Dubai's Tech Scene Heats Up: Your Guide to Major UAE Events This February-March 2026

The UAE's event calendar is packed with high-impact technology, AI, and startup gatherings this February and early spring. For Oman-based entrepreneurs, developers, and business leaders, these events offer unparalleled networking, learning, and investment opportunities just a short trip from Muscat.

🎯 Key Takeaways

Step Conference Dubai (Feb 11-12) brings together 8,000+ attendees focused on AI economy with tickets from $99
IDC Middle East CIO Summit (Feb 11-12) at Atlantis The Palm convenes 500 technology leaders
FinTech Week 2026 (Feb 16-17) explores payments, security, and innovation at Radisson Blu Deira Creek
World Health Expo (Feb 9-12) showcases healthcare technology to 270,000+ professionals at Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC
Dubai AI Week (April 6-10) features citywide events including the flagship Dubai AI Festival
Most February events occur before Ramadan begins (approximately Feb 18, 2026)

🚀 Step Conference Dubai 2026

Dates: February 11-12, 2026
Venue: Dubai Internet City
Theme: "Intelligence Everywhere: The AI Economy"

Step Conference marks its 14th edition as the Middle East's leading tech and startup festival. According to the official website, the event will bring together 8,000+ attendees, 400+ startups, 100+ companies, and investors representing $9 billion in funding.

What to Expect

The festival features four content tracks: Founders and Funders, The AI Stack, AI in Finance, and Human First. Programming includes high-impact talks, workshops, startup showcases, brand activations, pitch competitions, 1-1 investor meetings, and curated networking experiences.

Who Should Attend: Founders (especially pre-seed and seed stage), investors, developers, creatives, and tech enthusiasts looking to connect with the region's startup ecosystem.

Registration & Pricing: Tickets start from $99 for Master Pass access. Approved startups receive a Startup Package including 2 Master Pass tickets, booth space, investor meetings, and website logo placement. Register at dubai.stepconference.com.

Organizer: Step Conference
Contact: Visit the official website for inquiries

💼 IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2026

Dates: February 11-12, 2026
Venue: Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai

The IDC CIO Summit brings together 500 CIOs, CTOs, CSOs, and technology leaders from across the GCC, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE. According to IDC's event page, the 2026 edition focuses on the rise of AI-native enterprises and the Agentic Stack.

Who Should Attend: CIOs, CTOs, Chief Security Officers, Heads of IT, technology decision-makers from enterprise and government sectors.

Registration: To qualify for participation, contact Wahab Bou Hamdan at +971 56 536 5160. Visit the official event website for agenda details.

Cost: Contact organizer for pricing details

Organizer: IDC Middle East
Contact: Wahab Bou Hamdan, +971 56 536 5160

💳 FinTech Week Dubai 2026

Dates: February 16-17, 2026
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, Baniyas Road
Theme: "Payments, Security and Beyond"

The 2nd FinTech Week Dubai 2026 will bring together 300+ senior decision-makers and 50+ global speakers, as reported by the event organizers. The venue is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from Union Metro Station (Red Line).

Event Features

The conference includes multi-track sessions, interactive workshops, and an exhibition area focusing on fintech innovation, payment systems, banking security, regulation, and emerging technologies.

Who Should Attend: Fintech founders, banking executives, payment solution providers, regulators, investors, and technology vendors in the financial services sector.

Registration: Visit fintech.peoplevents.uk to register. Special hotel rates available for registered attendees.

Cost: Check event website for pricing

Organizer: People Events
Contact: Visit fintech.peoplevents.uk for inquiries

🏥 World Health Expo (WHX) Dubai 2026

Dates: February 9-12, 2026 (WHX Dubai) and February 10-13, 2026 (WHX Labs)
Venues: Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City (WHX Dubai) and Dubai World Trade Centre (WHX Labs)

Formerly known as Arab Health, the World Health Expo and WHX Labs will bring together 270,000+ healthcare professionals and 4,800+ exhibitors from over 180 countries, according to the official World Health Expo website.

Technology Focus

While primarily a healthcare event, WHX showcases significant healthcare technology including AI diagnostics, medical devices, digital health platforms, telemedicine solutions, hospital information systems, and laboratory automation.

Who Should Attend: Healthcare IT professionals, hospital administrators, medical technology vendors, healthtech startups, government health officials, and investors in healthcare innovation.

Registration: Visit worldhealthexpo.com to secure attendee tickets. Dual tickets available for access to both WHX Dubai and WHX Labs.

Opening Hours:
WHX Labs: Feb 10 (10:00-18:00), Feb 11-12 (09:00-18:00), Feb 13 (09:00-17:00)

Cost: Visit official website for ticket pricing

Organizer: World Health Expo
Contact: Email: [email protected] | WhatsApp: +971 4 245 7111 | Phone: +971 4 408 2888

💱 iFX EXPO Dubai 2026

Dates: February 11-12, 2026 (with welcome party Feb 10)
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Za'abeel Halls 5-6
Hours: 10:00-18:00

The iFX EXPO Dubai 2026 is the region's premier online trading and fintech exhibition, featuring 10,000+ attendees, 200+ exhibitors, and 150+ speakers, according to the official iFX EXPO website. The 2026 edition expands with the launch of the Trading Festival running alongside the expo.

