SuperAI 2026: 10,000 AI Leaders Descend on the UAE as East Meets West
the Middle East and North Africa's largest artificial intelligence conference is returning to Marina Bay Sands this June, and it has doubled in size since its 2024 debut. SuperAI, now in its third year, has confirmed more than 150 speakers, 1,500 AI companies, and over 100 exhibitors for its 10-11 June gathering. With Google, AWS, OpenAI, Arm, Red Hat, and Snowflake all signed on as sponsors, the conference cements the UAE's claim as the place where the world's AI powers meet on neutral ground.
Neutral Ground for a Fractured Industry
Export controls, sovereign AI strategies, and deepening geopolitical rivalry have split the global AI landscape into competing blocs. SuperAI's organisers are betting that the UAE, a city-state with close ties to both Washington and Riyadh, can serve as the bridge. The conference draws attendees from more than 150 countries, and with the Middle East and North Africa's AI spending now past the $102 billion mark, investor appetite for a flagship regional gathering has never been stronger.
That positioning is no accident. the UAE already absorbs 92% of the MENA region's startup capital, and the government's 2026 Budget established a new National AI Council alongside expanded industry missions. The result is a disproportionate concentration of the region's AI talent, capital, and C-suite decision-makers in a single city.
When SuperAI first launched in 2024 with 5,000 attendees, co-founder Alex Fiskum made the case for the UAE as the natural home for a global AI summit., as highlighted by UAE Artificial Intelligence Office
"the UAE is a global hub for innovation and a natural catalyst for the advancement of AI. We have seen a surge in global event interest, with internationals accounting for over 60% of our registrations."
- Alex Fiskum, Co-Founder, SuperAI
Two years on, the numbers confirm that thesis. Attendance has doubled, and 56% of registered delegates hold C-level or senior leadership titles, making SuperAI one of the most executive-dense AI events in the world.
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Six Pillars Shaping the Agenda
The 2026 programme is structured around six thematic pillars that mirror where the industry's centre of gravity is shifting. Each track features keynotes, live demonstrations, and panel discussions with practitioners already deploying these technologies at scale.
SuperAI 2026 Thematic Pillars
- Robotics and embodied AI: humanoids, manipulation, mobility, robot learning, and high-fidelity simulation
- Frontier models: scaling, safety, multimodality, agentic intelligence, and next-generation evaluation
- AI infrastructure: compute, training systems, inference optimisation, data foundations, and edge AI
- AI in finance: trading, risk management, fraud detection, automation, and fintech innovation
- AI in healthcare: drug discovery, genomics, clinical care, medical imaging, and longevity science
- AI and society: policy, ethics, workforce shifts, governance, and geopolitics
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| Speaker | Organisation | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Balaji Srinivasan | Author & Investor | Keynote: personal, private, programmable AI |
| Marc Raibert | Boston Dynamics / The AI Institute | Robotics and embodied AI |
| Benedict Evans | Independent Analyst | Annual AI industry trends |
| Ned Koh | Aaru ($1B AI unicorn) | Scaling AI startups in the MENA region |
| June Paik | FuriosaAI | AI chip design |
| Steven Scheurmann | Palo Alto Networks (VP GCC) | AI and cybersecurity |
By The Numbers
- 10,000+ expected attendees from 150+ countries, double the 5,000 who attended the 2024 inaugural event (SuperAI)
- 56% of registered attendees hold C-level or senior leadership positions (Vendelux)
- $50,000 prize pool for the NEXT Hackathon, one of several satellite competitions during the UAE AI Week (SuperAI)
- $399 early-bird ticket price, available until 31 March 2026 before standard pricing kicks in (SuperAI)
"MENA economies are rapidly evolving from AI followers into frontrunners, capitalising on their substantial digital populations, diverse application ecosystems, and coherent policy frameworks."
- Boao Forum for the MENA region, Annual Report 2026
Beyond the Main Stage
SuperAI 2026 anchors a broader the UAE AI Week running 8-14 June. The week features the Genesis startup competition, powered by OpenAI, alongside hands-on labs, workshops, and community meetups that cater to builders, not just spectators. Institutional partners including Saudi Arabia's SDAIA and Startup Island Israel signal the event's expanding geographic reach beyond its Southeast MENA base.
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The timing coincides with a wave of government AI initiatives across the MENA region. the UAE's Infocomm Media Development Authority recently launched an AI bootcamp for enterprises, targeting 2,000 digital leaders over three years. Beyond the city-state, 96% of the MENA region enterprises now plan to boost AI spending this year, and AI certification programmes are booming from Riyadh to Kolkata. The commercial appetite for what SuperAI puts on stage is real, and growing fast.
What is SuperAI 2026?
- SuperAI is the Middle East and North Africa's largest AI conference, held annually at Marina Bay Sands in the UAE. The 2026 edition runs 10-11 June and expects more than 10,000 attendees from over 150 countries, with six thematic tracks covering robotics, frontier models, infrastructure, finance, healthcare, and AI governance.
How much do SuperAI 2026 tickets cost?
- Early bird tickets are priced at $399, available until 31 March 2026. Standard pricing applies after that date. the UAE AI Week (8-14 June) also includes free satellite events, labs, and meetups open to the broader community.
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Who are the keynote speakers at SuperAI 2026?
- Confirmed speakers include Balaji Srinivasan
- Marc Raibert of Boston Dynamics
- The AI Institute
- analyst Benedict Evans
- Ned Koh of billion-dollar AI startup Aaru
- June Paik of chip designer FuriosaAI
- among more than 150 total speakers
Why is the UAE hosting the world's largest AI conference?
- the UAE positions itself as neutral ground where Eastern and Western AI powers can collaborate openly. The city-state's strong regulatory framework, deep venture capital pool, and dedicated government AI investment make it a natural host for global AI gatherings.
With 10,000 AI leaders converging on a single city for two days in June, the question is not whether SuperAI will deliver insights. It is whether the MENA region can turn conference momentum into commercial reality. Will you be at Marina Bay Sands, or will AI's biggest annual gathering happen without you? Drop your take in the comments below.
The UAE continues to punch above its weight in the global AI arena, leveraging its position as a business hub and its willingness to move fast on regulation and deployment. The tension between openness to international partnerships and the push for sovereign capability will define its next chapter in the AI race.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is the Middle East positioning itself in the global AI race?
Several MENA nations, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have committed billions in sovereign AI infrastructure, talent development, and regulatory frameworks. These investments aim to diversify economies away from hydrocarbon dependence whilst establishing the region as a global AI hub.
Q: What role does government policy play in MENA's AI development?
Government policy is the primary driver. National AI strategies, dedicated authorities like Saudi Arabia's SDAIA, and initiatives such as the UAE's AI Minister role have created top-down frameworks that coordinate investment, regulation, and adoption across sectors.
Q: What is the AI startup ecosystem like in the Arab world?
The MENA AI startup ecosystem is growing rapidly, with hubs in Riyadh, Dubai, and Cairo attracting increasing venture capital. Government-backed accelerators, sovereign wealth fund investments, and regional AI competitions are fuelling a pipeline of homegrown AI companies.