GITEX Global 2026: Dubai Dates, Venue, Tickets & Events
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs from Monday 7 to Friday 11 December 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai. It is the 46th edition, and the largest technology and startup show in the world. Short answer GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs from 7 to 11 December 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo Cit
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs from Monday 7 to Friday 11 December 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai. It is the 46th edition, and the largest technology and startup show in the world.
Short answer
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs from 7 to 11 December 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. Monday 7 December is The GITEX Summit. The exhibition floor is open from Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December. A visitor pass costs AED 630 and covers all four expo days and all six co-located shows. Expand North Star is free. The show is trade-only and you must be 18 or over. Registration is open now. Organisers expect more than 200,000 attendees and around 6,800 exhibitors from over 180 countries.
Below you will find the schedule, the venue and how to reach it, what a pass costs and where to buy it, and a proper breakdown of every show running inside GITEX this year.
GITEX Global 2026
GITEX GLOBAL is Dubai’s technology show, and over 45 years it has grown into the biggest one in the world. The easiest way to picture it is that the whole industry turns up in one place for a week. Microsoft, Google, IBM, AWS, Huawei and Alibaba Cloud take stands alongside chipmakers, robotics labs, banks, telecom operators, government ministries and a few thousand startups.
You can watch a humanoid robot walk, sit in on a minister explaining a national AI strategy, and meet three suppliers you were going to email anyway, all before lunch. That mix is what makes the trip worth it.
GITEX Global 2026 at a glance
Dates
7–11 December 2026, Monday to Friday
Summit day
Monday 7 December
Expo floor
Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December
Venue
Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai
Nearest metro
Expo 2020 station, Red Line, on site
Visitor pass
AED 630. Expand North Star is free
Who can attend
Trade visitors, 18 and over
Shows inside it
Six co-located shows, plus Expand North Star and LIVX
Organiser
Dubai World Trade Centre
Theme
Bold New Frontiers
Official site: gitex.com. Visitor registration is open.
Register for GITEX Global 2026 →Official GITEX website →
What is new at GITEX Global 2026
Three changes worth knowing
One point on names. GITEX 2026, GITEX Dubai 2026 and GITEX GLOBAL 2026 all mean this December show in Dubai. GITEX Africa, GITEX AI Asia, GITEX AI Europe and GITEX Nigeria are separate events held in other countries, covered at the end of this guide.
GITEX Global 2026 Dates
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs for five days, from Monday 7 December to Friday 11 December.
Monday 7 December is The GITEX Summit, a single day of leadership sessions. The exhibition floor opens the next morning and stays open for four days, from Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December. If you are coming to walk a show floor, arrive for Tuesday.
What is open on each day
| Date | Day | What is open | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 7 Dec | Monday | The GITEX Summit only | Ministers, C-suite, sovereign funds, invited delegates |
| Tue 8 Dec | Tuesday | Full expo floor, plus Expand North Star, LIVX and all six shows | Everyone. Most product launches |
| Wed 9 Dec | Wednesday | Full expo floor and all shows | Everyone. Heaviest day for conference sessions |
| Thu 10 Dec | Thursday | Full expo floor. Last day for Expand North Star and LIVX | Startups and investor meetings |
| Fri 11 Dec | Friday | Expo floor only, at a gentler pace | Unhurried meetings and long demos |
Friday is a weekend day in the UAE, so the last day draws a different crowd.
GITEX Global 2026 Venue
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 takes place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre inside Expo City Dubai, in Dubai South.
Venue
Dubai Exhibition Centre Expo City Dubai, Dubai South Dubai, United Arab Emirates Coordinates 24.9617° N, 55.1466° E Nearest metro Expo 2020 station, Red Line, on site From Downtown Dubai About 33 minutes by metro, 35–45 minutes by road Nearest airport Al Maktoum International (DWC), 10–15 minutes by road Parking Large on-site car parks and Park & Ride zones Open in Google Maps →
Getting to GITEX Global 2026 by metro
Red Line to Expo 2020 station
Expo City is at the end of the Route 2020 branch of the Red Line, and the station is on the site itself. From Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall the ride takes about 33 minutes across 17 stops and costs AED 7.50 on a silver Nol card.