Who Should Attend: Forex brokers, traders, fintech developers, payment solution providers, financial infrastructure vendors, and cryptocurrency/blockchain professionals.

Registration: Register online at dubai2026.ifxexpo.com for full exhibition and conference access.

Cost: Free registration available online

Organizer: iFX EXPO
Contact: Visit official website

🎮 DEAL Dubai 2026

Dates: February 10-12, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Za'abeel Halls

The Dubai Entertainment, Amusement & Leisure Exhibition (DEAL) celebrates its 32nd year as the Middle East and Africa's longest-running B2B platform for the entertainment industry. According to Dubai World Trade Centre, the event expects 10,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors.

Technology Components

DEAL features significant tech innovation including VR/AR experiences, immersive gaming arenas, esports and arcade systems, high-tech show effects, admissions and ticketing technology, and participatory play equipment.

Who Should Attend: Entertainment venue operators, theme park developers, FEC owners, technology providers for leisure industry, and investors in entertainment tech.

Registration: Visit DealMiddleEastShow.com

Cost: Check event website for pricing

Organizer: Dubai World Trade Centre
Contact: Visit official website

✈️ Breakbulk Middle East & MRO Middle East 2026

Dates: February 4-5, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre
Hours: Feb 4 (10:00-18:00), Feb 5 (10:00-17:00)

These co-located events focus on project cargo, logistics, and aviation maintenance technology. According to DWTC, the events showcase technologies for freight tracking, port terminal operations, and aviation MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) solutions.

Who Should Attend: Logistics professionals, supply chain technology vendors, aviation maintenance specialists, port operators, and industrial technology providers.

Registration & Cost: Visit Dubai World Trade Centre website for details

Organizer: Dubai World Trade Centre

🤖 Dubai AI Week 2026 (Early April)

Dates: April 6-10, 2026
Key Event: Dubai AI Festival, April 7-8, 2026
Main Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre (Za'abeel Halls 5-6) and Dubai AI Campus at DIFC

While just outside the 30-day window, Dubai AI Week represents a major opportunity for Oman-based AI professionals. According to the official Dubai AI Festival website, the event will attract 20,000+ attendees, 500+ investors, 200+ speakers, and 200+ exhibitors from 120+ countries.

Event Components

Dubai AI Week includes the AI Retreat, Dubai Assembly for AI, Global Prompt Engineering Championship, the flagship Dubai AI Festival (April 7-8), and the Machines Can See conference. The expanded 2026 programme features 150+ sessions and 50 workshops and roundtables.

"The 2026 Dubai AI Festival will surge in scale and cement Dubai's position as a global AI hub, bringing together world-leading innovators and policymakers."

- Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) announcement

Who Should Attend: AI researchers, developers, data scientists, enterprise AI leaders, investors, policymakers, and anyone building or implementing AI solutions.

Registration: Visit dubaiaifestival.com/register

Early-Bird Consideration: While the event is in April, registration deadlines and early-bird pricing may fall within the next 30 days.

Cost: Check official website for ticket tiers

Organizer: Dubai Future Foundation
Contact: Visit dubaiaifestival.com

🎓 Additional February Events

Information System Design & Intelligent Applications (ISDIA)

Dates: February 7-8, 2026
Venue: Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach Hotel

This academic and industry conference focuses on intelligent systems, AI applications, and software design, suitable for researchers, developers, and technology students.

Registration: Contact venue or search for ISDIA 2026 Dubai

Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition

Dates: February 4-8, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre

While not tech-focused, this exhibition features digital philately and authentication technologies.

📅 Important Timing Note

The holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin around February 18, 2026, which affects the UAE event calendar. Most major business conferences and exhibitions are scheduled before mid-February or resume after Ramadan. During Ramadan, Dubai World Trade Centre will host The Majlis, and regular event activity pauses.

🌍 Why This Matters for Oman

These UAE events provide strategic value for Oman's Vision 2040 technology and innovation objectives:

Access to Capital: Events like Step Conference and Dubai AI Festival connect Omani startups with billions in investor funding otherwise difficult to access regionally
Knowledge Transfer: Sessions on AI implementation, fintech regulation, and digital transformation directly apply to Oman's own digitalization initiatives
Regional Integration: The GCC's technology ecosystem is increasingly integrated. Omani founders, developers, and executives benefit from understanding regional trends and building cross-border partnerships
Proximity Advantage: Dubai and Abu Dhabi are just 3-4 hours from Muscat by road or 45 minutes by flight, making these world-class events accessible without long-haul travel
Sector Development: As Oman develops its fintech, healthtech, and AI sectors under Vision 2040, learning from UAE implementations provides practical roadmaps

For Omani professionals in technology, attending at least one major UAE event per quarter has become standard practice for staying competitive and connected in the regional innovation ecosystem.

Getting There from Muscat

Planning to attend? Read our comprehensive Muscat to UAE Travel Guide covering bus schedules, flights, driving routes, visa requirements, and practical tips for Oman-based professionals.