Extreme Networks has redefined how the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) manages large-scale event connectivity – one of the busiest and most iconic venues in the UAE.
Sat in the harsh sun in the centre of the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) welcomes over three million visitors annually, with 500 events across 21 exhibition halls.
It spans 1.3 million square feet- the equivalent of 18 football (soccer) fields – and was one of the first major buildings in what is now Dubai’s glittering downtown.
“We host a lot of mega shows,” says Farid Farouq, senior vice president of technology and innovation at DWTC. “Every three or four days, there is a new show, which means we have to build a new network.”
The sprawling campus is one of the Middle East’s largest exhibition venues, and with scale comes complexity. Each exhibition or trade show brings its own technical setup, demanding that the IT team spin up bespoke, secure networks at speed.
“In the banking industry, we built networks once and modified them every three to four years. Here, we needed to do it every day,” says Farouq, who transitioned to the events sector after working in financial services. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone… and the first thing was that I’m at a company hosting shows every three days, four days.”
Why DWTC Chose Extreme Networks
DWTC became an Extreme Networks customer nearly a decade ago, replacing Cisco to pursue a simpler and more agile infrastructure. At the time, Farouq was new to the role when he made the call to trial Extreme’s Fabric Connect offering.
“I said, let me take the risk and try it,” he recalls. “The good thing here is it worked because we really took a risk. A very good risk,” he says.
Fabric Connect allows DWTC to build and tear down networks quickly at the edge, without touching the core, aggregation or distribution layers.
“The whole idea was I wanted a platform that enables me to create a network on the fly every three to four days,” Farouq explains.
The technology enables DWTC to deploy hundreds of virtual networks at short notice. To date, more than 3,300 networks have been built this way, accommodating everything from high-bandwidth multicast video to secure retail and venue environments.
From risk to resilience
Extreme Fabric Connect also offers what it claims are “military-grade” security features, isolating potentially unsecure devices and preventing lateral movements across the network.
This allows DWTC to run multiple services, from contactless engagement technologies to vendor point-of-sale systems, on the same physical infrastructure without compromising security or performance.
“One network connects everything, one platform manages everything,” says Farouq. “That’s a game-changer.”
By consolidating network management under ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine, the DWTC IT team has also been freed from repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on higher-value, strategic projects. “We’re supporting the business with real-time innovation,” he adds.
ExtremeAnalytics has meant the team has had full visibility over how its users and devices use its network – and the team has full access to real-time data in order to optimise its network capabilities, as well as identify and mitigate overcrowding on it.
DWTC’s Next Chapter with Extreme
The next stage of DWTC’s growth is a plan to double its footprint. Once again, it is turning to Extreme for support. “We’re building another venue in District 2020,” says Farouq. “Extreme is part of the infrastructure there. We will work with the Extreme team to see how we can support multiple venues at the same time.”
Extreme Networks recently announced the launch of ‘Extreme Platform One’, available to a limited number of customers, that integrates conversational, multimodal, and agentic AI into its networking platform.
Some of DWTC’s biggest shows will now run concurrently across the two sites. “It’s a new experience for our network, new experience for us, and new experience for Extreme,” he says. “And we’re looking forward to that partnership.”
Farouq remains clear-eyed about the scale of what lies ahead. “With large exhibitions on the horizon, the world is looking to Dubai to set new standards for mega-events,” he says.
“We have risen to this opportunity to deliver on Dubai World Trade Centre’s mission of being a world-leading venue… Thanks to Extreme’s networking solutions, we can do just that.”
