Hamdan bin Mohammed announces Dubai Future Week 2026

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), has directed Dubai Future Week be held from 18 to 21 November 2026. Dubai Future Week represents the next chapter in the evolution of Dubai Future Foundation’s global events and initiatives. Building on the communities, conversations and outcomes created by its established platforms, the week will bring them together in one connected, human-centred experience across Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future. Designed as a global platform bringing together government leaders, scientists, futurists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, creators and innovators, Dubai Future Week will explore what the future holds for humanity and what it will mean to be human in the decades ahead. The event will examine the future not as something distant or abstract, but as something that will shape how people wake up, move through their cities, learn, work, care for their health, build relationships and make everyday decisions. It will move the global conversation from anticipating change towards developing ideas, partnerships, policies and solutions that place people at the centre and translate foresight into tangible impact. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan affirmed that Dubai’s journey to design and shape the future continues under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in line with his directives to make future readiness a strategic priority and place humanity’s future at the centre of long-term plans, initiatives and policies. His Highness said: “Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a global hub for the world’s most ambitious ideas and future-focused visions – a platform where impactful partnerships and initiatives take shape, and a destination for leading minds, experts and future shapers from around the world.” He added: “Dubai calls on the world to embark on a new era of international collaboration that accelerates the use of technology in the service of people and societies. This requires directing investment and strategies towards technologies and innovations that advance human wellbeing, enhance quality of life, and help secure a better future for generations to come.” Dialogue, exhibitions, immersive experiences Organised by Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Future Week will take place across Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future. Its programme will feature keynote addresses, debates, fireside conversations, workshops, international challenges and competitions, idea pitches, exhibitions, immersive future experiences, closed-door discussions, specialist sessions, public activations and other formats designed to explore the forces shaping the decades ahead. Held under the tagline ‘For the Human of the Future,’ Dubai Future Week will place people at the centre of the conversation, exploring how they will live, think, innovate, feel and do business as scientific, technological, economic and social transformations accelerate. The week begins from a simple premise: the future is personal. Its impact will be felt not only in laboratories, institutions and industries, but in people’s homes, schools, workplaces, hospitals, neighbourhoods and relationships. Rather than approaching the future solely through the lens of technology, Dubai Future Week will examine what these transformations mean for people: how they could reshape everyday life, knowledge, health, work, economies and societies, and how emerging opportunities can be translated into better outcomes for humanity. The focus will be not only on what is changing, but on how those changes will feel, whom they will serve and how they can improve daily life. Over 10,000 participants expected Dubai Future Week will bring together more than 10,000 participants, including leading inventors, innovators, experts, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, technologists and specialists from critical and future-focused sectors around the world. Participants will explore and experience developments expected to reshape sectors that directly affect people’s lives, examine the major transformations redefining the world and develop new perspectives on what the decades ahead could look like. They will be invited to see, question and experience the future through the realities of human life – from the food people eat and the places they inhabit to how they learn, earn, connect, heal and belong. The week will build on the success of established global events hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation, including the Dubai Future Forum and Dubai AI Week, bringing their communities, ideas and areas of expertise together as part of a broader, connected platform. It will also bring together major initiatives including AI Grandmaster, the Dubai Foresight Awards and the D