Dubai and UAE events calendar 2026–2028: dates, venues and when to book transport

The UAE’s event season runs from October to May, and the heaviest weeks are in November and December. For the rest of 2026, the dates that shape transport are ADIPEC (2–5 November), the Emirates Dubai 7s (27–29 November), the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (3–6 December), GITEX Global (7–11 December) and New Year’s Eve. In 2027 the big ones are World Health Expo in January, Gulfood and the Dubai World Cup in March, and the Dubai Airshow in November.

We plan event limousine and chauffeur transport for all of these from our dispatch desk in Business Bay, so this calendar is written the way we plan it: by venue, by traffic clash and by how early the right cars get booked. Every event below has its own guide, with dates checked against the organiser or venue in October 2026. Where a 2027 or 2028 date hasn’t been published, we say so and give the usual month.

Dubai and UAE events October–December 2026

Dates	Event	Venue	Transport tip
10 Oct–19 Dec	Abu Dhabi Festival	Etihad Arena, Emirates Palace and other Abu Dhabi venues	Leave Dubai by 6pm for an 8pm show
14 Oct–May 2027	Global Village Season 31	Global Village, Dubailand (off E311)	Park open to 1am; pre-book the ride home
20–22 Oct	WETEX and World Green Economy Summit	Dubai World Trade Centre	Halls span the whole site; drop at your hall’s gate
22–26 Oct	Dubai Fashion Week	Dubai Design District (d3)	No metro at d3; hourly hire for evening shows
23–25 Oct	HYROX Abu Dhabi	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Check-in opens 90 minutes before your division
24 Oct	UFC 333, Abu Dhabi Showdown Week	Etihad Arena, Yas Island	Pre-book a pickup away from the taxi rank
27 Oct–13 Jan	Al Dhafra Festival	Al Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi	Almost three hours from Downtown; pair it with Liwa
30 Oct–14 Mar	Sheikh Zayed Festival	Al Wathba South, Abu Dhabi	Saturday fireworks: leave Downtown by 5:30pm
31 Oct–29 Nov	Dubai Fitness Challenge	Citywide	Dubai Run closes Sheikh Zayed Road on 22 Nov
2–5 Nov	ADIPEC	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Daily commute from Dubai; leave by 7:30am
2–3 Nov	Dubai FinTech Summit	Madinat Jumeirah	Keep a car waiting for DIFC meetings
3–8 Nov	Dubai Design Week	d3	Evening openings; book 10pm pickups
3–5 Nov	Gulfood Manufacturing	Dubai World Trade Centre	ADIPEC week, so cars go early
4–15 Nov	Sharjah International Book Fair	Expo Centre Sharjah	Visit late morning; avoid the evening Dubai–Sharjah peak
5–8 Nov	Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship (golf)	Yas Links, Yas Island	No course parking: Yas Mall park-and-ride or drop-off
6 Nov–12 Mar	Dubai Racing Carnival	Meydan Racecourse	Friday nights; book the car home after the last race
7–20 Nov	Abu Dhabi T10	Zayed Cricket Stadium	8pm matches finish late; pre-book the return
8 Nov	Diwali in Dubai	Souk Al Seef, Bur Dubai and Jebel Ali	Timed pickups at Al Seef and the Jebel Ali temple
8–15 Nov	Dubai Premier Padel P1	Hamdan Sports Complex	Global Village traffic on weekend evenings
10–12 Nov	Automechanika Dubai	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	First year at Expo City; book the return leg too
10–12 Nov	GESS Dubai	Dubai World Trade Centre	Avoid Sheikh Zayed Road from 5pm to 7pm
