Expand North Star 2026 takes place from 8 to 10 December 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, running alongside GITEX Global as the startup, investor and venture capital strand of Dubai's technology week.
The event is organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre in partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. It has grown into one of the largest gatherings of startups and investors in the world, with founders from across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas presenting to venture funds, corporate investors, sovereign and family office capital, and the accelerators and government agencies that support technology companies in the region.
Expand North Star is relevant to executives because it is where corporate innovation, venture investment and government digital strategy meet in the Gulf. Large regional corporates, banks and telecoms operators use it to scout partners and acquisition targets, while investors use it to source deal flow across fintech, artificial intelligence, climate and energy technology, health technology, logistics and enterprise software. The Dubai government uses the platform to promote the emirate as a base for scaling companies, and a series of pitch competitions, matchmaking programmes and country pavilions structure the three days.
The fintech programme is a particular draw for executives in banking, payments and financial services, with sessions on digital assets, open banking, embedded finance and the licensing regimes offered by the UAE's financial free zones. The AI and enterprise technology strands overlap with the wider GITEX Global agenda taking place in the same venue.
For chief executives, heads of strategy and corporate development, chief digital officers and investors, Expand North Star is the most concentrated opportunity in the regional calendar to meet early and growth-stage technology companies in one place. It is also an increasingly important recruiting ground for senior technology talent moving between startups and established companies.
Registration, the pitch competition schedule and the investor programme are available on the official event site.