World Trade Centre
Za’abeel.
Mall of the Emirates
Al Barsha.
Trains run every three to five minutes in peak hours. Gold Class on the same journey costs about double.
Other ways to reach the venue
| How | How long | What it costs | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro, Red Line | About 33 minutes from Downtown | AED 7.50 on a silver Nol card | Straight to Expo 2020 station on site. Cheapest and most predictable on show days. |
| Driving | 35 to 45 minutes from central Dubai | Fuel plus parking | Large on-site car parks and Park & Ride zones. Arrive before 09:30 to avoid queues. |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 35 to 50 minutes from Downtown | Usually AED 90 to 140 each way | Surge pricing bites at closing time. Pre-book your return or walk to the metro. |
| From DWC airport | 10 to 15 minutes by road | Short taxi fare | Al Maktoum International is the closest airport to the venue. |
| From DXB airport | 45 to 60 minutes by road | Metro or taxi | The Red Line runs from DXB Terminals 1 and 3 all the way to Expo 2020. |
December is peak season in Dubai, so roads are busier than usual.
Where to stay for GITEX Global 2026
Closest. Dubai South and Jebel Ali. Within 15 minutes of the venue and next to DWC airport. Good balance. Dubai Marina and JLT. Direct on the Red Line, about 20 minutes to the venue, plenty to do in the evening. City-centre. Downtown and DIFC. Roughly an hour each way, which works if your evenings are in the city anyway. Book early. December is Dubai’s busiest month. Rooms fill and rates climb as the date gets closer.
GITEX Global 2026 Tickets
A visitor pass for GITEX GLOBAL 2026 costs AED 630. It gets you onto the exhibition floor on all four expo days, 8 to 11 December, and into all six co-located shows. Expand North Star has its own ticket and it is free.
You register online. It takes a few minutes, you pay by card, and the confirmation comes by email. Bring it with photo ID and collect your badge at the venue.
Register for GITEX Global 2026 · AED 630 →Expand North Star · free entry →
| Pass | Price | What it covers | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| GITEX GLOBAL visitor pass | AED 630 | The exhibition floor, 8 to 11 December, and all six co-located shows | Buyers, engineers, IT teams, partners |
| Expand North Star | Free | The startup and investor halls, 8 to 10 December | Founders, scouts, anyone tracking early-stage companies |
| Conference and delegate passes | Priced separately | Seats at specific conference tracks, on top of floor access | Delegates following the paid agendas |
| Exhibitor and sponsor passes | Included with a stand | Team badges, build-up access and lead-capture tools | Companies with a stand |
| Media accreditation | Free, by application | Press room, briefings and embargoed releases | Journalists and accredited analysts |
| Investor programme | By application | Matchmaking and pre-arranged meetings with startups | VCs, family offices, corporate venture arms |
AED 630 is the published rate on the official 2026 registration form. Conference pricing is set separately and can change.
How to register
Before you go
It is a trade show. You register with a company name and job title. The organiser can turn down registrations that are not trade. You must be 18. Children are not admitted, whatever their interest in robots. Visas. Many nationalities get a visa on arrival in the UAE. Others apply in advance, and the registration confirmation supports the application. What to wear. Business dress, and shoes you can walk all day in. Some demonstrations are outdoors, at around 24°C. Book in this order. Register, then the hotel, then flights. Registration is instant. December rooms in Dubai are not.
GITEX Global 2026 Events
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 is a main floor plus six named shows, each with its own exhibitor list and its own conference stage.
One AED 630 visitor pass covers all six.
Two more events run on the same campus with their own tickets: Expand North Star, which is free, and LIVX by GITEX.
Eight shows run inside GITEX Global 2026. Tap any one to go straight to it.
The first six are covered by the AED 630 visitor pass. Expand North Star and LIVX have their own tickets.
GITEX RobotiX
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass Also calledPhysical AI & Robotics Park
RobotiX is the Robotics Park, and it is the most watchable part of GITEX. Robots are demonstrated live on the floor through the day rather than shown standing still, so this is where product launches and pilot-project conversations happen.
