Dubai AI Festival to take place during Dubai AI Week 2026
The expanded Dubai AI Festiva to take place at Dubai World Trade Centre
#UAE #DubaiAIWeek2026 - Dubai AI Week, the new global platform for global AI collaboration, changemakers and cutting-edge AI showcases is now scheduled to take place from 6th to 10th April 2025*, according to informed sources. Meanwhile, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced that the Dubai AI Festival will take place during AI Week on 7th and 8th April at Dubai World Trade Centre, to accommodate the festival’s rapid expansion. The 2026 festival is expected to attract over 20,000 attendees, 500+ investors, 200+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors from over 120 countries, and featuring 50+ roundtables and workshops. The inaugural edition of Dubai AI Week held this year brought together a number of high profile AI conferences and events under one umbrella, drawing local, regional and global attendees.
SO WHAT? - Dubai AI Festival was the largest conference and exhibition at Dubai AI Week this year and is expected to be significantly larger in scale and scope during Dubai AI Week 2026. The festival organiser DIFC is at the heart of Dubai’s fast growing AI ecosystem, and its Dubai AI Campus today hosts over 180 AI companies and 315 entities registered under the Dubai AI Licence. Major global names including Nagarro AI, CAMB.AI, and Deep Opinion are all based at DIFC. The campus is projected to grow beyond 100,000 square feet, host over 500 companies, create more than 3,000 jobs, and attract $300 million in investments by 2028.
Here are some key points about Dubai AI Festival 2026:
Dubai AI Festival 2026, part of Dubai AI Week 2026, will expand to the Dubai World Trade Centre, reflecting a surge in global participation and growing demand for AI-focused collaboration and investment.
Organised by Dubai AI Campus, in partnership with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence’s Office, the two-day event will take place from 7–8 April 2026.
Dubai AI Week is expected to take place from 6th to 10th April.
The third edition of the Dubai AI Festival is projected to attract over 20,000 attendees, including 500+ investors, 200+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors, and participants from 120+ countries.
Building on last year’s success with 10,000 visitors, the expanded 2026 programme will feature 150 sessions, 50 workshops and roundtables, and enhanced networking and investment opportunities.
The Festival advances Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 and DIFC’s Strategy 2030, aligning with government directives to accelerate AI adoption, attract global talent, and position Dubai as a launchpad for high-growth AI companies.
The Dubai AI Campus, the largest dedicated AI cluster in the MENA region, currently hosts over 180 AI companies and 315 entities registered under the Dubai AI Licence, with plans to grow beyond 100,000 square feet and attract $300 million in investments by 2028.
The Campus also aims to create 3,000 new jobs and expand its ecosystem to 500 companies, strengthening Dubai’s credentials as a trusted innovation and technology hub.
The Dubai AI Academy, part of the Campus, is training and upskilling over 10,000 AI professionals by 2030, bridging academia, industry and government to build a sustainable AI talent pipeline.
Dubai ranks among the world’s top five cities for AI adoption and top four FinTech hubs, underpinned by the UAE AI Strategy 2031, which promotes AI integration across governance, finance, and creative industries.
Globally, the AI market is forecast to grow from USD 391 billion in 2025 to over USD 1.8 trillion by 2030, with the Middle East contributing USD 320 billion by 2030 and the UAE leading regional adoption.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
* dates have yet to be announced by the Dubai Centre for AI and Dubai Future Foundation
LINKS
Dubai AI Week offiicial website - 6-10 April 2026
Dubai AI Festival - 7-8 April, 2026
Read about Dubai AI Week 2025:
Dubai AI Week 2025 news stories (Middle East AI News)