DUBAI, 13th October, 2026 (WAM) -- RISE Summit 2026 opens tomorrow at Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together more than 250 international institutional investors, sovereign funds, government leaders and major developers to examine how global economic shifts are reshaping investment priorities and where the next opportunities for long-term growth lie.
The Summit opens against a backdrop of renewed economic and investment momentum across Dubai and the UAE. Dubai’s non-oil private-sector PMI rose to 54.5 in September, its strongest reading of 2026, while UAE non-oil foreign trade reached AED1.937 trillion in the first half of the year, up 13.1% year-on-year. Dubai International Financial Centre also surpassed 10,000 active registered companies for the first time in H1 2026, reaching 10,018, up 30% year-on-year.
Held over one day under the theme ‘Recharging Momentum in Global Economies’, RISE Summit 2026 will examine how changing geopolitical dynamics, trade relationships, financing conditions and technological advances are influencing capital allocation across markets.
The Summit’s Global Leaders Series (GLS) will feature two headline discussions examining the forces shaping global investment decisions.
José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors, Goldman Sachs, and former President of the European Commission, will lead ‘The Great Capital Shift,’ exploring how the United States, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for long-term investment and whether current shifts in capital flows signal a lasting change in the global investment landscape. Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer & Chief Economist at Allianz, will then examine how investors are reassessing risk, returns and asset allocation in ‘Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World’.
Barroso said: “Global capital is entering a period of significant change, with investors reassessing where long-term value, resilience and opportunity can be found. At RISE Summit, I will explore how the US, Europe, Asia and the Gulf are competing for capital, and whether we are seeing a temporary reallocation or a fundamental shift in the global investment landscape.”
The UAE’s ability to sustain investment momentum while navigating changes in the global economy will also be discussed at the Summit. The session ‘From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World,’ featuring Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy & Tourism, UAE, will examine how economic diversification, trade and investment partnerships can help countries navigate a more fragmented global economy and create new pathways for sustainable growth.
Beyond the macroeconomic outlook, the programme will consider how investment is translating into growth across the built environment and essential infrastructure.
The programme will also examine the growing role of tokenisation in real estate investment through the panel ‘Who Owns the Building? How Tokenisation Rewrites Ownership’.
Through its focus on capital markets, connectivity and infrastructure, cities and real estate, and longevity, living and experience, RISE Summit 2026 aims to connect the forces shaping global investment with the markets, assets and destinations where opportunities are emerging