RISE Summit marks Dubai economy rebound after months of regional disruption
- Last updated: October 12, 2026 | 13:25
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Government leaders, global institutional investors, sovereign funds and major developers will converge on Dubai this week to explore where capital is moving and where the biggest opportunities lie as geopolitical uncertainty and changing trade flows recalibrate investment priorities across markets, infrastructure, cities, real estate and the experience economy.
The inaugural RISE Summit 2026 on 14 October at Dubai World Trade Centre will gather more than 250 senior delegates to explore how capital can recharge momentum in global economies, connecting investment strategy with the sectors shaping the next phase of economic and urban growth.
The one-day summit arrives as Dubai’s economy rebounds following months of regional disruption. The emirate’s non-oil private sector Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.5 in September, its strongest reading of 2026, according to S&P Global, while real estate sales of Dhs379 billion in the first nine months of the year were the second-highest on record for the period, based on Dubai Land Department data.
Business and capital continue to flow into the emirate and the wider region, with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) surpassing 10,000 active registered companies for the first time in the first half of 2026, while Gulf sovereign wealth funds deployed a record US$53.9 billion over the same period, according to Global SWF.
Global Leaders Series: where capital moves next
The Global Leaders Series (GLS) will bring two headline international conversations to RISE Summit 2026, examining how economic realignment and changing financial conditions are reshaping the deployment of long-term capital.
José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisers at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, will lead ‘The Great Capital Shift’, exploring how the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for long-term capital and whether current shifts represent a temporary adjustment or a lasting redrawing of the global investment map.
Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer & Chief Economist, Allianz, will tackle ‘Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World’, examining how changing rates, inflation and risk are influencing allocations across fixed income, real estate, infrastructure and private markets.
UAE leadership and Dubai’s growth story
The UAE and Dubai leadership will bring a regional perspective on investment, economic diversification and Dubai’s continued development as a global centre for business and capital.
Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy & Tourism, UAE, will examine how economic resilience can translate into new investment partnerships and sustainable growth in ‘From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World’ after Omar Bu Shehab, Director General, Dubai Land Department, delivers the official opening address at RISE Summit 2026.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, will explore the foundations of Dubai’s economic model and the D33 agenda through ‘Built to Compound: Dubai’s Economic Model and the D33 Agenda.’
Dubai’s development story will also feature Mohamed Alabbar, Founder & Managing Director, Emaar Properties, who will bring the perspective of one of the region’s leading developers in ‘Building Through the Cycle’, examining long-term investment and development through changing market conditions, and Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Holding Real Estate, examining the master plans shaping Dubai’s next phase of urban growth.
Dubai’s next phase of growth will also be examined through sessions focused on mobility and market regulation. Muna Al Osaimi, Chief Executive Officer, Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), will lead ‘Land, Mobility and the Making of Dubai’s Next Growth Corridors’, examining how transport and infrastructure are opening new areas of growth across the city. Abdulla Ahmed Mohammed Saleh Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer, Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), will address market regulation, transparency and investor protection in ‘Trust as an Asset: Regulating a Market the World Is Watching’.
Capital, cities and real assets
Across the wider programme, RISE Summit 2026 will examine how capital is moving into infrastructure, real estate, hospitality, tourism and new forms of urban investment.
Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Properties, will explore the evolution of major developers into integrated investment and operating platforms, while Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer, Jumeirah, and Fernando Eiroa, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Holding Entertainment, will examine how hospitality, entertainment and destination experiences are contributing to long-term economic and urban value.
Liam Findlay, Chief Executive Officer, Miral Destinations, will examine the changing economics of destination entertainment in ‘Beyond the Box Office: The New Economics of Destination Entertainment’, exploring how global entertainment brands, immersive attractions and large-scale destination experiences are shaping visitor demand and long-term value.
The programme will also address the infrastructure required to support emerging technologies. ‘Powering AI: Data Centres, Energy and the Capacity Challenge’ will bring together Mark Olson, Managing Partner, Lumiere Capital Partners; Jorge Cantonnet, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, A7i Strategic Partners; and Olusola Lawson, Co-Managing Director, African Infrastructure Investment Managers, to examine how power, land and grid capacity are shaping investment in the next generation of data centres.
Later in the programme, ‘Closing the Infrastructure Funding Gap’ will explore how private and cross-border capital is financing energy, digital and transport infrastructure. The panel will feature Chuan Huang, Head of GCC Region and Senior Executive Officer, DIFC Branch, China International Capital Corporation (CICC); Jean-Francis Dusch, CIO, Infrastructure Debt (BRIDGE), Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management; and Andrei Rotaru, Managing Director & Head of Middle East Private Equity, Gaw Capital.
By bringing international capital together with governments, developers and business leaders, RISE Summit 2026 will provide a platform to examine changing investment priorities, identify cross-border opportunities and build partnerships around the sectors shaping future economies.