GITEX Global 2026 in Dubai: New Dates, Expo City Venue and How to Use It for Your Career
GITEX Global moves to December and to a new home at Expo City Dubai in 2026. Here are the dates, venues, opening hours and travel tips, plus how job seekers can use the world's biggest tech show to find work in the UAE.
Table of contents
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026. Details come from the official GITEX website and the Dubai Media Office. Check gitex.com for the latest information before you go. GetGulfJob is not connected with the event.
Short answer: GITEX Global 2026 runs from 7 to 11 December 2026 in Dubai. It opens with the one-day GITEX Summit on 7 December at Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre, followed by the four-day GITEX Expo from 8 to 11 December at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai. The expo is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This is the first year in its new December slot and at its new home in Expo City; it used to be held in October at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Key takeaways
- Summit: 7 December, DWTC, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Expo: 8 to 11 December, Expo City Dubai, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- The nearest metro station to the expo is Expo 2020, at the end of the Red Line.
- Expand North Star, the startup event, is held alongside GITEX at Expo City.
- The 2025 edition brought together more than 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors from 180 countries.
- A city-wide "TechCation" programme runs from 4 to 14 December.
What is GITEX Global?
GITEX Global is Dubai's annual technology exhibition and one of the largest tech and startup shows in the world. Governments, telecom companies, banks, software firms, cloud providers, AI companies and thousands of startups take stands to show new products and meet buyers. The 2025 edition was its 45th.
For anyone working in technology in the Gulf, or hoping to, GITEX is the week when the whole industry is in one place. Government departments show their digital services, international companies announce regional offices, and startups look for investors and staff.
GITEX Global 2026: dates, venues and hours
| Part | Date | Venue | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| GITEX Summit | Monday 7 December | Sheikh Maktoum Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM |
| GITEX Expo | Tuesday 8 – Friday 11 December | Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| GITEX TechCation | 4 – 14 December | Across Dubai | Varies |
Why GITEX moved to Expo City and December
In October 2025 the Dubai Media Office announced that, under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the guidance of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, GITEX Global and Expand North Star would move to Expo City Dubai in 2026. The Dubai Exhibition Centre is undergoing a US$2.7 billion expansion to become the region's largest purpose-built indoor events venue.
GITEX describes the move to December as a "strategic repositioning" that places the show in Dubai's busy tourism season. That is where TechCation comes in: a programme of tech-themed experiences and hotel offers across the city, which GITEX says is aligned with Dubai's D33 economic agenda, the plan to double the size of Dubai's economy by 2033.
What you will see at the expo
GITEX is organised into themed shows under one roof. The official site lists, among others, GITEX Agentix (AI agents), GITEX Quantum Expo, GITEX Super Computex for data centres, GITEX World Robotix, GITEX MOBX for mobility, GITEX New Energy, GITEX Marketing Intelligence and GITEX Retailx. Expand North Star, the startup and investor event, is held alongside. In 2025 it connected founders from more than 100 countries with investors and ran a startup competition with a US$300,000 prize pool.
The headline topics this year are the same ones changing jobs across the region: artificial intelligence and AI agents, cloud and data centres, cyber security, robotics and smart mobility.
Getting there
- Metro: take the Red Line to Expo 2020 station for the expo. For the summit day, use World Trade Centre station.
- Taxi and ride-hailing: GITEX lists a Careem and Uber promo code, GITEX2026, giving 20% off (up to AED 20) on two trips between 7 and 11 December.
- Visiting from abroad: nationals of more than 45 countries can get a UAE visa on arrival. GITEX offers visa support for others, for a service fee, and discounted hotel rates through its travel partners.
- Tickets: visitor registration is at visit.gitex.com. Prices and pass types are shown there; check which halls and days your pass includes before you buy.
How job seekers can use GITEX
GITEX is not a job fair, and there is no official careers zone. But with thousands of companies in one place, it is one of the best weeks of the year to research employers and make contacts in the UAE tech sector. Here is how to make it count.
- Make a target list. Before you go, look through the exhibitor list and pick 15 to 20 companies that hire people with your skills. Find out which hall each is in; Expo City is large, and you will not see everything.
- Go on a weekday morning. Stands are quieter early in the day, and staff have more time to talk.
- Ask the right question. Instead of "Are you hiring?", ask "Which teams are growing in the UAE this year, and how do they recruit?" You will get more useful answers and often the name of a recruiter or manager.
- Visit Expand North Star. Startups that have just raised money usually need people quickly, and founders are often on their own stands.
- Carry a short CV. Keep a one or two page version on your phone as a PDF. Our guide to writing a CV for Dubai jobs shows the format UAE recruiters expect.
- Follow up within three days. Connect on LinkedIn with the people you met, mention your conversation, and attach your CV when you apply.
Tech jobs in the UAE: what to know
The AI, cloud and cyber security companies at GITEX are hiring across the UAE, mostly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Software developers, data and AI specialists, cloud engineers, cyber security analysts and IT project managers are the roles most closely tied to this year's themes. Technical sales and pre-sales staff, who explain products to customers, are also in steady demand, because every exhibitor needs people to sell what they show at GITEX.
If you are moving from abroad, make sure you understand how sponsorship works before accepting an offer. Our guide to the UAE work visa explains the process, and our UAE gratuity guide shows how end-of-service pay adds to the value of a package. Our article on how to AI-proof your career in the UAE covers the skills employers increasingly expect.
Find tech jobs in the UAE
Browse the latest IT, telecom and software jobs in the UAE, jobs in Dubai and jobs in Abu Dhabi. Create a free GetGulfJob account to upload your CV and get job alerts.
Sources
- GITEX official website: GITEX Global 2026 and Plan Your Visit pages, checked 12 November 2026
- GITEX news, "GITEX launches the world's first and most fabulous TechCation", 9 October 2025
- Dubai Media Office, "GITEX GLOBAL to begin a new chapter at Expo City Dubai in 2026", 8 October 2025
- GITEX news, "GITEX GLOBAL 2025 closes a landmark 45th edition", 17 October 2025
