Middle East Film & Comic Con is coming to Abu Dhabi

The popular event will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre across three days in March

Now in its 10th year, past events of the Middle East Film and Comic Con have featured meet-and-greets as well as talks with international film and television stars. Photo: MBP

Pop culture fans in the capital can rejoice because the Middle East Film & Comic Con is coming to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

The popular festival, which welcomes film, comic book and video game fans, will run across three days in March at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Now in its 10th year, past events have featured meet-and-greets as well as talks and panels with international film and television stars.

There will also be workshops, a theatre experience, an Artists' Alley – where regional designers, comic creators, animators and more display their work – and, of course, a cosplay competition.

Celebrities such as Jason Momoa, Zachary Levi, Benedict Wong and Gillian Anderson are some of the famous faces who have attended in the past.

“The event will no doubt provide awesome excitement to the well-established and loyal fan base, and will prove to be a great addition to Abu Dhabi’s ever-expanding line-up of exciting events for 2022," said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director of tourism and marketing at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

"We regard it as a real honour for the emirate to become part of the Comic Con global family, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming Comic Con’s crowd to explore Abu Dhabi for the very first time."

Comic Con will be organised in accordance with Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standard, which will run in parallel with the emirate’s own safety precautions. Informa has developed a detailed set of measures to provide levels of hygiene and safety that include mandatory masks and social distancing.

Last year’s event took place in Dubai despite the pandemic. There were thermal cameras at the entrance of Dubai World Trade Centre, and hand sanitiser was available throughout the venue.

Tickets for the event will go on sale later this year. For more information, visit mefcc.com

Scroll through our gallery below to see photos from last year's Middle East Film & Comic Con:

Two women dressed as sword-wielding anime characters pose for a photograph at the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai. AP Photo

A man dressed as Spiderman pauses for a selfie. AP Photo

A man dressed as Jason Voorhees from the "Friday the 13th" films stands next to a woman in cosplay. AP Photo

A man dances at the Middle East Comic Con. AP Photo

People wear face masks during the Middle East Comic Con. AP Photo

Two Emiratis watch a dance-off. AP Photo

Emiratis Hamad Al Shamsi, left, Rashid Al Qubaisi, centre, and Abdullah Al Shamsi, right, perform as the "Squad of Sharks" in a dance-off. AP Photo

A cosplayer wearing the long, black nose of a plague doctor poses with a woman in a face mask for a photo. AP Photo

Bibi Zumot of Jordan, left, dressed as Mario, and Mohamed Rashed of Egypt, right, dressed as Luigi, high-five at the Middle East Film& Comic Con. AP Photo

A cosplayer dressed as a creation from Star Wars attends the Middle East Comic Con. AP Photo