In a significant move reflecting the UAE’s national technology ambitions, Step has announced that its 14th annual flagship event, Step Dubai, will be entirely dedicated to Artificial Intelligence. Taking place on February 11-12, 2026, at Dubai Internet City, the conference will align with the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, positioning itself as a central platform for the region’s burgeoning AI economy.
Aligning with National AI Ambitions
The event’s new direction underscores the UAE’s goal to become a global hub for AI innovation and talent. Held in partnership with Dubai Internet City and with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy as a Strategic Partner, Step Dubai 2026 aims to translate national strategy into tangible economic impact.
Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group & Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, commented, “AI is increasingly strengthening the digital economy’s contributions towards long-term prosperity. Step Dubai is returning in Strategic Partnership with Dubai Internet City to unite global minds and regional pioneers to explore how AI will unlock new opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovators, and future-focused thinkers.”
This sentiment was echoed by Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, who stated, “Step Dubai’s focus on artificial intelligence highlights the growing shift from testing AI tools to deploying AI at scale across products, services, and operations. As a Strategic Partner of Step Dubai 2026, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is focused on supporting startups and fast-growing digital companies by strengthening their access to partnerships and growth opportunities from Dubai.”
Intelligence Everywhere: A Look at the 2026 Agenda
Under the theme “Intelligence Everywhere: The AI Economy,” the conference is expected to draw over 8,000 attendees, 400 startups, and more than 100 global speakers. The agenda is structured around four distinct tracks designed to cover the breadth of AI’s impact across industries.
Ray Dargham, Co-Founder & CEO of Step, explained the vision, “Artificial intelligence is no longer a vertical or a niche, it is the economic infrastructure of the future. Step Dubai 2026 is designed to reflect the UAE’s clear and ambitious vision for AI, as it leads the charge regionally, by bringing together the builders, investors and decision-makers who are actively shaping how intelligence is embedded across every industry and sector.”
The four main tracks are:
- Founders & Funders: Focusing on AI’s role in startup creation, venture capital, and scaling strategies, connecting entrepreneurs with an investor community representing over $12.6 billion in deployable capital.
- The AI Stack: A deep dive into the foundational technologies of the AI economy, including large language models, robotics, and cloud infrastructure, featuring leaders like Justin Li, Co-Founder of Genspark.
- AI in Finance: Exploring the transformation of financial services through AI, covering topics from FinAI and wealth intelligence to autonomous banking and regulation.
- Human First: A reimagined creativity track centered on human-AI co-creation, ethics in AI content, and the evolving nature of authenticity and brand engagement.
Connecting Founders with Global AI Leaders
Step Dubai will continue its core mission of fostering connections within the ecosystem. The event will feature success stories from in5, TECOM Group’s startup incubator, and welcome D/Quarters as an Ecosystem Partner. Global software company Atlassian will sponsor the Startup Basecamp, while Intercom will exhibit its AI-powered customer communication platform.
The conference aims to serve as a critical bridge between policy and execution, providing a platform where global AI leaders can engage directly with the region’s founders, enterprises, and public sector stakeholders to build the future of the AI economy from the UAE.
About Step
Step is a global technology and startup platform that brings together founders, investors, and operators through high-impact live events like Step Dubai and Step San Francisco. With a founder-first approach, Step creates environments where early-stage and scaling companies can engage with capital, talent, and market opportunities. Operating across the Middle East and the United States, Step acts as a catalyst for developing startup ecosystems by uniting communities around innovation and entrepreneurship.
Source: Zawya
