Rise Summit 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre brought together top investors, policymakers, and real estate developers to examine global capital reallocation pathways. Under the theme of recharging momentum in global economies, the summit discussed growth prospects across real estate, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.

Rise Summit 2026 kicks off in Dubai with the UAE economic vision for 2027
Global Leaders Series, capital allocation shifts, and the role of the Gulf
Beyond the AI boom and the blurring lines between real estate and infrastructure
Dubai’s development journey, the D33 agenda, and the global investment networking platform
Frequently asked questions

Rise Summit 2026 kicks off in Dubai with the UAE economic vision for 2027

Amid rapid geopolitical shifts, changing international trade relations, and evolving financial conditions reshaping the global economic landscape, Rise Summit 2026 gathered top institutional investors, government policymakers, real estate developers, and industry decision-makers at the Dubai World Trade Centre on October 14, 2026, to examine new destinations for capital and forecast the next phase of global growth.

Held under the theme “Recharging Momentum in Global Economies” with over 500 senior delegates and decision-makers in attendance, the sessions explored how shifting investment priorities impact global financial markets, infrastructure projects, urban development, and the real estate sector, alongside the future experience economy encompassing hospitality, tourism, and innovative models of urban growth.

The broader economic transformation of the United Arab Emirates served as a key focus of the summit’s discussions. During a panel titled “From Resilience to Opportunity in a Reorganizing World,” His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, highlighted the country’s strategic focus on building a more productive and competitive national economy. He stated: “When you ask about 2027, we will not return to the same economy. We will have a different economy in 2027, a more productive economy.”:

Global Leaders Series, capital allocation shifts, and the role of the Gulf

The summit opened with the “Global Leaders Series” program, dedicated to analyzing shifting international capital dynamics and the major forces reshaping long-term investment decisions. In a session titled “The Great Capital Shift,” José Manuel Barroso, chairman of international advisors at Goldman Sachs and former president of the European Commission, reviewed how geopolitical and economic realignment is altering prevailing concepts regarding safe and productive markets for capital deployment, while identifying countries and regions poised to benefit from this shift.

Barroso emphasized the need for investors to adapt to a rapidly changing global environment that combines political momentum with scientific revolution, stating: “We are witnessing a fundamental change. This is not only a geopolitical shift, but also a scientific and technological revolution, and the way we allocate capital will change enormously. Long-term investors need to think strategically about what will change markets over the coming years—sectors such as energy, infrastructure, technology, and defense. Do not pay any price for growth, keep some liquidity, and above all, diversify your investments geographically and sectorally. For me, this is the core key.”:

Regarding the position of the Arabian Gulf region within changing global financial flows, Barroso added: “Global competition will continue. The United States will remain the central part of the global economy thanks to the dominance of the dollar, its progress in innovation and science, and its geopolitical strength. At the same time, global investors will not want excessive exposure to the U.S. market alone, so there will be investment diversification. The Gulf region has shown great wisdom in keeping its options open, leveraging its central location to act as a bridge between new investment destinations.”:

Beyond the AI boom and the blurring lines between real estate and infrastructure

In the subsequent session titled “Long-Term Capital in a High-Interest-Rate World,” Ludovic Subran, chief investment officer and chief economist at Allianz Group, addressed the implications of changing interest rate environments for institutional investors, including the new balance among fixed-income instruments, real estate, infrastructure, and private markets. Subran highlighted the growing impact of artificial intelligence investments in supporting global economic momentum, while warning of growing caution across the rest of the real economy.

Subran questioned what might emerge as the next major economic driver when the current capital expenditure cycle on data centers and artificial intelligence begins to shift, stating: “My primary concern is whether the United States can maintain the momentum we have seen so far with what is coming in 2027. Global trade is experiencing a slowdown this year if we exclude the artificial intelligence sector, which shows how dependent global and U.S. growth is on the AI economy and data center capital expenditure. At some point this trajectory will change, and we must understand what comes next. Outside of AI, companies are already very cautious about the future and their upcoming investment steps.”:

Amid the high interest rate environment, Subran also pointed to a radical change in the role of real assets within institutional portfolios as the boundaries between real estate, infrastructure, and technology overlap, adding: “Real estate is effectively turning into something much more complex. The boundaries between real estate and infrastructure are becoming blurred, particularly in the logistics and warehousing sectors, creating interesting opportunities for portfolio construction.”:

Dubai’s development journey, the D33 agenda, and the global investment networking platform

Dubai’s development trajectory formed another core focus of the summit’s deliberations. Mohamed Alabbar, founder and managing director of Emaar Properties, reviewed the role of long-term investment conviction in building cities and the reasons major urban projects can endure through volatile market cycles. Concurrently, His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, discussed the economic framework supporting Dubai’s resilience and next growth phase under the D33 Dubai Economic Agenda.

Kazim explained that the D33 agenda builds on solid pillars to deepen the city’s appeal to international companies and investors thanks to its connectivity with global markets, stating: “When we started the D33 strategy, we focused on industries including logistics, manufacturing, financial services, and tourism. None of these sectors were new to us; we were already strong in them, but perhaps we were not talking about them enough. Today, we are doubling down on these strengths. Companies are establishing their regional headquarters in Dubai not just for the 4 million residents here, but because of the global population and markets they can reach from Dubai.”:

Kazim emphasized that tourism remains at the heart of this model by attracting visitors who develop a sustainable relationship with the emirate and become ambassadors for it, adding: “For me, the greatest value lies in quality rather than quantity. Quality visitors who come to Dubai become true advocates for the city because they recognize the added value Dubai offers. About 25 percent of our visitors are repeat visitors who return within 12 months, and this is a large figure demonstrating the nature of the relationship people build with Dubai after experiencing it.”: The summit, organized by the “ND” joint venture between London Stock Exchange-listed Informa Group and Dubai World Trade Centre—encompassing over 40 brands and more than 1,000 employees—concluded by affirming that capital remains globally available, though investors have become more selective and focused on economic resilience, infrastructure capacity, and regulatory clarity.

Frequently asked questions

Question: What was the main message delivered by José Manuel Barroso to investors at Rise Summit 2026?
Answer: Barroso urged investors to focus on the energy, infrastructure, technology, and defense sectors, maintain liquidity, and diversify investments geographically and sectorally, praising the Gulf region’s role as an investment bridge.

Question: What warning did Ludovic Subran issue regarding the global economy and the AI boom?
Answer: Subran explained that global trade is in a slowdown if the artificial intelligence and data center sectors are excluded, warning of caution among companies in other sectors and pointing to the blurring boundaries between real estate and infrastructure.

Question: What did His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri say about the future of the UAE economy in 2027?
Answer: The Minister of Economy and Tourism affirmed that the UAE will not return to the same traditional economy in 2027, but will transition to a different, more productive, and competitive economy.

Question: What is the percentage of repeat visitors to Dubai according to HE Issam Kazim’s statements?
Answer: Issam Kazim noted that about 25 percent of Dubai’s visitors return to visit again within 12 months, reflecting the quality of the tourism experience and visitor connection to the city within the targets of the D33 agenda.