RISE Summit 2026 opens tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Centre, convening more than 250 international institutional investors, sovereign funds, government leaders and major developers for a one-day examination of how shifting geopolitical dynamics, trade relationships, financing conditions and technological advances are reshaping capital allocation across markets.
The Summit, held under the theme ‘Recharging Momentum in Global Economies’, arrives at a moment when the UAE’s policy institutions are pointing to measurable economic momentum. Dubai’s non-oil private-sector PMI rose to 54.5 in September, its strongest reading of 2026, while UAE non-oil foreign trade reached AED1.937 trillion in the first half of the year, up 13.1% year-on-year. The Dubai International Financial Centre also surpassed 10,000 active registered companies for the first time in H1 2026, reaching 10,018, a 30% year-on-year increase.
Government leadership features prominently in the programme. H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, UAE, will lead the session ‘From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World’, examining how economic diversification and trade and investment partnerships can help countries navigate a more fragmented global economy and create pathways for sustainable growth. The session addresses directly how the UAE can sustain its investment momentum amid global realignment.
H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, will deliver ‘Built to Compound: Dubai’s Economic Model and the D33 Agenda’, setting out the policy framework behind the emirate’s development strategy. The regulatory dimension of emerging investment structures also receives dedicated attention, with a panel titled ‘Who Owns the Building? How Tokenisation Rewrites Ownership’ exploring the regulatory frameworks, legal recognition, cross-border compliance and investor protection required to support tokenised real estate. That session brings together Dr Ahmed Mansour, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Private Department of H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan; Dr Mahmoud AlBurai, President of FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation) Emirates; and Zed Ayesh, Group CEO of ATI Investments and Board Member of Dejem Real Estate Development.
Dr AlBurai framed Dubai’s position in the global property market: “Dubai has cemented its place as a true global hub for real estate; a city where capital, talent, and innovation converge from every corner of the world. Our participation in Rise 2026 reflects FIABCI Emirates’ commitment to being at the heart of that momentum. This event is more than a gathering; it’s a platform that connects developers, investors, brokers, and institutions across borders, turning dialogue into opportunities. In a market defined by transparency, resilience, and dreams, RISE Summit 2026 gives every player in the ecosystem the chance to shape the future of real estate investment - together.”
Meanwhile, the Summit’s Global Leaders Series will anchor the macroeconomic discussion. José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, will lead ‘The Great Capital Shift’, examining how the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for long-term investment and whether current shifts in capital flows signal a lasting change in the global investment landscape. “Global capital is entering a period of significant change, with investors reassessing where long-term value, resilience and opportunity can be found,” Barroso said. “At RISE Summit, I will explore how the US, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for capital, and whether we are seeing a temporary reallocation or a fundamental shift in the global investment landscape.” Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist at Allianz, will follow with ‘Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World’, addressing how investors are reassessing risk, returns and asset allocation.
Beyond the macroeconomic outlook, the programme turns to how investment translates into growth across the built environment and essential infrastructure. Discussions on Dubai’s development model include ‘Building the Next Dubai: Inside the City’s Biggest Master Plans’ with Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, and ‘From Developer to Platform: The New Model for Urban Growth’ featuring Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Aldar Properties. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Managing Director of Emaar Properties, will examine long-term investment and development through changing market conditions in ‘Building Through the Cycle’.
Infrastructure financing and energy capacity form another strand. ‘Powering AI: Data Centres, Energy and the Capacity Challenge’ will bring together Mark Olson, Managing Partner at Lumiere Capital Partners; Jorge Cantonnet, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at A7i Strategic Partners; and Olusola Lawson, Co-Managing Director of African Infrastructure Investment Managers, Nigeria. “AI’s bottleneck is shifting from chips to megawatts, infrastructure and the capital to fund them,” Olson said. “At RISE, I look forward to exploring how private capital can help finance this next phase of AI growth.” A separate panel, ‘Closing the Infrastructure Funding Gap’, will consider the role of private and cross-border investment in financing the next generation of energy, digital and transport infrastructure, with speakers including Chuan Huang, Head of GCC Region and Senior Executive Officer of the DIFC Branch at CICC; Jean-Francis Dusch, CIO, Infrastructure Debt (BRIDGE), Edmond de Rothschild AM, UK; and Andrei Rotaru, Managing Director and Head of Middle East Private Equity at Gaw Capital.
Hospitality and destination development round out the agenda. Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah, will discuss changing expectations in luxury hospitality, while Fernando Eiroa, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Entertainment, will review how entertainment and hospitality are shaping destinations and the next phase of tourism. Liam Findlay, Chief Executive Officer of Miral Destinations, will present ‘Blueprint for a Global Hub: Miral’s Vision for the Future of Immersive Entertainment’.
Through its focus on capital markets, connectivity and infrastructure, cities and real estate, and longevity, living and experience, RISE Summit 2026 aims to connect the forces shaping global investment with the markets, assets and destinations where opportunities are emerging. The Summit is a platform connecting institutional investors, sovereign funds, private equity firms, pension funds, family offices and global capital with governments, developers and project owners across real estate, infrastructure, hospitality, urban development and emerging investment sectors. It takes place on 14 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The event is organised by inD, a leading B2B Live Events Group in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Headquartered in Dubai with more than 1,000 colleagues across the region, inD is a partnership between the Informa Group PLC and DWTC, and operates a portfolio of more than 40 major B2B brands spanning Healthcare, Energy, Aviation, Food, Technology, Information Security, HR and Education. As a subsidiary of Informa PLC, a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange, inD combines international scale with leadership in large-scale B2B event intellectual property. Further information is available from Orient Planet Group at [email protected] or www.orientplanet.com.