Ai Economy Leadership Highlighted As Step Dubai 2026 Unites Regional Innovators

Step Dubai 2026 is set to become a fully artificial intelligence-focused edition, with nearly 100,000 hours of AI content planned. The technology and startup event will run on 11th and 12th February at Dubai Internet City, part of TECOM Group PJSC, and will centre on the AI economy.

The 14th edition of Step Dubai will gather founders, investors, scaleups, corporates, public-sector representatives and ecosystem partners from across the region and beyond. More than 8,000 participants are expected, alongside over 400 startups and more than 100 companies and speakers, reflecting strong regional interest in artificial intelligence-driven innovation.

Step Dubai 2026 adopts the theme "Intelligence everywhere: the AI economy", aligning the programme with national economic priorities. The agenda explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping business models in finance, technology and creative industries, while also examining its role in productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth across regulated and unregulated sectors in the Middle East and internationally.

The event’s direction supports the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, launched in 2017 to speed up government performance and stimulate non-oil economic expansion. The strategy aims to build advanced digital skills, encourage AI-led transformation and position the UAE as a reference point for artificial intelligence deployment across public and private organisations.

A key goal of the national strategy is to increase the contribution of artificial intelligence to the UAE’s non-oil GDP. This is supported by a competitive ecosystem that includes startups, large enterprises, research institutions and government bodies. Step Dubai 2026 mirrors this multi-stakeholder environment by connecting innovators with investors and policy influencers focused on AI adoption.

The Step Dubai 2026 agenda will be structured around four main tracks: Founders and funders, The AI stack, AI in finance, and Human first. Together, these tracks address entrepreneurship, advanced AI technologies, regulated financial services, and human-centric innovation, underlining artificial intelligence as an economy-wide infrastructure rather than a niche tool.

Participants will also gain access to an investor community representing more than US$12.6 billion in deployable capital. This investment capacity is directed at early and growth-stage startups, particularly ventures applying artificial intelligence to solve operational, financial, creative and societal challenges, in line with regional diversification and digital transformation goals.

Step Dubai 2026 artificial intelligence ecosystem and partners

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy will serve as a strategic partner for Step Dubai 2026, reinforcing its AI and digital focus. Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said the event highlights the shift from testing AI tools to deploying them at scale, while enhancing access to partnerships and growth opportunities.

Innovators from in5, the startup incubator launched by TECOM Group, will feature within the programme. D/Quarters, an ecosystem partner joining Step Dubai for the first time, will present flexible co-working solutions through an outdoor workspace at the venue, highlighting how physical infrastructure is adapting to AI-focused, high-growth companies and distributed teams.

Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, said "the event will unite global experts and regional innovators to explore how artificial intelligence can unlock new opportunities for entrepreneurs and future-focused businesses, supporting Dubai’s digital economy and innovation agenda." This underlines Dubai Internet City’s ongoing role in regional technology development.

Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Step, said "artificial intelligence has become the economic infrastructure of the future, noting that Step Dubai 2026 reflects the UAE’s ambition to lead regionally by bringing together builders, investors and decision-makers shaping AI adoption across sectors." The statement positions the event as a platform for AI-led collaboration.

Global technology firms with established AI products will also join the event. Companies including Atlassian and Intercom will participate to support the startup ecosystem and demonstrate AI-driven solutions for modern businesses. Their presence, combined with regional partners and public-sector stakeholders, confirms Step Dubai 2026 as a major meeting point for artificial intelligence initiatives linked to the UAE’s long-term economic vision.

With inputs from WAM