12–15 Nov	DP World Tour Championship	Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course	Pre-book parking or use the metro shuttle
13–22 Nov	World Triathlon Championships Abu Dhabi	Hudayriyat Island	Early starts; stay in Abu Dhabi, SUV for bikes
16–18 Nov	World Police Summit	Dubai World Trade Centre	The 9am opening hits the morning peak
18–21 Nov	Dubai Future Week	Emirates Towers and Museum of the Future	Red Line, or a chauffeur waiting off Sheikh Zayed Road
19–22 Nov	Spartan World Championship	Al Wathba desert, Abu Dhabi	No public transport; book the return from Al Wathba
19–22 Nov	Abu Dhabi International Boat Show	ADNEC Marina Hall	Leave Dubai by 12:30pm; pre-book the 10pm return
19–22 Nov	Frieze Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi Art)	Manarat Al Saadiyat	Leave Downtown by 12:15pm for the 2pm opening
21 Nov–20 Dec	ILT20 season 5	Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah stadiums	Leave Dubai by 4:30pm for out-of-town matches
21–22 Nov	Icons of Porsche	The Square, Nad Al Sheba	New venue off Al Ain Road; book the 11pm pickup
22 Nov	Dubai Run	Sheikh Zayed Road	Road closed from the early hours; take the metro in
23–26 Nov	Big 5 Global	Dubai World Trade Centre	Teams travel together: one van or coach, one gate
25–29 Nov	Dubai International Boat Show	Dubai Harbour	Free shuttles from the metro and tram
27–28 Nov	HYROX Dubai	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Book the return before your wave starts
27–29 Nov	Emirates Dubai 7s	The Sevens Stadium, Al Ain Road	Late finishes; pre-book the ride home
2–3 Dec	UAE National Day	Citywide	Pick one fireworks venue per night
3–6 Dec	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (F1)	Yas Marina Circuit	Race-day return is the hard part
4 Dec–17 Jan	Dubai Shopping Festival	Citywide	Hourly hire for mall days
7–11 Dec	GITEX Global	DWTC (Summit) and Dubai Exhibition Centre (expo)	First year at Expo City; plan for longer drives
7–10 Dec	Abu Dhabi Finance Week	Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi	Same week as the UN Water Conference
8–10 Dec	Expand North Star	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Moved from Dubai Harbour; Red Line to Expo 2020
8–10 Dec	MEBAA Show	DWC, Dubai Airshow site	Same week as GITEX; arrive before 9:30am
8–10 Dec	UN Water Conference 2026	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Leave Dubai by 7:45am
December	Hatta Festival	Hatta	Take the E102; plan the dark drive back
11 Dec–2 Jan	Liwa Festival	Tal Moreeb, Liwa	345 km from Downtown: stay overnight, book a 4x4
11–13 Dec	Sole DXB	The Square, Nad Al Sheba	Pre-book the late ride home
12 Dec	ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon	Abu Dhabi Corniche	Runners leave Dubai by 3:30am
19 Dec	FEI Endurance World Championship	Butheeb, Al Khatim, Abu Dhabi	Sleep in Abu Dhabi the night before
25 Dec	Christmas in Dubai	Festive markets and churches	A working day; book Christmas Eve returns early
28–29 Dec	World Sports Summit	Dubai	Land VIPs a day early; NYE closures follow
31 Dec	New Year’s Eve	Burj Khalifa and sites across Dubai	Road closures start in the afternoon

The two main business venues publish their full listings: see the Dubai World Trade Centre events calendar and the Dubai Exhibition Centre what’s on page.

