GITEX GLOBAL 2026 Guide: Expo City Dubai, The GITEX Summit, Dates and Transport
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 opens with The GITEX Summit at Dubai World Trade Centre on 7 December, then moves to Expo City Dubai. Our guide covers the venues, transport, co-located shows, passes and official 2025 figures.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 takes place from 7 to 11 December 2026 in Dubai, according to the official GITEX website. The GITEX Summit opens the week on 7 December at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), which organises GITEX. The GITEX GLOBAL Expo follows from 8 to 11 December at Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 key facts
| Item | GITEX GLOBAL 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 to 11 December 2026 |
| The GITEX Summit | Monday 7 December 2026, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) |
| GITEX GLOBAL Expo | Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December 2026, Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai |
| Opening hours | Summit 9.30am to 5pm; Expo 10am to 5pm; conference 11am to 4pm, as listed in the website footer |
| Halls at DEC | North and South Halls, according to the DEC event page |
| Organiser | Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) |
| Edition | 46th year, according to the DEC event page; GITEX GLOBAL 2025 was the 45th edition |
| Nearest metro stations | World Trade Centre Station for the Summit; Expo 2020 Metro Station for the Expo |
| Official website | gitex.com |
For other show dates, see our defence, aerospace and tech show calendar.
What GITEX GLOBAL is and who organises it
The About page calls GITEX GLOBAL "the world's most established and iconic large-scale tech exhibition". It has run "for over four decades", in the organiser's words.
Artificial intelligence (AI) runs through the 2026 programme. A DWTC release from October 2025 calls GITEX GLOBAL "the world's largest tech and AI show". The home page frames The GITEX Summit as "High-Impact Dialogues at the Intersection of AI Sovereignty & Scalability".
Dubai World Trade Centre organises GITEX. Its releases on gitex.com describe DWTC as the "global organiser of GITEX" and "the organiser of GITEX globally". DWTC also "owns and operates" both 2026 venues, according to the DEC website.
For GITEX GLOBAL 2026, the organiser expects more than 200,000 technology executives, 6,800 exhibitors and participants from more than 180 countries. These are DWTC's expectations for the 2026 edition, published on 9 September 2026. The DEC event page also lists 400+ government entities among those "expected to participate".
The GITEX Summit and the GITEX GLOBAL Expo in 2026
"GITEX GLOBAL 2026 takes over two landmark Dubai venues," says the organiser's Plan Your Visit page. The week starts with one Summit day at Dubai World Trade Centre, then moves to Expo City Dubai for four days.
| The GITEX Summit | GITEX GLOBAL Expo | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Monday 7 December 2026 | Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December 2026 |
| Venue | Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) | Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai |
| Length | One day | Four days |
| Format | High-level dialogues and closed-door briefings | Exhibition, conference stages, roundtables, certified trainings, workshops and free Tech Talks |
The conference overview calls the Summit "one high-level day" for "Ministers, policymakers, tech leaders, investors and founders". Its key themes are The Compute Economy, The New Map of Capital and Future Frontiers. The page lists four closed-door Chatham House briefings, on AI, compute, sovereign capital and post-quantum security.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 moves to Expo City Dubai in December
DWTC announced the move to Dubai Exhibition Centre on 14 October 2025, during GITEX GLOBAL 2025. The release said GITEX GLOBAL "will move to Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai in 2026". The DEC event page says 2026 is the "first time ever" that GITEX GLOBAL takes place at DEC.
The 2026 edition also moved from October to December. A release from 9 October 2025 said the shift places GITEX "at the heart of Dubai's vibrant tourism season". The same release said GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star "come back together in one location" in December 2026.
In 2025, GITEX GLOBAL spread across "two mega venues", Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Harbour, says the About page. It offered "40+ halls of exhibition space".
The organiser also announced GITEX TechCation for 2026. It moves GITEX "beyond the exhibition halls into a citywide activation of immersive experiences", according to the 2025 closing release.
Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion at Expo City Dubai
DWTC is expanding DEC in three phases, according to its release of 9 September 2026. Phase 1 was "successfully delivered in early 2026". Gulfood and World Health Expo were the first major events in the expanded venue.
| Stage | Indoor event space | Daily visitor capacity | Status, per DWTC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 140,000 square metres | 50,000 people | Delivered in early 2026 |
| Phase 2 | 160,000 square metres | Around 60,000 people | Construction "progressed steadily through 2026" |
| Full expansion | 180,000 square metres | 65,000 people | Full completion in 2031 |
Phase 2 adds "An extended Concourse" linking the Phase 1 and Phase 2 halls. It also brings "a new Eastern Access Road" and new multi-storey parking. At full completion, DEC will extend 1.2 kilometres and can host "more than 20 simultaneous events", says DWTC.
