Abu Dhabi will highlight blue-economy opportunities when the Aquatic MEA Conference and Aquafeed Extrusion Conference take place in Capital Suite 13 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Monday 24 November 2025, with official sessions scheduled from 13:00 to 17:40. Co-organised by International Aquafeed and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the afternoon forum focuses on sustainable aquaculture growth across the Middle East and Africa. It runs one day before the VIV MEA 2025 trade show, giving delegates a focused technical programme before the wider exhibition opens. The event is framed around climate resilience, feed innovation and regional food security rather than generic agribusiness talk. This is a specialised weekday conference for industry and policy professionals, not a casual family outing (suitable for solo professionals and corporate teams).
Conference focus on sustainable aquaculture and feeds
The combined Aquatic MEA and Aquafeed Extrusion programme looks at how aquaculture can supply more regional seafood without putting extra pressure on wild stocks. Speakers examine how new feed formulas, extrusion technology and hatchery systems can support fish and shrimp production in harsh climate conditions. Organisers also link these technical issues directly to policy, since the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment wants aquaculture to contribute to national food security targets. Throughout the afternoon, panellists are expected to move between high level regional trends and very practical feed-mill and farm examples. The central theme is clear: sustainable aquaculture only works if feed, technology and regulation move forward together.
Afternoon programme and session structure
Sessions run in a compact block from 13:00 to 17:40, which means delegates can handle site visits or trade floor meetings in the morning and still devote the full afternoon to the conference. The schedule usually opens with scene setting talks on regional aquaculture demand and environmental pressures, then shifts into more focused segments on hatchery technologies, aqua-tech and engineering, extruder performance and new ingredient opportunities. Later panels tend to bring investors, producers and feed specialists together to discuss business models and risk. Coffee and networking breaks are built between the sessions, but they remain short enough to keep attention on the stage. Plan to stay inside Capital Suite 13 for the full four and a half hours if you want to follow the narrative from policy to practical extrusion tips.
Organisers speakers and sector stakeholders
International Aquafeed brings its long running technical network to the conference, curating speakers from feed mills, equipment manufacturers, research institutes and farm operators. The involvement of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment underlines the political importance of aquaculture as part of national food planning. In addition, organisers work closely with the VIV MEA team, so some speakers are also present on the main show floor in the days that follow. Attendees can therefore use the conference to identify key players and then continue conversations at stands and side meetings later in the week. Because of this mix, the room usually contains feed technologists, farm managers, investors and policymakers in roughly equal measure.
Who should attend and ticket pricing in AED
The conference is designed for decision makers and technical leads from feed mills, aquaculture farms, hatcheries, equipment suppliers, investors and government agencies. It suits production managers, nutritionists, processing engineers and business development executives who already handle aquaculture or are preparing to enter the sector. According to the official preview material, attendance for this side conference is set at 59 euros, which translates to approximately 230 to 240 AED per person at current exchange ranges. Companies sending several staff can therefore budget a mid three figure sum in AED, plus travel and accommodation if they come from outside Abu Dhabi. Paid entry applies and advance registration is strongly recommended because seating in Capital Suite 13 is limited.
ADNEC venue layout and on site logistics
ADNEC sits on Khaleej Al Arabi Street, with clear signposting from main city arterials and extensive parking structures integrated into the complex. Capital Suite 13 is located in the upper conference levels above the main exhibition halls, accessible from central concourses and lift banks that are well marked during major events. Delegates typically pass through the main entrance, follow registration desks and then use escalators or elevators to reach the suite corridor. Because the conference takes place one day before the main VIV MEA halls open, crowd levels in the concourses may feel busy but not yet at peak trade show density. Parking is usually available but can still tighten in the early afternoon, so arriving ahead of the 13:00 start gives you more choice of spaces and a calmer check in.
Travel from Dubai and other emirates
From central Dubai, the drive to ADNEC along the E11 highway normally takes around one hour and thirty minutes in light traffic, but this can stretch towards two hours if you leave after peak times or encounter roadworks. For an afternoon programme that begins at 13:00, delegates from Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman can comfortably depart mid morning, yet it is wise to keep a buffer for unexpected congestion around Abu Dhabi island bridges. Intercity buses from Dubai’s Ibn Battuta or Al Ghubaiba stations into Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station take roughly one hour and forty five minutes, and a taxi from there to ADNEC usually costs about 20 to 30 AED. If you travel from another emirate, plan to arrive at ADNEC by around 12:15 so you can park, collect your badge and still be seated before the opening talk.
Networking opportunities and side meetings
Because the event is tied to the broader VIV MEA ecosystem, networking does not stop when the last session ends at 17:40. Delegates often use pre and post conference windows to arrange short one to one meetings in ADNEC’s cafés, hotel lobbies and quiet corners of the concourse. The afternoon format also means that many people choose to stay in Abu Dhabi for dinner with suppliers or partners after the programme. For technology vendors, the conference offers a chance to present expertise on stage and then invite potential clients to see equipment or demo material in the main show halls later in the week. Bringing a clear list of people you want to meet will help you turn a four hour technical conference into a full day of productive conversations.
Weather, traffic tips and closing advice
Forecasts for Abu Dhabi around the event period, from Saturday 22 November 2025 through Monday 24 November 2025, indicate dry conditions with hazy sunshine, daytime highs close to 30 to 32 degrees Celsius and night time lows near 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, with no significant rain or mud risk expected. Light business clothing with breathable fabrics works well outdoors, but a blazer or thin sweater is useful inside Capital Suite 13 where air conditioning can feel strong during long afternoon sessions. Roads into the ADNEC area pick up noticeably from around 11:30 as exhibitors, contractors and delegates arrive, and outbound traffic after 18:00 can be slow on Khaleej Al Arabi Street and nearby junctions. Taxis and ride hailing services remain a comfortable option within the city, usually costing under 40 AED each way from many central districts, while on site parking is generally paid but integrated into ADNEC’s multilevel structures. Make your reservation and travel plan early so that traffic, parking pressure and shifting costs do not stop you from attending this focused aquaculture finance and technology forum. In many of its previews, the editorial team behind www.few.ae stresses that well planned logistics and realistic timing often make the difference between a rushed trade show day and a genuinely strategic visit, especially for solo professionals and small aquaculture business teams.
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