Dubai and UAE events 2027

Dates	Event	Venue	Transport tip
10–14 Jan	Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and WFES	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Opening day doors 7:30am: leave Dubai by 5:45am
12–14 Jan	Intersec	Dubai World Trade Centre	Give the driver your hall’s gate
17 Jan	Dubai Marathon	Umm Suqeim, from Dubai Police Academy	Roads close from 1am; drop runners on Al Wasl Road
21–24 Jan	Hero Dubai Desert Classic	Emirates Golf Club	No public parking: metro or drop-off
25–29 Jan	IDEX and NAVDEX	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Leave Downtown by 7am for 9am doors
25–28 Jan	World Health Expo (WHX)	Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC	Two venues: split the cars by zone
26–28 Jan	World of Coffee Dubai	DWTC, Za’abeel Halls	WHX shares DWTC that week
30 Jan–6 Feb	Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open	Zayed Sports City	Arrive before the afternoon Darb peak
1–3 Feb	World Governments Summit	Dubai	Protocol-heavy week; access by permit near the venue
3–6 Feb and 15–21 Feb	UAE Tour (women’s and men’s races)	Stages across the UAE	Rolling closures on that day’s route
February	Sharjah Light Festival	Sites across Sharjah	Hourly hire to see several sites in one evening
14–27 Feb	Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships	Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Garhoud	Evening sessions, close to DXB
3–20 Mar	Dubai Polo Gold Cup	Al Habtoor Polo Resort	No metro; match cars to your parking passes
About 9–10 Mar	Eid Al Fitr	Citywide	Book airport runs a week ahead
15–19 Mar	Gulfood	DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre	Two venues again; plan one crossing a day
19–21 Mar	UNTOLD Dubai	Dubai Parks and Resorts	Entry until 3am; the metro stops earlier
27 Mar	Dubai World Cup	Meydan Racecourse	Dress code applies to the whole car’s passengers
7–11 Apr	Art Dubai	Madinat Jumeirah	Book luxury cars early for the VIP days
April	Emirates Airline Festival of Literature	Dubai (venue to be announced)	Hourly hire for multi-session days
17–26 Apr	Abu Dhabi International Book Fair	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	One minibus beats several cars for school groups
21–22 Apr	TOKEN2049 Dubai	Madinat Jumeirah	Hourly hire for the side-event week
3–6 May	Arabian Travel Market	Dubai World Trade Centre	GISEC runs at Expo City the same week
4–6 May	GISEC Global	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Overlaps ATM, so book cars early
11–13 May	Middle East Energy	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Moved to Expo City; buses suit stand crews
About 16 May	Eid Al Adha	Citywide	Avoid the last working afternoon before the break
1–3 Jun	INDEX Dubai	Dubai World Trade Centre	June heat: door-to-door drops
July–August	Dubai Summer Surprises	Malls citywide	The car waits at each mall door, out of the heat
27 Aug–5 Sep	ADIHEX	ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi	Open till 10pm; drive back on quiet roads
19–21 Oct	Beautyworld Middle East	Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Moved from DWTC; allow time for badges
28–31 Oct	Dubai Muscle Show	Dubai World Trade Centre	Weekend crowds: pre-book the ride home
29 Oct	Diwali in Dubai	Al Seef and Jebel Ali	Temple traffic peaks in the evening
15–19 Nov	Dubai Airshow	DWC, Dubai Airshow site	Biennial; trade visitors only
15–19 Nov	Apimondia 2027	Dubai (venue to be announced)	Same dates as the Airshow; book early
17–21 Nov	Dubai Watch Week	Burj Park, Downtown Dubai	Overlaps the Airshow; book Downtown cars early
2–3 Dec	UAE National Day	Citywide	Thursday–Friday, so a four-day weekend
10–12 Dec	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (F1), first Abu Dhabi Sprint	Yas Marina Circuit	Pre-book the race-night pickup at Yas Mall

Many autumn 2027 dates aren’t out yet. These events run every year in roughly the same slot, and each guide gives the usual window: Global Village Season 32 (mid-October), Dubai Comedy Festival (October), Gulfood Manufacturing and ADIPEC (early November), Abu Dhabi Art and the Abu Dhabi Boat Show (November), DP World Tour Championship (mid-November), Big 5 Global and the Dubai 7s (late November), and GITEX and the Dubai Shopping Festival (December).

What’s confirmed for 2028?

Few 2028 dates are fixed this far out, but the pattern is predictable. Use this table to block the weeks; the linked guides get the confirmed dates as organisers publish them.

