12 October 2026
The first RISE Summit takes place in Dubai on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre. The one-day event will gather more than 250 senior delegates, including institutional investors, sovereign funds, major developers and government leaders, to discuss where capital is moving: infrastructure and data centres, real estate, hospitality and tourism, and new transport corridors. Speakers include José Manuel Barroso of Goldman Sachs, Allianz Group Chief Investment Officer Ludovic Subran, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Dubai Land Department Director General Omar Bu Shehab. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) announced the programme on 11 October, together with the latest figures: Dubai real estate sales reached AED 379 billion in the first nine months of 2026, the second-highest result on record for the period, and the Dubai non-oil private sector PMI rose to 54.5 in September.
RISE Summit 2026 at a glance
RISE Summit 2026 is the inaugural edition of the event. According to WAM, its aim is to connect investment strategy with the sectors that shape the next phase of economic and urban growth, as geopolitical uncertainty and changing trade flows recalibrate investment priorities.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, 14 October 2026, one day |
| Venue | Dubai World Trade Centre |
| Participants | more than 250 senior delegates: institutional investors, sovereign funds, developers, government |
| Main themes | infrastructure and data centres, real estate, hospitality and tourism, mobility, market regulation |
| Strategic government partners | Dubai Land Department (DLD), Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) |
| Supporting and knowledge partners | RICS, FIABCI Emirates, ValuStrat, AIA Middle East, Emirates Green Building Council |
Who is speaking and what they will discuss
Global Leaders Series
Two headline international conversations open the global part of the programme. José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, leads “The Great Capital Shift”: how the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf compete for long-term capital, and whether current shifts are a temporary adjustment or a lasting redrawing of the global investment map. Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist of Allianz, speaks on “Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World”, covering how rates, inflation and risk influence allocations across fixed income, real estate, infrastructure and private markets.
UAE and Dubai government
- Omar Bu Shehab, Director General of the Dubai Land Department, delivers the official opening address.
- Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism: “From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World”.
- Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: “Built to Compound: Dubai’s Economic Model and the D33 Agenda”.
- Muna Al Osaimi, CEO of the Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA): “Land, Mobility and the Making of Dubai’s Next Growth Corridors”.
- Abdulla Ahmed Mohammed Saleh Al Shehhi, CEO of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA): “Trust as an Asset: Regulating a Market the World Is Watching”, on market regulation, transparency and investor protection.
Developers and operators
Mohamed Alabbar, founder and managing director of Emaar Properties, speaks on “Building Through the Cycle”, and Khalid Al Malik, CEO of Dubai Holding Real Estate, on the master plans shaping Dubai’s next phase of urban growth. Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group CEO of Aldar Properties, discusses how large developers turn into integrated investment and operating platforms. Thomas Meier, CEO of Jumeirah, and Fernando Eiroa, CEO of Dubai Holding Entertainment, cover hospitality and entertainment, while Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations, presents “Beyond the Box Office: The New Economics of Destination Entertainment”.
Data centres and infrastructure finance
The panel “Powering AI: Data Centres, Energy and the Capacity Challenge” brings together Mark Olson of Lumiere Capital Partners, Jorge Cantonnet of A7i Strategic Partners and Olusola Lawson of African Infrastructure Investment Managers to discuss how power, land and grid capacity shape investment in new data centres. A second panel, “Closing the Infrastructure Funding Gap”, looks at private and cross-border financing of energy, digital and transport infrastructure, with Chuan Huang of China International Capital Corporation (DIFC branch), Jean-Francis Dusch of Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management and Andrei Rotaru of Gaw Capital.
The numbers behind the summit
WAM placed the summit against a set of recent indicators for Dubai and the Gulf:
- AED 379 billion of Dubai real estate sales in January to September 2026, the second-highest result for the period on record, based on Dubai Land Department data. Commercial property alone, offices and shops, brought AED 25.1 billion in the same nine months, as we covered in our article on Dubai commercial property sales.
