Dubai:The RISE Summit 2026 is set to open tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Centre, uniting over 250 international institutional investors, sovereign funds, government leaders, and major developers. The event aims to explore the impact of global economic shifts on investment priorities and identify new opportunities for long-term growth.
According to Emirates News Agency, the summit is taking place amidst a surge in economic and investment activity in Dubai and the UAE. Notably, Dubai's non-oil private-sector PMI reached 54.5 in September, marking the highest reading for 2026. Additionally, UAE's non-oil foreign trade increased to AED1.937 trillion in the first half of the year, reflecting a 13.1% year-on-year growth. Dubai International Financial Centre also achieved a milestone with 10,018 active registered companies, growing by 30% compared to the previous year.
Scheduled for one day under the theme 'Recharging Momentum in Global Economies,' the summit will delve into the effects of geopolitical dynamics, trade relationships, financing conditions, and technological advancements on capital allocation worldwide. The Global Leaders Series (GLS) will feature headline discussions on these topics.
José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, will lead a discussion titled 'The Great Capital Shift.' This session will explore competition for long-term investment among the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Gulf, and consider whether current capital flow shifts indicate a permanent change in the global investment landscape. Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist at Allianz, will discuss 'Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World,' focusing on how investors are reassessing risks, returns, and asset allocation.
The summit will also address the UAE's strategy for sustaining investment momentum amidst global economic changes. A session titled 'From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World,' featuring Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE's Minister of Economy and Tourism, will discuss how economic diversification and trade and investment partnerships can help navigate a fragmented global economy to foster sustainable growth.
Beyond macroeconomic factors, the summit will explore how investment translates into growth in the built environment and essential infrastructure. Additionally, the rising role of tokenisation in real estate investment will be examined in the panel 'Who Owns the Building? How Tokenisation Rewrites Ownership.'
RISE Summit 2026 aims to connect the forces influencing global investment with emerging markets, assets, and destinations through a focus on capital markets, connectivity and infrastructure, cities and real estate, and longevity, living, and experience.