The DEC expansion page says the venue will grow from "6 halls" in 2021 to "34 halls" in 2031. DWTC's 2025 move announcement placed DEC "within close proximity of the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport".
Getting to GITEX GLOBAL 2026 by metro, shuttle and car
Dubai Metro's Red Line "connects both GITEX GLOBAL venues", says the organiser's Plan Your Visit page. Expo 2020 Metro Station is the nearest stop to DEC, about 5 to 10 minutes on foot. The page warns that two Red Line trains may arrive at the same platform. Visitors should take the train going to Expo 2020.
Metro travel requires a nol card. The organiser recommends a Silver or Gold nol card for multi-day attendance. A Red Ticket suits one-way or day-pass travel.
| Getting there | GITEX GLOBAL Expo at DEC | The GITEX Summit at DWTC |
|---|---|---|
| Metro | Expo 2020 Metro Station, Red Line | World Trade Centre Station, Red Line |
| Park and Ride | Centrepoint, e&, National Paints and Al Kifaf Multistory (via Max Metro Station) car parks, then the Red Line | Not listed |
| Parking | Visitor Parking P1 to P5, plus Mobility Parking and Airshow Overflow Parking | On-site parking with dedicated electric vehicle (EV) bays |
| Drop-off | Designated locations only, including the South Drop-Off | Not listed |
| Event shuttles | DWTC to DEC direct shuttles, overflow parking shuttles, hotel and exhibitor shuttles | DWTC to DEC direct shuttles |
| Public bus | Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) buses via the Expo 2020 Metro Bus Interchange | Not listed |
| Taxi and ride-hailing | Careem and Uber, 24 hours a day | Careem and Uber, 24 hours a day |
| From Dubai International Airport (DXB) | Not listed | About 20 minutes by Metro or 15 minutes by taxi |
At DEC, the South Drop-Off serves the DWTC to DEC direct buses, official event buses and overflow parking shuttles. The Transportation Hub serves destination buses, hotel buses, exhibitor shuttles and designated taxi services.
"Parking access, vehicle routes and drop-off arrangements may change," the page notes. It adds that "Event shuttle routes and operations may change."
Co-located shows and features at GITEX GLOBAL 2026
The GITEX home page features nine shows as part of GITEX GLOBAL 2026. Expand North Star (ENS), the startup show, runs alongside them.
| Show | 2026 dates on its page | Focus, per its official page |
|---|---|---|
| Expand North Star | 8 to 10 December, DEC North Halls | "the startup show of GITEX" |
| LivX by GITEX | 8 to 10 December, Expo City Dubai | "longevity, biotech and health tech" |
| GITEX World RobotiX | 8 to 11 December, DEC | "robotics, humanoids and embodied AI" |
| GITEX Super ComputeX | 8 to 11 December | Data centre infrastructure, AI and high-performance compute (HPC), cooling and power |
| GITEX AgentiX | 7 to 11 December (GITEX GLOBAL week) | "self-directing, reasoning, and multi-agent AI ecosystems" |
| GITEX Marketing Intelligence (GMIX) | 8 to 11 December | "the next era of intelligent marketing" |
| GITEX RetailX | 8 to 11 December | "the retailers, brands and technology companies building what comes next" |
| GITEX MOVE | No separate dates given | "the next era of mobility, from EV ecosystems to connected transport networks at scale" |
| GITEX New Energy | No separate dates given | AI power demand through "nuclear, storage, renewables & hydrogen" |
| Global Quantum Expo (GQX) | No separate dates given | "the global quantum ecosystem" |
Expand North Star 2026 uses the Dune Stage at Expo City, says the conference overview. Its new Founders Academy offers a Builders Lab, an MVP & GTM Lab (minimum viable product and go-to-market) and an Expansion Lab. A free Open Floor hosts YouthX Unplugged, Community Circles and Startup Campfire. The Supernova 0X competition lists "60 startups pitching live".
The conference overview presents LivX as "four shows under one brand": LivX Biotech, LivX Longevity, LivX Health Tech and LivX Invest. Its World Longevity Forum takes place at The GITEX Summit on 7 December.