Event	2028 status
UCI Road World Championships	Abu Dhabi, reported for 22–29 October 2028
Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha	Expected around 26 February and 5 May 2028, subject to moon sighting
Diwali	Tuesday 17 October 2028
UAE National Day	2 December 2028 falls on a weekend
Dubai Airshow, IDEX, Dubai Watch Week	No edition: all three run in odd-numbered years
MEBAA Show	Expected December 2028 (even years)
Gulfood, WHX, World Governments Summit	Not announced; usually January to March
GITEX Global, ADIPEC, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Not announced; usually October to December

What’s happening in the UAE month by month?

October to December 2026

October is warm-up month. WETEX fills Dubai World Trade Centre, Global Village opens for its 31st season, and Abu Dhabi Showdown Week brings UFC to Etihad Arena. The two big heritage festivals in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra and Sheikh Zayed, both open before the month is out.

November is the most crowded month on the calendar. ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Design Week at d3 and Gulfood Manufacturing at DWTC overlap in the first week, with the Sharjah book fair and Diwali on top. The middle of the month brings the DP World Tour Championship, the T10 and the start of the Racing Carnival. The last ten days are the busiest of the year for group transport: ILT20 starts, Dubai Run closes Sheikh Zayed Road, Big 5 Global takes DWTC, two boat shows run in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the Emirates Dubai 7s closes the month on Al Ain Road.

December stacks mega-events back to back. UAE National Day opens the month, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix runs 3–6 December, and GITEX Global starts the next day. For 2026, GITEX has moved from its usual October slot to December and its expo halls sit at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City rather than DWTC, with Expand North Star and the MEBAA business aviation show running the same week nearby. Abu Dhabi has its own pile-up: Finance Week and the UN Water Conference overlap from 7 to 10 December. Then the Dubai Shopping Festival and New Year’s Eve take over the city.

January to March 2027

January is the trade-show month: Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Intersec, then a final week where IDEX in Abu Dhabi, World Health Expo (formerly Arab Health) and World of Coffee all overlap. The Dubai Marathon and the Desert Classic fill the weekends. February is protocol and tennis: the World Governments Summit, the UAE Tour, then a fortnight of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Garhoud.

Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year, so in 2027 it falls across February and early March. Traffic patterns change in the holy month, and we cover that in our Ramadan guide to getting around Dubai.

March closes the season with two heavyweights. Gulfood runs 15–19 March 2027 across DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre, and the Dubai World Cup is on Saturday 27 March 2027 at Meydan. The Polo Gold Cup and UNTOLD Dubai fill the evenings in between.

April to September 2027

Art Dubai returns to Madinat Jumeirah from 7–11 April, and TOKEN2049 follows at the same venue later in the month. Arabian Travel Market is back in its May slot at DWTC (3–6 May 2027) after the 2026 edition moved to September, and GISEC and Middle East Energy now run at Expo City. After May, the heat thins out the outdoor calendar; INDEX in June, Dubai Summer Surprises and ADIHEX in late August carry the quieter months.

October to December 2027

The 2027 autumn looks like 2026, with two big changes. The Dubai Airshow is biennial and returns 15–19 November 2027 at the Dubai Airshow site at DWC, the same week as Apimondia and Dubai Watch Week. Expect that week to be the tightest of 2027 for executive cars. And the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix moves a week later, to 10–12 December 2027, with the first Sprint race held at Yas Marina.

When should you book transport for UAE events?

Book your cars at the same time as your hotel for any show that fills the city. That’s the rule we give every client, and it matters most for the SUVs and vans, which run out first because delegations and families all want them.

