Islamabad is about to get a new world-class convention center close to Bhara Kahu, with initial planning work completed. The New Islamabad Convention, Expo and Exhibition Centre (NICEEC), which is set to be developed in 18 months with 19.37 billion rupees, has cleared its planning stage, site allocation, and development partners have been finalized.

Islamabad has been depending on the Jinnah Convention Centre for a long period, serving as the main infrastructure for large-scale formal events. However, the growing demands of the city are placing pressure on the limited resources provided by the building. Limited parking, outdated amenities, and evolving event formats, such as digital events, have highlighted the need for a more advanced facility. Looking at these problems, the government has decided to develop a new, modern, and world-class system. 

The Federal Government Initiative

The decision to develop an expo and convention center was made in light of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit of 2027, which is to be hosted by Pakistan. The project was initiated on the direct order of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who instructed the CDA to complete the task before the SCO conference deadline. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been working on the project, personally instructing the CDA to speed up the work and ensure the convention centre is completed at the earliest. 

Approval by CDA

The New Islamabad Convention, Expo and Exhibition Center (NICEEC) was approved by the Capital Development Authority Development Working Party (CDA-DWP) at the 78th CDA-DWP meeting, attended by 

• CDA Chairman
• Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa
• Planning Commission officials
• Interior Ministry officials
• Finance Division officials 
• CDA Board and project consultants 

Budget and Timeline

The government has approved a total budget of 19.3 billion rupees for the project, with a deadline of 18 months for the project's completion.

Location of NICEEC

The government has decided to develop the new convention center in Malpur near Bhara Kahu Byass. This location was selected mainly for two reasons. Firstly, CDA owns land in the area. Secondly, the area is close to the Diplomatic Enclave. This strategic location is beneficial due to the following reasons: 

1. CDA owns the land, and so it reduces the acquisition process and costs. 
2. It is closer to the Diplomatic Enclave, making it suitable for international summits 
3. The Bhara Kahu bypass provides direct road connectivity for both local commuters and delegations arriving from the New Islamabad International Airport. 

Deciding the prime location was among the most important steps. According to CDA Chairman Randhawa, "A location should be chosen for the convention and expo centre that ensures easy public access and provides better parking facilities. International standards must be considered in the construction of the convention and expo centre." 

NICEEC Features

The New Islamabad Convention, Expo, and Exhibition Centre (NICEEC) is being designed as Pakistan’s largest and most advanced convention, exhibition, and expo centre to make Islamabad the main destination for global conferences and exhibitions.  The design approved for the project provides details on the following characteristics of the infrastructure: 

• The total area of the center will be 40 acres with 300,000 square feet of built infrastructure.
• Special expo zones built to support trade events
• Integrated hospitality services
• Audio and visual infrastructure to support virtual and physical events
• A multi-level parking system to accommodate 1000 vehicles at a time. 

Approval of International Joint Venture

For development, three international and local joint ventures submitted their documents to the CDA for approval.

These were:

1. China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, Kasib Builders & Developers, Zeeruk International
2. China Railway Sixth Group, Usmani International Associates, Osmani and Company 
3. Matracon Pakistan, China First Metallurgical Group, Tong Yuan Design Group, Designmen Consulting Engineers

CDA approved the first two joint ventures, while the third was rejected as technically non-responsive. Therefore, from the designs of the two approved ventures, the designs of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau were approved. Both ventures are to submit their bids based on their designs being approved

Impact on Local Real Estate

The development of the New Islamabad Convention, Expo and Exhibition Centre (NICEEC) will not only support the diplomatic functions of Pakistan, but will also create an impact on the local real estate in the following ways

1. The development of such an important landmark will benefit plots in the Malpur and Bharakahu area, increasing their value and benefiting investors in the area.
2. All around the world, hospitality services such as restaurants, hotels, and serviced apartments are located near convention centers. The new complex will stimulate the growth of such hospitality services in the area. 
3. The NICEEC, although it will support local events, is mainly built for international events. For this, essential utilities and road networks will be improved for international delegations. Such utility and road network improvement will benefit the nearby area through increased connectivity and land appreciation. 

The government has put all its efforts into the development of a New Islamabad Convention, Expo and Exhibition Centre (NICEEC), mainly for the upcoming SCO Summit 2027. The CDA has allocated land, and joint ventures are approved for the bidding process. Located in Malpur near Bharakahu Bypass, the project has been granted a fund of 19.3 billion rupees with a deadline of 18 months for completion.

With the purpose of building a state-of-the-art and modern complex, this step will not only uplift Islamabad’s role in international conferences but also provide local benefits such as infrastructure development, commercial activity initiation in the area, land appreciation, and infrastructure for local formal events.