Job Description

Job Title

General Manager -- Exhibitions & Events (UAE & KSA)

Location

Dubai (covering UAE & KSA). Regular travel within GCC.

Employment Type

Full?time, senior leadership

Role Purpose

The General Manager (GM) owns the end?to?end P&L for the UAE & KSA business and is accountable for delivering

sales growth of 40M

across the two markets. The role spans

Sales, Costing, Finance, and Operations

, ensuring that creative concepts translate into profitable, flawlessly executed exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, brand activations, and large?scale events.

Key Responsibilities1) Commercial & Sales Leadership

Build and execute a territory plan (UAE & KSA) to achieve

? 40M incremental/new sales

across corporate, government, venue, and agency segments. Originate, negotiate, and close multi?market master service agreements, annual retainer deals, and project contracts. Lead key account management: expand share of wallet, drive renewals, and upsell value?added services (design, digital, content, technology). Develop a robust pipeline and accurate monthly/quarterly forecasts; implement CRM discipline and win?loss reviews. Shape pricing strategy, discount governance, and approval thresholds to protect gross margin.
2) Costing, Pricing & Margin Control

Oversee end?to?end

cost estimation

(materials, fabrication, logistics, labor, technology, third?party suppliers). Approve complex bids and BOQs; ensure alignment with design scope and build feasibility. Establish standard costing libraries, rate cards, and mark?up policies for UAE & KSA. Run pre?bid and post?event margin analysis; implement value?engineering and make/buy decisions (in?house vs. outsourced).
3) P&L, Finance & Governance

Own regional P&L, cash flow, and working capital (billing milestones, collections, supplier terms). Set annual budgets, quarterly reforecasts, and KPI dashboards; report performance to the Board/CEO. Ensure tax and statutory compliance (VAT, ZATCA, corporate regulations) with internal and external auditors. Implement financial controls: PO/DO process, capex approvals, cost variance tracking, project profitability reviews.
4) Operations & Delivery Excellence

Oversee design, project management, production/fabrication, logistics, and on?site execution for exhibitions and events. Drive operational readiness: build schedules, resource plans, and risk registers for peak seasons. Lead vendor ecosystem management (venues, stand builders, AV/tech, rigging, staffing, travel, hospitality). Champion HSE, quality, and compliance standards across UAE & KSA venues and authorities. Introduce PMO standards (baseline plans, change control, lessons learned) to reduce overruns and rework.
5) People & Culture

Build and mentor a high?performing cross?functional team (Sales, Estimation, Finance, PMO, Production). Set clear targets, commission plans, and performance reviews; drive a culture of accountability and client?centricity. Hire, onboard, and develop local talent; manage third?party and freelance resource pools for seasonal scale?up.
6) Strategy & Partnerships

Identify growth verticals (government mega?events, giga projects, tourism/entertainment, healthcare, tech). Develop strategic partnerships with venues, tourism authorities, and international organizers. Evaluate adjacencies (digital/hybrid events, content studios, experiential tech) to expand margin and stickiness.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Revenue:

?

40M

incremental sales in Year 1 (specify currency: AED or SAR).

Gross Margin:

?

30-40%

project?level target (adjust to company benchmark).

EBITDA / Operating Margin:

As per budget; monthly variance ? 5%.

Pipeline Health:

? 3x coverage of next?quarter target; forecast accuracy ? 85%.

Win Rate:

? 35-45% on qualified bids.

Delivery:

OTIF (On?Time, In?Full) ? 95%; rework ? 3% of project cost.

Cash:

DSO ? 60 days (adjust per market); milestone billing adherence ? 95%.

HSE & Compliance:

Zero major incidents; 100% venue and regulatory compliance.

People:

Critical roles filled within 60 days; regretted attrition ? 8%.
Qualifications & Experience

10-15+ years in exhibitions/events/experiential marketing, with

multi?country GCC

exposure; at least 5 years in a GM/Director P&L role. Proven record delivering

? 30-50M

annual sales and managing complex, fast?turnaround builds. Strong command of

costing/estimation, fabrication methods, AV/rigging, venue operations

, and supply?chain in UAE & KSA. Financial acumen: P&L ownership, budgeting, pricing strategy, and contract law basics. CRM proficiency (Salesforce/HubSpot/MS Dynamics) and PM tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, Monday.com). Bachelor's degree required; MBA or PMP/Prince2 a plus.
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: AED15,000.00 - AED25,000.00 per month