RISE Summit 2026 was held at Dubai World Trade Centre on October 14, under the theme ‘Recharging Momentum in Global Economies’. The summit brought together investors, policymakers, developers and industry decision-makers to explore how investment priorities are changing and how these are affecting global markets and various sectors. The participants also looked at new models of urban growth.
The UAE’s broader economic transformation was also a central theme of the summit. Speaking during ‘From Resilience to Opportunity in a Realigning World’, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, highlighted the country’s focus on building a more productive economy.
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He explained: “When you ask about 2027, we're not going to come back to the same economy. We're going to have a different economy in 2027, a more productive economy.”
The summit opened with its Global Leaders Series, which examined how and why the investment landscape is changing. In the session ‘The Great Capital Shift,’ José Manuel Barroso, Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs and former President of the European Commission, examined how geopolitical and economic realignment is changing perceptions of where capital can be deployed safely and productively, and which markets are emerging as beneficiaries of this shift.
This was followed by Ludovic Subran, Group Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist at Allianz, who spoke about the implications of the changing interest rates for institutional investors in ‘Long-Term Capital in a Higher-Rate World’.
Stressing the need for investors to adapt to a rapidly evolving global landscape, Barroso said: “We are witnessing a fundamental change. This is not only geopolitical; it is also a scientific and technological revolution, and the way we allocate capital is going to change phenomenally. Long-term investors need to think strategically about what will change markets in the years ahead – energy, infrastructure, technology and defence. Don’t pay any price for growth, keep some liquidity and, above all, diversify – geographically and across sectors. For me, that is the key.”
Barroso added: “Global competition is going to continue. The US will remain the central part of the world economy because of the pre-eminence of the dollar, its advances in innovation and science and its geopolitical power. At the same time, global investors will not want to be so heavily exposed to the US, so there will be diversification. The Gulf has been wise in keeping its options open, using its centrality to play an articulation role between new destinations for investment.”
Looking beyond the AI investment boom
Subran highlighted the increasing influence of AI investment on economic momentum, while warning of growing caution across the wider economy. With data-centre investment and AI-related capital expenditure continuing to underpin growth, he wondered what could emerge as the next major economic driver.
He said: “My main concern is whether the US can sustain the momentum we have seen so far with what is coming in 2027. Global trade is in recession this year if you take out AI, which shows how much the AI economy and data-centre capex are driving global and US growth. At some point that will inflect, and we need to understand what comes next. Outside AI, firms are already very cautious about the future and about making their next investment.”
Subran also pointed to a changing role for real assets within institutional portfolios, as the boundaries between real estate, infrastructure and technology become increasingly blurred.
He said: “Real estate is really morphing into something much more complicated. The lines between real estate and infrastructure are getting blurred, particularly across logistics and warehousing, creating interesting opportunities for portfolio construction.”
Deepening global appeal through local strength
Dubai’s own development trajectory formed another major strand of discussion. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Managing Director of Emaar Properties, examined the role of long-term conviction in city-building and why major development can continue through changing market cycles, while Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) explored the economic architecture underpinning Dubai’s resilience and the next phase of growth under the D33 Economic Agenda.
Kazim said: “When we started our D33 strategy, we focused on industries including logistics, manufacturing, financial services and tourism. None of these were new industries for us; we were already strong in them, but perhaps we were not as vocal about them. Today, we are doubling down on those strengths. Companies establish their regional headquarters in Dubai not simply for the four million residents here, but because of the global population and markets they can reach from Dubai.”
Tourism remains central to this proposition, with Kazim emphasising the value of attracting visitors who develop a lasting relationship with the city and become advocates for Dubai beyond their initial stay.
Beyond the macroeconomic outlook, RISE Summit examined how changing investment priorities are translating into opportunities across the built environment and the infrastructure needed to support future economic growth.