The GITEX Connect Buyer Programme is "Designed exclusively for C-suite executives and senior technology decision-makers". It offers curated one-to-one meetings with solution providers. Its focus areas are:
- AI Compute & Silicon
- Sovereign Cloud & Government Tech
- Cybersecurity & Data
- HealthTech & Biotech
- FinTech & Digital Finance
- Smart Cities, Mobility & Infrastructure
- Robotics, Quantum & HPC
- Web3 & Blockchain
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 conference stages and themes
The GITEX GLOBAL 2026 Expo runs "a full conference program" alongside the exhibition. The organiser lists "5 conference stages, leadership roundtables, certified trainings and workshops and free to attend Tech Talks".
| Stage | Topics named on the conference overview |
|---|---|
| Main Stage | Grid decisions, the compute mandate and the China Summit |
| Falcon (AI) | Sovereign AI in practice, the agentic enterprise playbook and architecting agentic systems |
| Q (Cyber) | Cyber at machine speed, the agentic threat surface and recoverable systems |
| Dune (Startup / ENS) | AI, agents and physical AI; AI-native founders; deeptech, quantum and future frontier funds |
| LivX Stage | Roundtable of Longevity Clinics (8 and 9 December); LivX Bio-Stack Summit (10 December) |
The programme counts the Summit at DWTC as Day 1. The four Expo days follow as The Physical Layer, The Upper Stack, Autonomous Everywhere and Expo Finale.
Visitor passes and registration for GITEX GLOBAL 2026
Visitors book through the official ticket site linked from gitex.com. On 28 October 2026, it listed 13 passes in three groups: Visitor, Delegate and Certified Training. Group booking is also offered.
| Pass | Access listed on the ticket site |
|---|---|
| Visitor Pass | Exhibitions across GITEX GLOBAL, Expand North Star and LivX, 8 to 11 December; free-to-attend conferences at DEC; networking app |
| Visitor Student Pass | Visitor Pass access, for students aged 16 and above with a valid student ID, subject to approval |
| The GITEX Summit Pass | The GITEX Summit on 7 December at DWTC, plus exhibitions across all shows |
| All Access Pass | The GITEX Summit plus all conference tracks, including Main Stage, ENS Stage and LIVX Conference |
| Premium Pass | The GITEX Summit, all conference tracks and Main Stage |
| Student Delegate Pass | Conference tracks including Main Stage, ENS Stage, LIVX Conference and AI Stage, for students aged 16 and above, subject to approval |
| Developer Pass and Workshop Pass | Workshops and exhibitions across all shows; the Developer Pass adds the AI Stage |
| Certified training passes | Five passes for named certified trainings during the Expo |
The Visitor Pass excludes "the Summit at the Dubai World Trade Centre". It also excludes certified trainings, workshops and paid conferences.
Journalists register their interest through DWTC's media registration portal, linked from gitex.com.
GITEX GLOBAL 2025 results: the 45th edition
All GITEX GLOBAL 2025 figures below come from DWTC's 2025 releases and the About page.
| Measure | GITEX GLOBAL 2025 |
|---|---|
| Edition | 45th |
| Dates | 13 to 17 October 2025 |
| Venues | Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Harbour |
| Exhibition space | "40+ halls" |
| Exhibitors | More than 6,800 |
| Startups | 2,000 |
| Investors | 1,200 |
| Countries | 180 |
| Expand North Star 2025 | 10th edition, 12 to 15 October 2025, Dubai Harbour |
| Supernova Challenge 2.0 top winner | AIM Intelligence |
The 2025 closing release reported "A record number of MoUs" (memorandums of understanding) signed during the event. Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport announced 19 strategic partnerships on day two alone.
The closing release named exhibitors including ai71, Alibaba Cloud, AMD, AWS, e&, G42, Google, HPE, Huawei, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce and Snowflake. Founders came from over 100 nations to Expand North Star 2025. The release lists GITEX Quantum Expo, Physical Ai, Semicon, Super Data Centres and GITEX Digi Health & Biotech among 2025's future-critical sectors.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 stands by Orchestra Media
Orchestra Media is headquartered in Dubai, and GITEX is one of the key shows covered by our UAE office.
We start with one question: what must this show make possible for your business? Your objectives then guide the decisions.
Technology is one of our specialist sectors, where the stand has to make big ideas tangible in a real space.
GITEX World RobotiX lists "Live robotics demos" and "Product launches" for GITEX GLOBAL 2026. Our multimedia work covers LED walls, holographic displays, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences and interactive touchscreens. We have run LED walls, holographic displays and AR/VR rigs at IDEX, Dubai Airshow and Eurosatory.
Our services cover stand design and build, multimedia, logistics and hospitality.
We know the show. We build your advantage.
Exhibiting at GITEX GLOBAL 2026? Book a consultation with our team.
