Table of Contents
From 21 October to 11 December, the UAE hosts a run of fintech, finance, forex, proptech and crypto events across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This guide lists what is still to come as of 8 October 2026, with dates, venues and what each event covers. Attendance figures below are the organisers’ own.
The calendar
| Event | Dates | Where | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global FinEXPO Dubai | 21-22 October | Dubai (venue listed inconsistently) | Banking, insurance, wealth, fintech |
| Dubai Future Finance Week | 2-6 November | Dubai | DIFC-led week on the future of finance |
| Dubai FinTech Summit | 2-3 November | Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai | Banking, payments, digital assets |
| Future Proptech Summit | 3-4 November | Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan, Dubai | Proptech, real estate investment, tokenisation |
| Forex Traders Expo & Summit | 24-25 November | Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City | Forex trading |
| Blockchain Life | 1-2 December | Festival Arena, Dubai | Crypto, Web3, AI |
| GITEX Global | Summit 7 December, expo 8-11 December | Expo City Dubai (expo) | Technology, including fintech and digital assets |
| FDX by GITEX | 8-10 December | Dubai | Digital assets, tokenisation, stablecoins |
| Abu Dhabi Finance Week | 7-10 December | The Grand Steps, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi | Capital markets and investment |
| Global Trading Show | 10-11 December | Abu Dhabi (venue to be announced) | Multi-asset trading |
October and November
Global FinEXPO Dubai is a two-day banking and finance expo run by World Connect, listed for 21 to 22 October. It covers banking, insurance, wealth management and fintech, and was rescheduled from April. Listings give the venue as both The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC and The Agenda in Media City, so confirm it with the organiser before booking.
Dubai FinTech Summit runs 2 to 3 November at Madinat Jumeirah, organised by DIFC as part of Dubai Future Finance Week, which a listing places at 2 to 6 November. The summit’s site calls this its fourth edition and cites 10,000+ business leaders, 1,000+ investors, 300+ speakers and 120+ countries. Topics include open banking, embedded finance, digital assets, cross-border payments and the role of central banks.
Future Proptech Summit runs 3 to 4 November at the Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan in Dubai, and is in its third edition. Its agenda covers AI-powered portfolio intelligence, digital ownership and tokenisation, construction tech, institutional proptech procurement, and capital and investment in the Middle East proptech ecosystem. It sits closest to fintech where real estate meets tokenisation and investment. The summit’s site doesn’t yet name speakers or give attendance figures.
Forex Traders Expo & Summit Dubai is the sixth edition of a forex-focused event, listed on its own site for 24 to 25 November at Festival Arena in Dubai Festival City. Attendance is by registration, with invitations issued through the Hudur system. Another listing shows different dates, so check the organiser’s site.
December
Blockchain Life returns to Dubai on 1 to 2 December at Festival Arena for its 17th edition, alongside the AI Future Forum. The organiser expects 15,000+ attendees from 130+ countries and 200+ speakers, and lists a Blockchain Life Week of side events from 27 November to 6 December.
GITEX Global moves to December in 2026. The summit is on 7 December and the expo runs 8 to 11 December at Expo City Dubai, according to GITEX’s site. It is a technology show rather than a fintech event. FDX by GITEX, a digital assets forum on payments, tokenisation, DeFi, stablecoins and AI in banking, joins it in Dubai on 8 to 10 December. It is described as invite-only and organised by DWTC.
Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) runs 7 to 10 December at The Grand Steps on Al Maryah Island, under the patronage of Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. ADFW’s site shows 2025 figures of 35,000 participants, 800+ speakers and 80+ MoUs signed, and lists 2026 speakers including Allianz’s Oliver Bate, DBS’s Tan Su Shan, Franklin Templeton’s Jenny Johnson and Temasek’s Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara. This year’s theme is “The Capital Community, Powered by Partnerships.”
Global Trading Show runs 10 to 11 December in Abu Dhabi, co-located with the Global Blockchain Show, with the venue still to be announced. Organised by VAP Group and powered by Times Of Trading, it is a multi-asset event covering forex, stocks, crypto, commodities, ETFs and derivatives, with an exhibition, a live trading tournament, keynotes and masterclasses, and zones for AI and quant, Web3 and DeFi, institutional liquidity and retail education. Register here.
What’s next
Agendas and speaker line-ups for most of these events are still filling in. Dates and venues for Global FinEXPO, the Forex Traders Expo and the Global Trading Show venue are the ones most likely to change. This page will be updated as organisers confirm details.
FAQs
What are the biggest fintech events in the UAE in 2026?
Dubai FinTech Summit (2 to 3 November) is the largest dedicated fintech event on the calendar. GITEX Global (7 to 11 December) is the largest technology event, and Abu Dhabi Finance Week (7 to 10 December) is the main finance and investment week.
When is Dubai FinTech Summit 2026?
2 to 3 November 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, organised by DIFC.
Which forex events are in the UAE in 2026?
The Forex Traders Expo & Summit Dubai is listed for 24 to 25 November, and the Global Trading Show runs 10 to 11 December in Abu Dhabi. iFX EXPO Dubai and Forex Expo Dubai have already taken place this year.
When is GITEX Global 2026?
The summit is on 7 December and the expo runs 8 to 11 December 2026 at Expo City Dubai, a move from the usual October slot.
Are UAE fintech events open to the public?
Most are ticketed or registration-based business events. FDX by GITEX is invite-only, and the Forex Traders Expo issues invitations through its registration system.
Editor’s Take: Three of these events overlap between 7 and 11 December: GITEX Global (with FDX inside it), Abu Dhabi Finance Week and the Global Trading Show, split between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Blockchain Life lands a few days earlier on 1 to 2 December, so December carries four of the eight events or event weeks still ahead. The most substantial of them is ADFW, which lists a speaker line-up from Allianz, DBS, Franklin Templeton and Temasek and 2025 results of 800+ speakers and 80+ MoUs. Every attendance figure on this list is the organiser’s own, and for several events the venue or exact dates are still moving, so confirm each one directly before booking travel.