RISE Summit 2026 to Bring Global Investment Leaders to Dubai on October 14

More than 250 institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, government leaders and major developers are set to gather in Dubai for the inaugural RISE Summit 2026 on October 14, as global investment priorities shift amid geopolitical uncertainty, changing trade flows and evolving economic conditions.

The one-day event at Dubai World Trade Centre will examine how capital is moving across markets, infrastructure, real estate, cities and the experience economy, connecting investment strategies with sectors expected to shape future economic growth.

Global investment leaders to discuss shifting capital flows

The summit’s Global Leaders Series will feature discussions on how economic realignment and changing financial conditions are influencing long-term investment decisions.

José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, will lead a session titled The Great Capital Shift. The discussion will examine competition among the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf for long-term capital and whether current investment trends represent a temporary adjustment or a lasting shift in the global investment landscape.

Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist at Allianz, will lead Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World. The session will explore how interest rates, inflation and risk are influencing allocations across fixed income, real estate, infrastructure and private markets.

UAE and Dubai leaders to outline growth priorities

The programme will feature senior UAE officials discussing economic resilience, diversification and investment opportunities.

UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri will address how economic resilience can translate into investment partnerships and sustainable growth in a session titled From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World.

The session will follow the official opening address by Omar Bu Shehab, Director General of the Dubai Land Department.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, will examine Dubai’s economic model and the D33 agenda in a session titled Built to Compound: Dubai’s Economic Model and the D33 Agenda.

The development outlook will also feature Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Managing Director of Emaar Properties, discussing long-term investment and development through changing market conditions in Building Through the Cycle. Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, will address the master plans shaping the emirate’s next phase of urban growth.

Infrastructure and regulation take centre stage

RISE Summit 2026 will examine how transport infrastructure, urban expansion and market regulation influence investment decisions.

Muna Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer of the Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, will lead a discussion on how land use, mobility and infrastructure are opening new growth corridors across the city.

Abdulla Ahmed Mohammed Saleh Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, will address transparency, investor protection and market regulation in a session titled Trust as an Asset: Regulating a Market the World Is Watching.

The programme will also explore investment in real estate, hospitality, tourism and destination experiences, with industry leaders examining how integrated development and visitor attractions contribute to long-term economic value.

Developers and hospitality leaders to explore new opportunities

Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Properties, will discuss the evolution of major developers into integrated investment and operating platforms.

Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah, and Fernando Eiroa, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Entertainment, will examine the role of hospitality, entertainment and destination experiences in creating long-term urban and economic value.

Liam Findlay, Chief Executive Officer of Miral Destinations, will lead Beyond the Box Office: The New Economics of Destination Entertainment. The session will consider how global entertainment brands, immersive attractions and large-scale destinations are influencing visitor demand and investment returns.

AI data centres and infrastructure financing

Investment in digital infrastructure will form another key part of the summit’s agenda, particularly the energy and capacity requirements associated with the expansion of artificial intelligence.

The session Powering AI: Data Centres, Energy and the Capacity Challenge will feature Mark Olson, Managing Partner of Lumiere Capital Partners; Jorge Cantonnet, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of A7i Strategic Partners; and Olusola Lawson, Co-Managing Director of African Infrastructure Investment Managers.

The panel will examine how access to power, land and grid capacity is shaping investment in the next generation of data centres.

A separate session, Closing the Infrastructure Funding Gap, will focus on how private and cross-border capital can finance energy, digital and transport infrastructure. Speakers will include Chuan Huang of China International Capital Corporation, Jean-Francis Dusch of Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management and Andrei Rotaru of Gaw Capital.

Summit backed by government and industry partners

RISE Summit 2026 is supported by the Dubai Land Department and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism as strategic government partners.

Other partners include the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and FIABCI Emirates, with ValuStrat serving as Knowledge Partner, AIA Middle East as Architecture Partner and Emirates Green Building Council as Sustainability Partner.

The summit aims to connect international investors with government representatives, developers and business leaders to discuss emerging investment priorities, identify cross-border opportunities and develop partnerships across sectors shaping future economies.

Dubai’s investment momentum provides backdrop

The event comes amid continued activity across Dubai’s non-oil economy and real estate sector.

According to figures cited by the organisers, Dubai’s non-oil private sector Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 54.5 in September, its strongest reading of 2026, while real estate sales reached Dh379 billion in the first nine months of the year.

The organisers also cited the Dubai International Financial Centre’s milestone of more than 10,000 active registered companies in the first half of 2026 and Global SWF data showing that Gulf sovereign wealth funds deployed a record $53.9 billion during the same period.

RISE Summit 2026 will bring these investment themes together in a programme focused on how global capital can support economic growth, infrastructure development and the next phase of urban expansion.