- 54.5 for the Dubai non-oil private sector PMI in September 2026, according to S&P Global, up from 54.1 in August and 50.7 in June. Any reading above 50 means business conditions improved; the full September survey is in our review of the UAE PMI for September 2026.
- More than 10,000 active registered companies in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) for the first time, reached in the first half of 2026.
- USD 53.9 billion (about AED 198 billion) deployed by Gulf sovereign wealth funds in the first half of 2026, a record according to Global SWF.
These are the data points the organisers use to frame the discussion. The summit itself does not introduce new rules, fees or procedures, and WAM does not report any investment agreements planned for signing on 14 October.
What it means for companies and investors in the UAE
For a business already working in the UAE, the practical value of RISE Summit 2026 lies in who is on stage. The heads of the bodies that run the Dubai property market (DLD and RERA), plan its transport corridors (RTA) and set its economic agenda (DET) speak at one event, alongside the largest developers. Their sessions on investor protection, market transparency and new growth areas show where the authorities place their focus.
For investors who buy property in Dubai, the RERA session on regulation and investor protection is the most directly relevant. Financing questions, such as how much a non-resident can borrow and what banks ask for, are covered in our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents.
For entrepreneurs who plan to invest through a company, the choice of structure comes first: a mainland company, a free zone company or a holding structure, depending on the activity, the assets and the bank that will hold the account. Our guide to company formation in the UAE walks through these options step by step.
Checklist for an investor looking at Dubai
- define what you invest in: property, an operating business, infrastructure or a fund, and whether you hold it personally or through a company;
- choose the jurisdiction for the company: mainland Dubai, a free zone or a financial centre such as DIFC;
- plan the corporate bank account early, because banks review the source of funds and the ownership structure before opening;
- check the residence options for yourself and your family, including visas linked to property or company ownership;
- register for UAE corporate tax and, where relevant, VAT, and keep ultimate beneficial owner records up to date;
- keep documents ready for due diligence: passport, proof of address, bank statements and a description of the business.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with entrepreneurs and investors who move capital or a business to the UAE. We help choose the structure and jurisdiction, handle company setup in the UAE from licence to visas, prepare the file for corporate bank account opening and keep the company compliant after launch. For an investor who comes to Dubai events to look at the market, this means the legal and banking base is ready by the time a deal is on the table.
Bottom line
The inaugural RISE Summit meets on 14 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre with more than 250 senior delegates. Speakers include José Manuel Barroso (Goldman Sachs), Ludovic Subran (Allianz), Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Omar Bu Shehab (DLD), Mohamed Alabbar (Emaar) and the heads of RERA and the RTA strategy sector. The event takes place after Dubai real estate sales of AED 379 billion in nine months and a September PMI of 54.5. It is a discussion platform, not a change in rules.
Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM).
FAQ
When and where is RISE Summit 2026?
RISE Summit 2026 takes place on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre. It is a one-day event and the first edition of the summit, with more than 250 senior delegates from institutional investors, sovereign funds, developers and government.
Who are the speakers at RISE Summit 2026?
Speakers include José Manuel Barroso of Goldman Sachs, Ludovic Subran of Allianz, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Dubai Land Department Director General Omar Bu Shehab, DET Director General Helal Saeed Almarri, Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar, Aldar Group CEO Talal Al Dhiyebi and RERA CEO Abdulla Al Shehhi.
How much property was sold in Dubai in the first nine months of 2026?
Dubai real estate sales reached AED 379 billion in January to September 2026, based on Dubai Land Department data cited by WAM. It is the second-highest result for this period on record. Commercial property, offices and shops, accounted for AED 25.1 billion of nine-month sales.
What was the Dubai PMI in September 2026?
The S&P Global Dubai PMI for the non-oil private sector was 54.5 in September 2026, up from 54.1 in August and 50.7 in June. A reading above 50 means business conditions improved compared with the previous month.