Event type	Examples	When to book	Car we’d suggest
Mega trade shows	GITEX, Gulfood, WHX, Big 5, ADIPEC, IDEX	When you book flights and hotel	Business sedans for individuals; V-Class or Staria for teams
Race meetings and sports	Dubai World Cup, Abu Dhabi GP, Dubai 7s, ILT20, DP World Tour Championship	As soon as you have tickets	Large SUV for groups; S-Class for hospitality guests
Protocol and summits	World Governments Summit, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, UN Water Conference	As soon as the delegation list exists	First-class sedans, matching cars for convoys
Festivals and seasons	Global Village, Sheikh Zayed Festival, Dubai Shopping Festival	A few days ahead; earlier for weekends	SUV or van for families, with a fixed pickup point
Concerts and shows	Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai Opera, Etihad Arena	A few days ahead; earlier for weekends	Sedan or SUV with a fixed pickup point
New Year’s Eve and National Day	Downtown, Palm, Marina	Weeks ahead, and plan the timing with us	Hourly hire, not a one-way drop

For large groups, our V-Class with chauffeur seats six passengers with luggage and keeps a team together between hotel and hall. Above that, we arrange minibuses and coaches through our bus rental service.

Where are the UAE’s main event venues?

The venue decides the traffic, the metro option and where a chauffeur can wait. Here is the short version; each linked guide goes gate by gate.

Venue	Area	Nearest metro	What to know
Dubai World Trade Centre	Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre district	World Trade Center (Red Line)	Multi-storey car parks by hall; drop-off depends on your hall. See our DWTC parking guide
Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City	Dubai South	Expo 2020 (Red Line)	Expo City parking plus shuttles; see how to get to Expo City
Madinat Jumeirah	Umm Suqeim	None close by	Hosts Art Dubai, TOKEN2049 and the FinTech Summit
Dubai Design District (d3)	Next to Business Bay	None close by	Design Week and Fashion Week; book evening pickups
Meydan Racecourse	Nad Al Sheba	None close by	About 10 km from Downtown
The Sevens Stadium	Dubai–Al Ain Road (E66)	None	15,000 parking spaces, free festival buses at night
Coca-Cola Arena	City Walk	Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall	17,000 capacity, paid parking, no valet. See the arena parking guide
Dubai Opera	Downtown Dubai	Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall	Opera parking on level B2 via Entrance C. See the Dubai Opera guide
Yas Marina Circuit and Etihad Arena	Yas Island, Abu Dhabi	None	Park at Yas Mall and shuttle in
ADNEC Centre	Abu Dhabi city	None	Event parking varies by show; check your badge
Expo Centre Sharjah	Al Khan, Sharjah	None	The evening Dubai–Sharjah peak is the problem

Concerts in Dubai: arenas, shows and getting home

Most concerts in Dubai happen at Coca-Cola Arena in City Walk and Dubai Opera in Downtown; in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Arena on Yas Island hosts the big tours and the Grand Prix after-race concerts. Outdoor festivals such as UNTOLD and Sole DXB, and the fireworks nights of the Dubai Shopping Festival, add to the list in winter.

The arrival is easy. The exit is where plans fail. Seventeen thousand people leaving Coca-Cola Arena at the same moment means ride-hailing surge, a full taxi queue and gridlock on the City Walk access roads. We handle this by agreeing a pickup point away from the main entrances before the show and sending the car there 15 minutes before the encore. Your chauffeur waits nearby, not in the drop-off lane, and messages you when he’s in position.

Which weeks will be hardest to move around?

Clashes matter more than any single event. These are the weeks we plan furthest ahead for.

1. 2–8 November 2026. ADIPEC pulls Dubai-based delegates to Abu Dhabi each morning while Dubai Design Week, Gulfood Manufacturing and the FinTech Summit run in Dubai. Early starts on Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi.
2. 19–29 November 2026. Two boat shows, Frieze Abu Dhabi, the ILT20 opener, Dubai Run, Big 5 Global and the Dubai 7s weekend. Group transport is tight all week.
3. 3–13 December 2026. The Grand Prix weekend runs straight into GITEX, Expand North Star and MEBAA in Dubai and Finance Week and the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. Cars that spent Sunday night at Yas Island are needed at Expo City on Monday morning.
4. 31 December. Nothing else compares for road closures in Downtown.
5. 25–29 January 2027. IDEX in Abu Dhabi, WHX across two Dubai venues and World of Coffee at DWTC in the same week.
6. 15–27 March 2027. Gulfood week, then Dubai World Cup day at Meydan the following Saturday.
7. 15–21 November 2027. Dubai Airshow, Apimondia and Dubai Watch Week together.

