News DeskDubai: Step Dubai 2026 will return on 11–12 February at Dubai Internet City with a fully AI-dedicated programme, reinforcing the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for artificial intelligence innovation under the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.
Now in its 14th edition, the region’s leading technology and startup event is expected to attract more than 8,000 attendees, over 400 startups, and more than 100 companies and speakers from the region and internationally, including prominent voices from Silicon Valley. Organised in partnership with Dubai Internet City, part of TECOM Group PJSC, Step Dubai 2026 reflects the UAE’s long-term vision to embed AI at the heart of its future economy.
Held under the theme “Intelligence Everywhere: The AI Economy,” the event will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping business, finance, technology and creative industries. This year’s edition also sees Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy join as Strategic Partner, underscoring the event’s growing focus on digital transformation and scalable AI adoption.
Unveiled in 2017, the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 aims to accelerate government performance, stimulate economic growth, and develop future-ready skills, with AI expected to play a significant role in driving non-oil GDP growth. Step Dubai 2026 aligns closely with these national priorities by convening founders, investors, enterprises, policymakers and ecosystem partners on a single platform.
The agenda is structured around four dedicated tracks: Founders & Funders, The AI Stack, AI in Finance, and Human First. Together, they address entrepreneurship, advanced technologies, regulated industries and human-centric innovation, highlighting AI’s cross-sector role in productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth.
The Founders & Funders track will examine how AI is transforming startup creation, capital formation and global scaling, while The AI Stack focuses on foundational technologies such as large language models, autonomous agents, robotics and cloud infrastructure. A featured panel led by Justin Li, Co-Founder and Chief Architect of Genspark, will explore the shift from AI-assisted workflows to autonomous enterprise systems.
Reflecting the UAE’s position as a global financial hub, the AI in Finance track will bring together fintech founders, financial institutions, regulators and investors to discuss AI-driven transformation across investment, compliance, lending and risk management. Meanwhile, Human First, a reimagined creativity and digital media track, will focus on human-AI co-creation, ethics, trust and authenticity in an algorithm-driven world.
Commenting on the event, Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, said Step Dubai continues to play a vital role in strengthening the digital economy and supporting Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 by uniting global and regional innovators.
Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and CEO of Step, said the 2026 edition reflects AI’s evolution from a niche technology into the economic infrastructure of the future, positioning the UAE as a regional leader in translating AI ambition into real-world outcomes.
Supporting the startup ecosystem, Atlassian joins as Startup Basecamp Sponsor, while global customer communications platform Intercom will participate as an exhibitor, showcasing AI-powered solutions for fast-growing businesses.
Tickets for Step Dubai 2026 are currently available via stepdxb.com, with early booking incentives offered for a limited time.
