier, is offering special fares for delegates. An entertaining programme of social events will also give attendees the opportunity to relax and network with colleagues. The social programme includes the Welcoming Cocktail, sponsored by Aphrodite SARL, and the Gala Dinner, hosted by Beirut Duty Free. In partnership with Al Awael Travel and Tourism, MEADFA is also offering delegates the opportunity to visit Lebanon’s many sites of historic interest on tours before and after the conference.

A number of major global businesses are already confirmed as sponsors for this year’s show, including Japan Tobacco International, Mazaya, Jordanian Duty Free Shops, Dubai Duty Free, Al Fakher, Kings Tobacco International, Aer Rianta International Middle East, Castania, Dufry, Lagardère Travel Retail, Imperial Tobacco, Ouzo of Plomari, Oris, Tourvest Inflight Retail Services, NESTLE International Travel Retail, International Duty Free Shops Morocco, Interworld Duty Free Lebanon, Haribo Group, Denizen, Capi, Hershey’s, Majani and Zalatimo.
Media partners include Duty Free News International, Frontier, Gulf Africa, The Moodie Davitt Report and Travel Retail Business.

Haitham Al Majali said: “The MEADFA Board is hugely grateful to H.E. Saad Hariri, Lebanese President of the Council of Ministers for his patronage of our conference, and to H.E. Avedis Guidanian, the Minister of Tourism, for his unwavering support. We are delighted to be able to finally bring the MEADFA Conference to the historic city of Beirut, which will provide the perfect backdrop to debate the current issues influencing trade in the Middle East and Africa. As our conference in Dubai last year proved, there is a great amount of interest in the region and the growth opportunities within it. We are expecting another great turnout from our friends and partners in Lebanon and beyond.”

TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen commented: “TFWA has been involved in the organisation of the MEADFA Conference since its inception nearly 17 years ago, and we are delighted to be bringing the event to Beirut for the first time. The city is one of the most important hubs of the region and a vital centre for business. Not only that, but Lebanese hospitality and cuisine are renowned throughout the world. For all these reasons we are confident that this year’s MEADFA Conference will prove another successful and memorable event.”

Pre-registration for the show is now open and will close on 8 November 2018.