The extension plans includes a new 252-room Aloft Hotel, a 5,000-seater auditorium, a breakout area for 2,500 delegates and London's largest banqueting hall with a 3,000-seat capacity.
Details of the plans were announced by Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC). ADNEC bought the ExCeL for £416 million in 2008.
"ExCeL is a cornerstone for the development of the ADNEC brand, helping to open new trade links to the United Arab Emirates capital and promoting it to the world," said Sheikh Sultan. "Two years on from our investment in ExCeL, we have made considerable progress. The synergies we identified have been successfully leveraged. ExCeL has staged a number of global events including last year’s G20 summit."
Earlier this month ExCeL was officially granted planning permission for temporary structures to be built during the Games when it is due to stage boxing, fencing, judo, taekwondo, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling during the Olympics and boccia, judo, powerlifting, table tennis, sitting volleyball and wheelchair fencing during the Paralympics.
