For years GITEX meant October at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Not any more. GITEX Global 2026, the 46th edition, runs from 7 to 11 December at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, with the GITEX Summit on 7 December and the four-day exhibition from 8 to 11 December.
The organisers announced the move on 14 October 2025, and Khaleej Times reported a Dubai World Trade Centre executive saying the show was moving to December for good, in peak tourist season. Dubai Exhibition Centre is undergoing a 2.7 billion dollar expansion.
What the show looks like
The official theme is the Intelligent Economy, with strands including GITEX World Robotix, Super Computex for data centres, MOBX for mobility, Quantum Expo, New Energyx and LivX, and a TechCation idea that mixes business with Dubai hospitality. The official page shows no dedicated marketing or creator strand.
Official 2026 numbers are not published yet. Figures of 200,000 attendees and about 6,800 exhibitors are circulating in the press but come from secondary sources. The verified baseline is last year's 45th edition, which had more than 6,500 technology companies, 2,000 start-ups and delegations from more than 180 countries.
Expand North Star, the start-up and investor event, runs alongside from 8 to 10 December at the same venue. Last year it drew 2,050 start-ups from 96 countries and more than 1,300 investors.
The December pile-up
- 2 and 3 December: National Day public holiday.
- 4 to 6 December: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina, the season finale.
- 7 to 10 December: Abu Dhabi Finance Week at ADGM on Al Maryah Island, which expects more than 35,000 participants.
- 7 to 11 December: GITEX Global, Expo City Dubai.
- 8 to 10 December: Expand North Star, Expo City Dubai.
- Dubai Shopping Festival usually starts in early to mid December. Last edition it opened on 5 December 2025; this year's dates had not been announced at the start of October.
What it means for agencies
- Technology clients' biggest moment of the year has moved by two months. Launch plans, PR calendars and budgets built around October need resetting, and the run-up now collides with National Day content.
- Production capacity will be stretched. Stand builders, crews, photographers and event staff serve GITEX, the Grand Prix and Finance Week in the same fortnight. Book early.
- Expo City is not the World Trade Centre. It sits far from central Dubai, so allow for travel time in staffing, client hospitality and same-day content turnarounds.
- Hotel and venue costs tend to climb when events cluster in peak season. Lock in side events and client dinners now.
- Paid media will be busy too. Retail, tourism and technology advertisers all want December, so expect competition for the same audiences.
- For clients outside technology, GITEX week is a good time to avoid a launch that needs press attention.
The GCC marketing calendar on this site lists the region's holidays and key moments, and the working days calculator counts the real working days left before any deadline.
