Dubai Future Week opens at Emirates Towers on November 18 with 100 student projects

Dubai Future Week, organised by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), runs from November 18 to 21 at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future, with public keynotes, talks, an exhibition of 100 student projects and outdoor activities.

Attendance is by registration, either on the event’s app or through the organiser’s website. Ticket prices are not published. The Visit Dubai calendar lists the event under exhibitions, with Emirates Towers as the venue.

The DFF said the four-day event is themed “For the Human of the Future” and is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, including experts, innovators, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs. The Dubai Media Office said the programme covers keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, challenges, competitions, exhibitions and immersive experiences.

Not every session is open to the public. Some, including a breakfast briefing and the STARS keynotes on the first day, are invite-only.

The programme is organised around eight concepts: The Big Stage, The Prototype Floor, The Pitch, The Policy Room, The Challenge, Offstage, 500 Future Minds and The District.

The Prototype Floor is hosted at AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers and houses the Dubai Future Solutions: Prototypes for Humanity exhibition.

The exhibition shows 100 student projects, chosen from thousands of submissions worldwide, that offer solutions to social and environmental challenges.

Visitors can try emerging technologies, from tasting food grown entirely without soil to a 60-second AI-powered health screening and virtually trying on clothing.

On November 18 the exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 5pm on the ground floor of Emirates Towers.

The first day has several public sessions:

• Move | The District, run by Technogym, outdoors at Emirates Towers, 5.30am to 8.30pm.
• A welcome keynote, “A Big Welcome to Dubai Future Week”, on The Big Stage in the Museum of the Future Auditorium, 9.30am to 9.45am.
• The AI Grandmaster Challenge, in the Challenge Dome outdoors in The District, 10am to 5pm.
• An author talk and book signing for “The Future: A User’s Guide” with Florence Gaub, at the Book Corner on The Prototype Floor, 10am to 11am.
• TED talks on The Big Stage: Ma Yansong, “Why We Need to Think Outside the Box”, 10.30am to 10.40am; Danny Hillis, on humankind’s entanglement with technology, 10.45am to 10.55am; and Thomas Gruber, “What if AI Worked Only for You?”, 11am to 11.10am.

The invite-only STARS keynotes that morning include Roy Casagranda on how research and development has built nations, and Carlo Ratti on sensing what a city does to the body.

The Big Stage will host talks and discussions at the Museum of the Future Auditorium, with live debates, simulations and open discussions that let audiences contribute directly.

The Challenge is for talent in AI, robotics and foresight, with the third edition of the AI Grandmaster competition alongside robotics and technology contests, hackathons and virtual simulations.

The Pitch lets entrepreneurs present ideas to expert judges and compete for investment. The Policy Room and 500 Future Minds are closed-door formats, the first on policy and regulation for AI, data governance and emerging technologies, the second on the future of Dubai’s key sectors.

The District is the public-facing space, with interactive experiences spanning technology, art, sport, culture, food and community.

When: November 18 to 21, 2026. Public sessions on November 18 run from 5.30am to 8.30pm, depending on the session.
Where: Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future, Dubai.
Price: not published.
Tickets: register through dubaifutureweek.com or the event app.