What is on the floor:
- Robotics in manufacturing and factory automation
- Autonomous vehicles and mobility systems
- Service robots for healthcare, retail and hospitality
- Warehousing and supply chain robotics
- Smart infrastructure and robots in public spaces
It draws manufacturers, robotics buyers, logistics operators, autonomous vehicle firms, government officials and venture investors. If you have one hour and want to see something you cannot see anywhere else in the region, start here.
GITEX RobotiX official page →Get your pass →
GITEX COMPUTEX – Data Centre
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass ConferenceDCII
This is the data centre half of GITEX, and it has grown fast on the back of AI. Hyperscalers are expected to spend more than US$500bn on infrastructure in 2026, and this is the hall where that spending gets decided.
Six areas make up the floor:
- Hyperscale data centre infrastructure
- AI and high-performance compute
- Data centre power and energy systems
- Advanced cooling
- Network and interconnection infrastructure
- Data centre automation and operations
AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle exhibit alongside infrastructure names such as Vertiv, Dell and Cisco. The DCII conference runs beside it, with speakers from the German Datacenter Association, Switch Datacenters, Vertiv and Virtus.
GITEX data centres official page →Get your pass →
GITEX New Energy
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass ThemePowering the AI economy
New Energy exists because AI needs power. Data centre electricity demand is heading from 415 TWh to 945 TWh by 2030, and this show covers how that gets supplied, stored and cooled.
The main solution areas are:
- Nuclear and small modular reactors (SMRs)
- Solar and power purchase agreements
- Battery storage
- Wind and geothermal
- Grid balancing and advanced cooling
The conference programme runs through 24/7 clean power, energy-as-a-service, energy sovereignty and decarbonising digital infrastructure. It is aimed at hyperscalers, data centre operators, utilities, government AI programmes and investors.
GITEX New Energy official page →Get your pass →
GITEX Quantum Expo
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass ConferenceAdvanced Quantum Conference
Quantum Expo brings the quantum ecosystem into one hall: governments, hyperscalers, research labs, investors and the first wave of enterprise adopters. Real hardware is on display, including quantum processors, photonic systems and cryogenic equipment.
Covered here:
- Quantum computing hardware and systems
- Quantum software, algorithms and development platforms
- Quantum cryptography and secure communications
- Quantum sensing and precision measurement
- Quantum networking and photonics
The Advanced Quantum Conference sits alongside it, covering national quantum strategies, post-quantum cybersecurity and how any of this reaches commercial use. Past speakers include Microsoft’s corporate VP for quantum and the CEO of QuantumBasel.
GITEX Quantum Expo official page →Get your pass →
GITEX Cyber Valley
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass Hosted withUAE Cyber Security Council
Cyber Valley is the cybersecurity show, hosted with the UAE Cyber Security Council, with more than 70 security brands exhibiting. Cybercrime is projected to cost US$12tn in 2026, which is the backdrop for most of the programme.
Core sectors:
- Extended detection and response (XDR) and threat intelligence
- Zero trust and identity security
- Cloud security and workload protection
- Incident response, resilience and recovery
- Data security, privacy and compliance automation
The conference runs three tracks: AI Trust & Fear for national cyber chiefs and CISOs, the CISO Playbook for strategy, and Thinking Like Attackers, Acting Like Defenders for hands-on technical sessions. Speakers have included the heads of the UAE, Estonian and Brazilian cyber agencies, plus Eugene Kaspersky, Rapid7’s Corey Thomas and executives from Check Point, Cloudflare, Zscaler and Huawei. There is a CISO networking lounge and around 500 pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings.
GITEX Cyber Valley official page →Get your pass →
GITEX Move
Dates8–11 Dec PassGITEX visitor pass Look forOutdoor demonstrations
Move is the mobility show, and a lot of it happens outdoors. Expo City has the space for large-scale live demonstrations, which is how you end up watching a robotaxi or a delivery robot actually working rather than parked on a stand.
Four categories:
- Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure
- Autonomous vehicles and robotaxis
- Micromobility and urban transport
- Urban air mobility and eVTOL
Exhibitors have included Ant Group, Pudu, DEEP Robotics, Galbot, Micropolis and Raspberry Pi, with partnerships such as Space42 and e& on vehicle-to-everything technology and RTA with PayPal on mobility payments. Alongside the floor there is a conference, hands-on workshops, a live lab and closed roundtables. It is aimed at EV makers, charging networks, urban mobility operators, smart infrastructure providers and transport regulators.
