The Dubai World Trade Centre is bringing RISE, the Global Real Estate Investment Summit and Expo 2026, to the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai on October 13 and 14, 2026. Think of it as the room where the world’s most influential real estate investors, developers, policymakers, and tech innovators actually meet to shape what global cities look like next. If you’re serious about where capital flows in real estate, this is where you want to be.
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Connecting Global Capital with Innovation
RISE has built a reputation as the platform where serious capital meets serious ideas in urban development and real estate investment. The 2026 edition is shaping up to be the biggest yet, with over 15,000 visitors expected, more than 350 exhibitors on the floor, and delegations arriving from 30 or more countries. If you’re an institutional investor, a sovereign wealth fund manager, an asset manager, or a UHNWI looking at where global property markets are heading, understanding who’s driving development in markets like Dubai gives you a real edge walking into an event like this.
“RISE serves as a catalyst for smart city innovation and sustainable urban growth,” said organizers at DWTC. “This event plays a vital role for stakeholders aiming to drive meaningful change in the global real estate landscape.”
Record-Breaking Participation and Industry Leadership
The speaker lineup reads like a who’s who of global real estate power. Over 100 industry experts and thought leaders will take the stage, with voices from BlackRock, Temasek Holdings Singapore, Dubai Holding Investments, Brookfield, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation all confirmed. Bloomberg has tracked how institutional appetite for real estate has evolved sharply post-2024, and RISE gives you direct access to the people steering those decisions. Notable speakers include names you’ll want on your radar well before October.
- Lakshmi Narayanan, Chairman, Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI)
- James Wilkinson, Global Head, Infrastructure and Real Estate Securities, BlackRock
- Chua Tiow Chye, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, Mapletree Investments (Temasek Holdings Singapore)
- Jad Ellawn, Managing Partner, Regional Head of the Middle East, Brookfield
- Patrick Bauer, Head of Real Estate and Investor Director, Emirates Investment Authority
Beyond the main stage, you’ll find 50 or more innovative start-ups presenting cutting-edge solutions in PropTech, sustainable development, and urban infrastructure. And if deal-making is your priority, over 150 top-tier investors will be sitting in exclusive sessions built specifically for that purpose. These aren’t casual networking moments. They’re structured, high-intent conversations designed to move capital.
Strategic Partnerships Driving Success
RISE 2026 has locked in serious backing from both government and private sectors. Modon comes on board as Diamond Sponsor, while the DubaiLand Department steps in as Strategic Government Partner. The Knowledge Partner roster includes the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, the Portuguese Business Council, RICS, AIA Middle East, and ValuStrat, among others. That kind of institutional credibility matters when you’re evaluating whether an event is worth your time.
These partnerships signal something deeper than sponsorship logos on a banner. They reflect a genuine convergence of public policy, private capital, and urban innovation, the exact combination you need if you want to understand where the most compelling real estate opportunities are emerging. High-net-worth investors are already pivoting toward resilient markets, and events like RISE help you stay ahead of that curve.
Comprehensive Two-Day Programme
Day 1: Global Real Estate Investment Summit (October 13)
The opening day runs from 10:40 AM to 4:30 PM with a packed schedule of fireside chats, panel discussions, and real networking built in. Sessions will cut into investment strategies, market outlooks, and the latest shifts in luxury real estate and hospitality sectors. A dedicated RISE Investor Day, run in partnership with SWFI, creates space for bespoke investor meetings and exclusive one-on-one conversations in VIP and investor lounges. The Financial Times has consistently flagged the Gulf region as a top destination for cross-border real estate capital, and Day 1 puts you face to face with the people allocating it.
Day 2: Market Insights and Tokenization Workshop (October 14)
Morning sessions on Day 2 go deep on the topics that matter most right now. You’ll get sharp, data-driven takes on market trends, emerging investment corridors, and the forces reshaping valuations across global urban centers.
- Global investment trends and real estate hotspots
- Digital assets and tokenization in real estate
- ESG and sustainable development practices
- Macroeconomic and geopolitical impacts on real estate markets
- Taxation, regulation trends, and governance best practices
- Innovation in real estate finance
The afternoon shifts into an exclusive workshop on the tokenization of real estate, and this is one you won’t want to miss. Blockchain technology is fundamentally changing how property investment works, opening up fractional ownership and digital tokens as genuine vehicles for portfolio diversification. If you want to understand how this plays out in practice, understanding the mechanics behind digital asset structures will make that workshop far more valuable for you.
Day 2: Technology, Innovation, and Sustainability (October 14)
The morning sessions on this track zero in on where technology and real estate development actually intersect. You’ll hear from the builders and operators working at the frontier of smart city infrastructure, PropTech deployment, and AI-driven urban planning tools.
- Fintech and digital transformation in real estate investment
- Artificial intelligence and its role in infrastructure development
- Smart cities leveraging IoT, blockchain, and data analytics
- Digital infrastructure opportunities in data centers, 5G networks, and e-mobility
- PropTech innovations in property management, construction technologies, and virtual reality applications
The afternoon pivots to sustainability and ESG considerations, and this is where the long-money conversations happen. Institutional capital is increasingly tied to ESG compliance, and the sessions here give you a clear view of where the standards are heading and how developers are responding. Reuters has covered the growing pressure on real estate funds to meet ESG benchmarks, and understanding that pressure is essential if you’re allocating capital in this space.
- Green buildings and net-zero targets as investment drivers
- ESG integration and regulatory trends
- Climate resilience and adaptation strategies
- Private infrastructure’s role in energy transition
Five Strategic Pillars Defining RISE
The entire summit is anchored around five core objectives that shape every session, every partnership, and every deal-making opportunity you’ll encounter across the two days. Those pillars cover global capital connectivity, smart city innovation, sustainable urban development, PropTech advancement, and cross-border policy alignment. Every conversation at RISE traces back to at least one of them.
- Connecting Global Capital: Linking international investors with groundbreaking real estate projects and emerging technologies
- Accelerating Smart City Development: Driving sustainable urban infrastructure and intelligent city planning
- Fostering Strategic Partnerships: Building bridges between governments, private sector entities, and innovation ecosystems
- Promoting Industry Innovation: Advancing PropTech, hospitality, finance, and urban planning sectors
- Enabling Knowledge Exchange: Providing platforms for deal-making, thought leadership, and industry collaboration
Registration and Participation
If you’re a real estate professional, investor, developer, or innovator planning your calendar around what actually moves markets in 2026, RISE deserves a slot. Head to www.riseexpo.com to explore exhibition opportunities, sponsorship packages, speaking slots, and networking programmes. And if you want broader context on how global real estate laws can affect your cross-border strategies, this guide to US real estate laws is a solid place to start.
For general inquiries, reach the team at [email protected]. You can also follow RISE on Twitter at @riseexpo, on LinkedIn under RISE Expo, and on Instagram at @riseexpo for the latest updates, speaker announcements, and event news in the lead-up to October.