How we compiled this guide
We compiled this guide from official sources only. These are the GITEX GLOBAL websites and ticket site, plus Dubai World Trade Centre press releases. We also used the Dubai Exhibition Centre website, as DWTC owns and operates the venue. We checked every source on 28 October 2026. Details can change, so check the official GITEX website before travelling.
Sources
- GITEX GLOBAL official website, home page (2026 dates, venues, hours, featured shows): https://www.gitex.com/
- GITEX, About GITEX (history, 2025 venues and halls): https://www.gitex.com/about
- GITEX, Plan your visit 2026 (venues, metro, parking, shuttles, buses, taxis): https://www.gitex.com/plan-your-visit-2026
- GITEX, Conference overview (Summit themes, stages, daily themes, Expand North Star, LivX): https://www.gitex.com/conference-overview
- GITEX, Connect Buyer Programme: https://www.gitex.com/connect-buyer-programme
- GITEX World RobotiX: https://www.gitex.com/robotix
- GITEX AgentiX: https://www.gitex.com/gitex-agentix
- GITEX Marketing Intelligence (GMIX): https://www.gitex.com/gmix
- GITEX RetailX: https://www.gitex.com/gitex-retail
- GITEX MOVE: https://www.gitex.com/gitex-move
- GITEX Super ComputeX: https://gitexsupercomputex.com/
- GITEX New Energy: https://gitexnewenergy.com/
- Global Quantum Expo (GQX): https://gqxdubai.com/
- LivX by GITEX: https://www.livxbygitex.com/
- Expand North Star 2026 (dates, Supernova 0X): https://expandnorthstar.com/
- GITEX GLOBAL 2026 ticket site (pass types and access rules, read 28 October 2026): https://visit.gitex.com/?sub_event=GLOBAL
- DWTC media registration portal, GITEX GLOBAL 2026: https://dwtc-exh-mediamanagement-prd.powerappsportals.com/Media-Registration/?eventcode=1419
- DWTC release on gitex.com, move to Dubai Exhibition Centre, 14 October 2025: https://www.gitex.com/News/worlds-largest-tech-and-food-events-set-for-landmark-move-to-dubai-exhibition-centre-at-expo-city-dubai-in-2026
- DWTC release on gitex.com, GITEX TechCation and December dates, 9 October 2025: https://www.gitex.com/News/gitex-launches-the-worlds-first-and-most-fabulous-techcation-setting-a-new-global-benchmark-for-technology-and-lifestyle-convergence
- DWTC release on gitex.com, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 preview, 6 October 2025 (organiser, Expand North Star 2025): https://www.gitex.com/News/global-tech-leaders-unite-to-propel-emerging-futurecritical-sectors-at-gitex-global-2025-
- DWTC release on gitex.com, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 opening, 13 October 2025: https://www.gitex.com/News/-gitex-global-2025-opens-landmark-45th-edition-uniting-policy-ai-and-enterprise-leaders-to-shape-the-intelligence-economy
- DWTC release on gitex.com, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 closing, 17 October 2025 (2025 figures): https://www.gitex.com/News/gitex-global-2025-closes-a-landmark-45th-edition-with-record-international-participation-and-outcomedriven-dialogues
- DWTC, Q4 outlook and DEC expansion, 9 September 2026 (2026 expectations, expansion phases): https://www.dwtc.com/en/press/dwtc-sets-out-q4-business-events-outlook-as-dec-expansion-advances/
- Dubai Exhibition Centre, GITEX Global 2026 event page (halls, 46th year, first time at DEC, 2026 expectations): https://www.dubaiexhibitioncentre.com/en/whats-on/gitex-global-2026
- Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expand North Star 2026 event page: https://www.dubaiexhibitioncentre.com/en/whats-on/expand-north-star-2026
- Dubai Exhibition Centre, About (DWTC ownership of both venues): https://www.dubaiexhibitioncentre.com/en/about
- Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expansion: https://www.dubaiexhibitioncentre.com/en/expansion
- Orchestra Media, Global presence (UAE office shows): https://orchestra.media/global-presence
- Orchestra Media, Extra services (multimedia): https://orchestra.media/services/extra-services
- Orchestra Media, Booth design and construction: https://orchestra.media/services/booth-design-construction
Frequently Asked Questions
World Health Expo (WHX) Dubai 2027, Formerly Arab Health: Exhibitor Guide to Dates, Venues, Sectors and 2026 Results
MRO Europe 2027 in Amsterdam: Exhibitor Guide to Dates, Space Only Stand Rules and the 2025 Show
Defence, Aerospace and Technology Show Calendar: December 2026 to July 2028
Plan Your Next Exhibition
Talk to our team about booth design, show management, and end-to-end delivery across 100+ countries.
Book a Free Consultation