GITEX Move official page →Get your pass →
Expand North Star
Dates8–10 Dec EntryFree, separate ticket Size~2,000 startups
Expand North Star is the startup and investor half of GITEX and the largest event of its kind in the world. Around 2,000 startups exhibit from more than 90 countries, over 1,000 investors attend, and the last edition produced more than 5,300 pre-arranged meetings. It runs for three days, one day shorter than the main floor, and entry is free with its own registration.
If you are a founder, four things are worth planning around:
- Supernova 0X — the pitch competition, split by funding stage so seed teams are not pitching against Series B companies
- Founders Academy — a three-day learning programme running across the event
- The investor programme — the matchmaking engine behind those thousands of meetings. Slots are allocated in advance, so apply early
- Founder’s Passes — a limited number released alongside the paid startup stands
Expand North Star official site →
LIVX by GITEX
Dates8–10 Dec EntryTrade only, 18+ FocusHealth and longevity
LIVX covers biotech, life sciences, longevity and age tech, and it exists to put innovators in the same room as regulators, hospitals and investors rather than only other scientists.
The programme is built around four things: the World Longevity Forum on the main stage, a Frontier Zone for demonstrations and debate, a Compute Zone for AI-to-clinic partnerships, and a closed-door UAE Biotech Business Forum. Exhibitors range from biotech startups and AI health platforms to longevity clinics and research institutions.
Exhibiting at GITEX Global 2026
Stands are booked directly with Dubai World Trade Centre through the official Book a Stand form, or by emailing the sales team at GitexSales@dwtc.com. Sponsorship is handled separately at gitexpartnerships@dwtc.com. There is no public rate card: floor space is quoted per square metre once you tell them which show and how much space you want.
Book a stand at GITEX Global 2026 →Exhibitor information →
What you need to decide before you ask for a quote
| Decision | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Which show | The main floor, or one of the six co-located shows, or Expand North Star | It sets your neighbours and the visitors walking past. A cooling supplier gets more from the data centre hall than from the main floor. |
| How much space | Quoted per square metre, minimum sizes vary by show | Space is the largest single line in most budgets and it is the first thing sales will ask. |
| Space only or shell scheme | Space only is bare floor. Shell scheme comes with walls, fascia, lighting and power | Space only needs a stand builder and 10 to 14 weeks. Shell scheme is far faster and cheaper if you are booking late. |
| Who builds it | An external contractor, or the venue’s shell scheme upgrade | Your contractor must hold Dubai Exhibition Centre accreditation. Approval for Dubai World Trade Centre does not carry over. |
| Startup or full stand | Expand North Star sells startup pods and a limited number of Founder’s Passes | A startup pod at Expand North Star costs a fraction of a main-floor stand and puts you in front of the investors. |
| Sponsorship | Stages, lounges, badges, wayfinding and digital packages | Priced separately from floor space, and the good positions go early. |
GITEX 2026
GITEX is not only a Dubai show any more.
It started at Dubai World Trade Centre in 1981 as the Gulf Computer Exhibition, took the GITEX name in 1988, and is now run as a series of events on four continents by Dubai World Trade Centre and its international arm, Kaoun International.
The Dubai edition, GITEX GLOBAL, is the flagship and by far the biggest. The regional editions are smaller and built around their own markets: GITEX Africa serves the African tech ecosystem from Marrakech, GITEX AI Asia is an AI-first show in Singapore, GITEX AI Europe runs in Berlin with Messe Berlin, and GITEX Nigeria splits across Abuja and Lagos. Each has its own tickets and its own exhibitor list, so a pass for one does not work at another.