Our Dubai rush hour guide covers the normal daily peaks; event weeks sit on top of those.

How to plan transport for a multi-day event

This is the process we run with corporate and event clients before any big week.

1. Send the full schedule up front. Hotel, venue, dinners, airport departures. We plan the week as one job.
2. Match cars to groups. One executive gets a sedan. Four people with bags get an SUV. Five or six colleagues share a van.
3. Fix a daily pickup point at the venue. Every big venue has an official drop-off zone; we agree a named pickup point and keep it all week.
4. Choose hourly or point-to-point. For back-to-back meetings, hourly hire keeps a car on standby. For hotel-to-hall runs, fixed transfers cost less.
5. Plan the exit as carefully as the arrival. Show closing times are the peak. Build 15–20 minutes of slack into the evening plan.
6. Keep one contact. Your chauffeur’s number and our dispatch line on WhatsApp for changes.

For exhibitions specifically, see our exhibition and conference transport page.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest events in Dubai?

For transport planning, the events with the biggest impact are GITEX Global, Gulfood, World Health Expo, the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Airshow (odd-numbered years), the Dubai Shopping Festival and New Year’s Eve at Burj Khalifa. Global Village draws the most visitors over its season. The Emirates Dubai 7s and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, just down the road, are the biggest sporting weekends for Dubai residents and visitors.

What events are on in Dubai in November 2026?

November 2026 is the busiest month of the year. It includes Dubai Design Week (3–8 November), Gulfood Manufacturing (3–5 November), Automechanika at Expo City (10–12 November), the DP World Tour Championship (12–15 November), Dubai Run on Sheikh Zayed Road (22 November), Big 5 Global (23–26 November), the Dubai International Boat Show (25–29 November) and the Emirates Dubai 7s (27–29 November). ADIPEC runs in Abu Dhabi on 2–5 November.

Is GITEX still held in October?

Not in 2026. GITEX Global 2026 runs 7–11 December, with the expo at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City. Previous editions were held in October at Dubai World Trade Centre, so check any older travel plan against the new dates and venue. See our GITEX transport guide for the current schedule.

Is there a Dubai Airshow in 2026?

No. The Dubai Airshow runs every two years in November. The 2025 edition ran 17–21 November, and the next one is 15–19 November 2027 at the Dubai Airshow site at DWC. It is a trade show for industry professionals, so plan transport around badge holders rather than the public.

What festivals are happening in the UAE in winter 2026–27?

Global Village (from 14 October), the Sheikh Zayed Festival at Al Wathba (from 30 October), the Al Dhafra and Liwa festivals in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, Dubai Design Week, the Dubai Shopping Festival (4 December to 17 January), UAE National Day fireworks on 2 December and New Year’s Eve. In February, the Sharjah Light Festival lights up buildings across Sharjah.

What events are in Abu Dhabi in 2026 and 2027?

The biggest are ADIPEC (2–5 November 2026), the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (3–6 December 2026), the UN Water Conference (8–10 December 2026), Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (January 2027), IDEX and NAVDEX (25–29 January 2027) and the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open tennis. The Sheikh Zayed Festival runs all winter at Al Wathba. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi chauffeur service covers the commute for each.

How far ahead should I book a chauffeur for a UAE event?

Book when you book your hotel for any mega trade show or race meeting, and a few days ahead for concerts and festivals. SUVs, vans and matching cars for convoys go first in November, December and March. Hourly bookings for New Year’s Eve and National Day need a plan agreed in advance because Downtown roads close in the afternoon.