INDEX Dubai 2027 transport guide: getting to the interiors show at Dubai World Trade Centre
INDEX Dubai returns 1–3 June 2027 at DWTC with The Hotel Show and Workspace, 10am–6pm and free for trade visitors. Gates, June heat and showroom runs.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 6 min read
INDEX Dubai, the interiors and design trade show, returns Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 June 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), open 10am to 6pm daily. The Hotel Show and Workspace run alongside it. Entry is free for trade visitors who register online. Use World Trade Centre metro station or book a car to your hall’s gate.
June is the hard part. By then Dubai’s heat makes every outdoor walk count, and interiors buyers rarely spend all day in one place: the show in the morning, showrooms or a project site in the afternoon. We run exhibition and conference transport for design and hospitality teams, and this guide covers how we’d plan INDEX week.
When is INDEX Dubai 2027?
The organiser’s INDEX website lists 1–3 June 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre, 10:00 to 18:00 each day. There was no June show in 2026: the organiser moved INDEX to 2027, citing “logistical challenges currently affecting some international travel and freight shipments”.
| Edition | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 2025 | DWTC |
| 2026 | Moved to 2027 by the organiser | No June edition |
| 2027 | 1–3 June 2027, 10am–6pm | DWTC |
| 2028 | Not announced yet; usually late May or early June | Not announced |
Hall numbers for 2027 haven’t been published. Check them before you book a hotel or choose a gate.
What is INDEX, and who goes?
INDEX covers interiors and design for residential, hospitality, office and retail projects. The organiser lists 500+ brands from more than 40 countries across ten product sectors, and says 62% of visitors are interior designers, distributors, manufacturers or fit-out specialists. Architects and developers come too.
Two shows share the dates and the venue:
- The Hotel Show, for hospitality buyers and operators.
- Workspace, for office and commercial interiors.
According to the organiser’s why visit page, INDEX is free to attend, but it’s for trade professionals only, with strictly no entry for under-18s. You register online before you arrive, and digital passes are sent closer to the show.
Not to be confused with INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions
Search “INDEX Dubai” and you’ll also find INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions, a separate Dubai events company whose listings are conferences such as IANPHI. It has nothing to do with the interiors show. If your invitation mentions furniture, fit-out, lighting or hospitality, you want INDEX at DWTC.
How to get to INDEX at Dubai World Trade Centre
| Option | Details | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Metro | World Trade Centre station on the Red Line, which DWTC calls its own dedicated station | Short walk, but still a walk in June |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | DWTC has pick-up and drop-off points around the venue | Fine one way; queues at 6pm |
| Self-drive | 7,530 spaces across six paid and two free car parks, plus valet | Car parks fill on busy show days |
| Chauffeur | Drop at the gate for your hall, car parked nearby | Best for multi-stop days |
Figures are from DWTC’s getting here page. Once the 2027 halls are published, the entrance follows from the hall: Concourse 1 for Halls 1–4 and the Sheikh Saeed Halls, Convention Gate or Exhibition Gate for Halls 5–8, and the Za’abeel Entrance off 2nd Za’abeel Road for the Za’abeel Halls. Our DWTC parking guide maps each gate.
Planning for June heat
Most people underestimate the walk from a car park or metro exit to a hall entrance in June. A few minutes outdoors is enough to arrive at a meeting looking like you walked from the hotel.
- Ask for a door drop, not a car park drop. We drop at the hall entrance and park the car ourselves.
- Keep the car close at closing time. At 6pm, everyone leaving INDEX, The Hotel Show and Workspace hits the same taxi queues. A pre-booked pickup at a named gate means you wait indoors.
- Pick a car with a big boot. Sample books, fabric swatches and catalogues add up over three days. An SUV such as a GMC Yukon or Range Rover with chauffeur holds them better than a sedan.
- Mornings are the cooler window. If you’re visiting a project site, go before the show opens or after it closes, not at midday.
Show in the morning, showrooms in the afternoon
Design teams rarely spend a whole day on the floor. A typical plan is a few hours at INDEX, then out to see suppliers, a showroom or a hotel fit-out in progress. Two ways to book it:
- Hourly hire. The car stays with you from the morning drop to the last stop (three-hour minimum). Best when the afternoon has three or four stops.
- Transfers. Fixed rides hotel to DWTC, DWTC to the showroom, showroom back to the hotel. Best when there’s one stop after the show.
For a delegation of four to six, one van keeps everyone together and leaves room for samples. Design teams who also come back for Dubai Design Week in November will find the same planning in our Dubai Design Week transport guide. For regular trips to the venue, see our Dubai World Trade Centre transfers, and our Dubai events calendar shows what else is on.
Frequently asked questions
What is INDEX in Dubai?
INDEX is a trade show for interiors and design, covering residential, hospitality, office and retail projects. It’s held at Dubai World Trade Centre, runs alongside The Hotel Show and Workspace, and draws interior designers, architects, developers, fit-out specialists and buyers.
When is INDEX Dubai 2027?
INDEX 2027 runs 1–3 June 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre, open 10:00 to 18:00 each day. The organiser moved the show from 2026 to 2027, citing logistical challenges affecting international travel and freight shipments.
Is INDEX Dubai free to attend?
Yes, INDEX is free to attend, but only for trade professionals, and under-18s aren’t admitted. Register online before the show; digital passes are sent closer to the dates. The Hotel Show and Workspace run alongside INDEX at the same venue.
Where is INDEX Dubai held?
At Dubai World Trade Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. The nearest metro station is World Trade Centre on the Red Line. Hall numbers for 2027 haven’t been published yet, so check your registration email before choosing a gate or car park.
Did INDEX Dubai take place in 2026?
Not in its usual June slot. The planned 2026 dates were rescheduled, and the organiser has since moved INDEX to 1–3 June 2027 at Dubai World Trade Centre, citing logistical challenges affecting some international travel and freight shipments.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
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