Four of the five 2026 editions have already been held. Dubai in December is the one still to come.
| Event | 2026 dates | City | Status | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GITEX GLOBAL | 7–11 December 2026 | Expo City Dubai, UAE | Upcoming | gitex.com |
| GITEX Africa | 7–9 April 2026 | Marrakech, Morocco | Held | gitexafrica.com |
| GITEX AI Asia | 9–10 April 2026 | Marina Bay Sands, Singapore | Held | gitexasia.com |
| GITEX AI Europe | 30 June – 1 July 2026 | Berlin, Germany | Held | gitexeurope.com |
| GITEX Nigeria | 31 August – 3 September 2026 | Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria | Held | gitexnigeria.ng |
Two 2027 dates are already published: GITEX AI Asia returns to Marina Bay Sands on 29–30 April 2027, and GITEX Nigeria on 28–30 September 2027.
FAQs
When is GITEX Global 2026?
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 runs from Monday 7 to Friday 11 December 2026. The GITEX Summit is on Monday 7 December, and the exhibition floor is open from Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 December.
Where is GITEX Global 2026 held?
At the Dubai Exhibition Centre inside Expo City Dubai, in Dubai South. The Dubai Metro Red Line runs to Expo 2020 station, which is on the site.
How much does a GITEX Global 2026 ticket cost?
A visitor pass costs AED 630 and covers the exhibition floor on all four expo days, including all six co-located shows. Expand North Star is free with its own registration. Conference and delegate passes are priced separately. You register at mktg.gitex.com/2026-visitor-reg.
Is GITEX Global 2026 open to the public?
No. GITEX is a trade event. You register with a company name and job title, and the organiser can decline registrations that are not trade. Attendees must be 18 or over.
How do I get to GITEX Global 2026?
Take the Dubai Metro Red Line to Expo 2020 station, which is on the Expo City site. From Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall it takes about 33 minutes across 17 stops and costs AED 7.50 on a silver Nol card. By road, allow 35 to 45 minutes from central Dubai. Al Maktoum International Airport is 10 to 15 minutes away.
How many days should I spend at GITEX Global 2026?
Two days suits most visitors, and Tuesday and Wednesday are the strongest pair. One day is enough for a single co-located show. Three days works if you are covering both the main floor and Expand North Star.
What shows run inside GITEX Global 2026?
Six co-located shows run on the expo days and are covered by the visitor pass: GITEX RobotiX for physical AI and robotics, GITEX COMPUTEX for data centres, GITEX New Energy for power and cooling, GITEX Quantum Expo for quantum technologies, GITEX Cyber Valley for cybersecurity, and GITEX Move for mobility. Expand North Star and LIVX by GITEX also run on site from 8 to 10 December with their own tickets.
What is new at GITEX Global 2026?
Monday 7 December is a dedicated summit day before the exhibition opens, the show is organised into six named co-located shows rather than zones on one floor plan, and the organisers have launched TechCation, a city-wide programme linking the show to Dubai’s hotels and December events calendar.
What is Expand North Star?
Expand North Star is the startup and investor half of GITEX, and the largest event of its kind in the world. It runs from 8 to 10 December, entry is free with registration, and it brings together around 2,000 exhibiting startups from more than 90 countries and over 1,000 investors.
How do I exhibit at GITEX Global 2026?
Stands are booked through the official Book a Stand form at mktg.gitex.com/BookAStand2026, or by emailing GitexSales@dwtc.com. There is no public rate card; floor space is quoted per square metre once you say which show and how much space you need. If you want a custom stand, allow 10 to 14 weeks for the build, and make sure your contractor is accredited for Dubai Exhibition Centre.
Is GITEX 2026 the same as GITEX Africa or GITEX AI Europe?
No. Those are separate events in the same family, held in other countries, each with its own tickets. In 2026 GITEX Africa ran in Marrakech from 7 to 9 April, GITEX AI Asia in Singapore from 9 to 10 April, GITEX AI Europe in Berlin from 30 June to 1 July, and GITEX Nigeria in Abuja and Lagos from 31 August to 3 September.
What has not been announced yet for GITEX Global 2026?
Daily opening hours, the Expo City floor plan and hall allocations, the full conference agenda and speaker list, and the detailed TechCation programme. These usually appear six to eight weeks before the show.
Fact check
Sources and last checked Dates, venue, pass pricing and every show description checked against gitex.com and its sector pages, the official 2026 visitor registration form, dubaiexhibitioncentre.com, expandnorthstar.com and livxbygitex.com. Dates for the other GITEX editions come from each event’s own site. Last checked 13 September 2026.
