RISE Summit 2026 will bring institutional investors, government leaders and major developers to Dubai on 14 October to discuss global capital flows, real estate investment and infrastructure opportunities.

RISE Summit 2026 will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre as international investors reassess capital allocation amid changing geopolitical conditions, financing costs and technological advances.

Held under the theme Recharging Momentum in Global Economies, the one-day summit will examine emerging investment opportunities across global markets, infrastructure, real estate and the future of cities.

The official programme features senior representatives from government, investment institutions and major development companies. The event will also explore how Dubai’s economic model, urban development strategy and international connectivity influence investment decisions.

RISE Summit 2026 examines global investment trends

The summit’s Global Leaders Series will feature discussions on capital flows, investment priorities and the changing relationship between risk and returns.

José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, will lead The Great Capital Shift. The discussion will examine how the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf compete for long-term investment.

Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist at Allianz, will discuss investment strategies in Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World. The session will consider how changing financing conditions affect asset allocation across real estate, infrastructure and other investment classes.

Barroso said: “Global capital is entering a period of significant change, with investors reassessing where long-term value, resilience and opportunity can be found. At RISE Summit, I will explore how the US, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for capital, and whether we are seeing a temporary reallocation or a fundamental shift in the global investment landscape.”

The programme will also address the UAE’s economic diversification and investment strategy. H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism of the UAE, will feature in From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World.

The session will examine how trade, investment partnerships and economic diversification can help countries respond to a more fragmented global economy.

Dubai real estate and urban development take centre stage

Real estate and urban development will form a central part of the summit’s programme, with senior executives discussing Dubai’s development model and the next phase of urban growth.

Khalid Al Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, will participate in Building the Next Dubai: Inside the City’s Biggest Master Plans. The discussion will explore major development plans and the changing relationship between public-sector planning and private investment.

Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Properties, will address the evolving role of developers through From Developer to Platform: The New Model for Urban Growth.

Meanwhile, H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, will deliver Built to Compound: Dubai’s Economic Model and the D33 Agenda. The session will examine the economic strategy supporting Dubai’s long-term development.

Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Managing Director of Emaar Properties, will also participate in Building Through the Cycle, focusing on investment and development through changing market conditions.

Together, these discussions will examine how development strategies, economic planning and investment decisions shape the growth of cities and real estate markets.

Tokenisation brings new questions to real estate investment

RISE Summit 2026 will also address the growing role of tokenisation in real estate through the panel Who Owns the Building? How Tokenisation Rewrites Ownership.

The session will bring together Dr Ahmed Mansour, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Private Department of H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan; Dr Mahmoud AlBurai, President of FIABCI Emirates; and Zed Ayesh, Group CEO of ATI Investments and Board Member of Dejem Real Estate Development.

The discussion will explore the regulatory frameworks, legal recognition, cross-border compliance and investor protection required to support tokenised real estate.

Dr Mahmoud AlBurai said: “Dubai has cemented its place as a true global hub for real estate; a city where capital, talent, and innovation converge from every corner of the world. Our participation in Rise 2026 reflects FIABCI Emirates’ commitment to being at the heart of that momentum. This event is more than a gathering; it’s a platform that connects developers, investors, brokers, and institutions across borders, turning dialogue into opportunities. In a market defined by transparency, resilience, and dreams, RISE Summit 2026 gives every player in the ecosystem the chance to shape the future of real estate investment – together.”

Infrastructure investment and AI data centres

The summit will examine the infrastructure required to support artificial intelligence and the growing demand for data-centre capacity.

The panel Powering AI: Data Centres, Energy and the Capacity Challenge will feature Mark Olson, Managing Partner at 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 in Nigeria.

The discussion will address energy requirements, infrastructure capacity and the investment needed to support the next phase of AI growth.

Mark Olson said: “AI’s bottleneck is shifting from chips to megawatts, infrastructure and the capital to fund them. At RISE, I look forward to exploring how private capital can help finance this next phase of AI growth.”

Another session, Closing the Infrastructure Funding Gap, will examine private and cross-border investment in energy, digital and transport infrastructure.

Its speakers will include Chuan Huang, Head of the GCC Region and Senior Executive Officer of CICC’s DIFC Branch; Jean-Francis Dusch, CIO of Infrastructure Debt (BRIDGE) at Edmond de Rothschild AM in the UK; and Andrei Rotaru, Managing Director and Head of Middle East Private Equity at Gaw Capital.

Hospitality, tourism and destination development

Hospitality and entertainment will provide another perspective on investment opportunities linked to destination development.

Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah, will discuss changing expectations in luxury hospitality. Fernando Eiroa, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Entertainment, will examine the role of entertainment and hospitality in shaping destinations and tourism.

Liam Findlay, Chief Executive Officer of Miral Destinations, will explore immersive entertainment and destination development through Blueprint for a Global Hub: Miral’s Vision for the Future of Immersive Entertainment.

These discussions will complement the summit’s broader focus on capital markets, infrastructure, real estate and the experience economy.

RISE Summit 2026: Event details

RISE Summit 2026 is scheduled for 14 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre, Hall 5, in Dubai, UAE.

Under the theme Recharging Momentum in Global Economies, the event aims to connect institutional investors, sovereign funds, private equity firms, family offices and other capital providers with governments, developers and project owners.

Its programme spans capital markets, connectivity and infrastructure, cities and real estate, and the future of hospitality, living and experiences.

For the real estate sector, the summit provides a forum for examining how investment strategies, emerging technologies and urban development priorities intersect across international markets.