STEP Conference 2026 Brings an AI-First Agenda to Dubai

The 14th edition of STEP Conference is taking place on February 11–12, 2026, at Dubai Internet City, unveiling a fully AI-dedicated program aligned with the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.

STEP Conference 2026 will return to Dubai on February 11–12, 2026, with a fully artificial intelligence–focused agenda.

Held at Dubai Internet City in partnership with TECOM Group, the 14th edition aligns its programming with the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, which aims to position the country as a global hub for AI innovation, talent, and economic growth.

The 2026 edition will deliver nearly 100,000 hours of AI-focused business dialogue, applied knowledge, and industry insights.

Under the theme Intelligence Everywhere: The AI Economy, the event is expected to welcome more than 8,000 attendees, including over 400 startups and more than 100 companies and speakers from the region and international markets. The program will provide access to an active investor community representing more than USD 12.6 billion in deployable capital.

STEP Conference 2026 will feature four dedicated tracks: Founders & Funders, The AI Stack, AI in Finance, and Human First. These tracks will explore AI’s impact on entrepreneurship, advanced technologies, financial services, and human-centric innovation across sectors.

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy joins as a Strategic Partner, reinforcing the event’s focus on scaling AI adoption and supporting digital businesses from Dubai.

The conference will also showcase ecosystem participants from in5 and welcome D/Quarters as an Ecosystem Partner, alongside corporate participation from companies including Atlassian as Startup Basecamp Sponsor and Intercom as an exhibitor.

A long-time supporter of the STEP Conference, Entrepreneur Middle East will have two dedicated booths on-site at STEP Conference 2026, providing opportunities to engage directly with readers, founders, and startups from across the regional tech ecosystem.

Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East, will moderate a main-stage panel on February 11, 2026, at 10:55am, featuring Noor Sweid of Global Ventures and Ronaldo Mouchawar of Amazon.

The session will focus on how the MENA startup ecosystem has evolved over the past two decades and what today’s founders can learn from that journey, with a practical discussion on leveraging AI to innovate, scale, and stay competitive, and on applying hard-earned lessons to build a more resilient and globally competitive ecosystem over the next decade.