Founders From Five Continents Head to Dubai for Expand North Star 2026

This December, Dubai becomes a meeting point for founders from five continents. Expand North Star 2026, the startup and investor showcase that sits alongside GITEX GLOBAL, will bring national pavilions, trade agencies and AI startups from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East to the city.

The programme opens with the GITEX Summit on 7 December at Dubai World Trade Centre, followed by the startup exhibition at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai from 8 to 10 December. GITEX GLOBAL itself runs until 11 December. It is the first year the two shows come back together under one roof at Expo City, part of the move of GITEX to December.

Who is coming

Canada, Italy and Thailand lead the international line up, with major delegations from Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine and Serbia, and participation from Austria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Mauritania, Oman, the Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The Canada Startup Association, here for a third year, will have its first national pavilion, with founders working on everything from AI business tools to cardiovascular health apps and advanced photonics. On 7 December it co-hosts the first Canada Mobility Summit with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. “Dubai puts investors and potential customers in multiple international markets within reach of our Canadian founders,” said Hammad Siddiqui, the association’s Executive Director.

Thirty Italian startups and SMEs arrive with the Italian Trade Agency, including an AI platform that the delegation says can cut energy use in industrial pumping by up to 60 per cent and technology that detects AI cloned voices. “We want our people to go home from Dubai with some hard nosed opportunities for growth,” said Valerio Soldani, ITA’s Trade Commissioner to the UAE and Oman.

Thailand brings 12 companies and the Thai MarTech Association, focused on AI, agritech, climate and marketing technology. “The UAE is an important gateway for our technology companies into the Middle East and North Africa,” said Pitichai Ratananaka, Executive Director of the Thai Trade Center Dubai.

What is new this year

ScaleX connects high growth companies with investors and corporate buyers, and Supernova 0X returns with equity free cash prizes. New for 2026 are GITEX Healthtech, the ENS Founders Academy, where entrepreneurs learn from investors and unicorn builders, and Apollo100, which promotes business opportunities across 100 destinations.

Expand North Star is organised by inD, with Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy as Digital Economy Partner.

Expand North Star 2026
7 December, Dubai World Trade Centre
8 to 10 December, Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai
Web: expandnorthstar.com