Canva World Tour makes Middle East debut in Dubai

Canva is bringing its global World Tour to the Middle East for the first time, with Dubai set to host the opening regional event on 26 October 2026 at Creators HQ in Emirates Towers.

The event marks the start of a series of Canva activities planned across the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on helping small and medium-sized enterprises strengthen their creative capabilities and make greater use of artificial intelligence in their day-to-day operations.

Free to attend for approved SME applicants, Canva World Tour will offer founders, marketers and business teams practical guidance on content creation, brand development and customer communication.

The event comes amid growing use of Canva in the UAE, where users publish more than 5 million designs on the platform every month.

Ahmad Iqbal, General Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Canva, said: “Our focus is empowering SMEs across MENA with the skills and AI tools to bring their ideas to life. Canva World Tour combines our tools and Design School learning with the chance to learn by doing. We want business owners and their teams to leave with practical skills and the confidence to use AI in their work. We’ll bring this same approach to more business communities across MENA.”

Practical skills for everyday business

The programme will include main-stage sessions, Canva Design School workshops and interactive activities that allow attendees to explore the platform’s products and features.

Sessions will cover social media content creation, the use of Canva’s Visual Suite from initial concept to finished content, and a case study examining how content creator Amr Maskoun uses Canva to produce content at scale.

Workshops will focus on developing reusable brand templates, creating more effective presentations and exploring website creation using Canva AI and Canva Code. Participants will also have the opportunity to test different tools and identify features that can support their everyday business needs.

AI tools for business applications

Canva AI 2.0 enables users to develop ideas through conversation, generate editable designs and refine individual elements while maintaining creative control.

Canva Code 2.0 allows users to build and customise websites and interactive experiences using natural-language prompts.

Through hands-on sessions, participants will explore how these capabilities can be applied to business requirements such as preparing a pitch, developing a campaign or strengthening a company’s digital presence.

Learning beyond the event

As part of Canva World Tour, the company aims to train more than 3,000 people across the UAE by the end of November 2026 through a combination of in-person workshops and online learning.

Those unable to attend the Dubai event can access free, self-paced English-language courses through Canva Design School, with opportunities to earn certifications online. The learning resources are open to everyone.

Canva’s support for SMEs also includes its partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, signed during the World Governments Summit 2026. Under the partnership, eligible Dubai SMEs can access a free one-year Canva Business subscription through the Business in Dubai platform.

Attendance at Canva World Tour Dubai is free for approved applicants. SME owners and their teams can apply through: https://www.canva.com/events/canva-world-tour-dubai/