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- The event attracted more than 18,000 visitors, 160 exhibitors, and 150 speakers from 80 countries.
- Days two and three featured high-level dialogues and impactful alliances
- Focus areas include artificial intelligence, digital payments, and cross border trade
- Broad international participation reinforced Dubai’s position as a global hub for digital commerce
- International recognition for organizational excellence and practical outcomes that enhance the sector’s future readiness
- Amna Lootah: A new step in consolidating Dubai’s position as a global capital for digital economy and smart trade
- Nart: Organizational success and wide international participation reflect a clear consensus to accelerate digital transformation
Dubai, UAE — 14 February 2026: Hosted at Dubai CommerCity and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), ‘WORLDEF Dubai 2026’ concluded after three days of high-level strategic dialogue, reflecting the global momentum across the digital commerce ecosystem.
Held in Dubai for the second consecutive year, the forum convened more than 18,000 visitors, decision makers, founders, investors, and experts from more than 80 countries, underscoring the growing dynamism of Dubai’s digital trade ecosystem and reinforcing the emirate’s role as a global platform for dialogue and for shaping the future of the digital economy.
The event explored the future of digital commerce and its integration with AI, cybersecurity, supply chains, and cashless payment solutions, while assessing the outlook for cross border trade in the coming decade amid rapid transformation across the global digital economy.
Her Excellency Amna Lootah, Director General of Dubai CommerCity and Director General of the Dubai Airport Freezone, stated that the forum does not merely keep pace with global shifts in digital trade, it helps shape them. She noted that the platform brought policy and technology together with capital and innovation, enhancing the readiness of Dubai’s economic ecosystem for the next phase and adding a new step in consolidating the emirate’s position as a global capital for the digital economy and smart trade, in alignment with Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
Omar Nart, Chief Executive Officer of WORLDEF, said: ‘Over the past 3 days, WORLDEF Dubai 2026 created a space for bringing together perspectives and building alliances that will shape the next phase of digital commerce. The outcomes went beyond discussions, translating into practical recommendations that strengthen global digital commerce integration. We commend the organisational success and the broad international participation, which reflected a clear consensus on accelerating the pace of digital transformation and enhancing market readiness to meet the demands of the digital economy with confidence and efficiency’.
Sessions such as ‘From Paper to Platforms: How Automation, AI, and Data Are Redefining Fulfillment Operations’ highlighted the role of advanced technologies in redefining supply chains and logistics within a rapidly expanding digital trade environment. Participants included Abdulrahman Shahin, Senior Vice President of Operations at Dubai CommerCity, Vikrant Khare, Chief Business Officer at Jeebly LLC, and Nabeel Alkharabsheh, General Manager of Zajel.
Participants emphasised that automation helps reduce human error and enhance operational efficiency, while predictive analytics enables route optimisation and minimises delays across different stages of the supply chain. They also highlighted the importance of integration between the public and private sectors to support modern logistics systems, alongside investing in workforce skills development as a key pillar of transformation. They noted that sustainability is now directly linked to improving efficiency and reducing operational waste.
A session titled ‘AI, Cybersecurity & Digital Trust: The New Competitive Advantage in the Digital Economy’ examined the importance of building advanced protection frameworks and strengthening trust in digital transactions. Abdullah Lootah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HexaPrime Technologies, and Emmanuel Legros, Director of Strategy and Marketing at THALES, affirmed that cybersecurity has become a core pillar of competitiveness for digital enterprises.
The session addressed the dual nature of artificial intelligence as both a defensive and offensive tool, within a security landscape that is gradually evolving into an ‘AI versus AI’ environment. Speakers stressed that regulatory compliance forms the foundation for building trust, and that governance and human skills are just as important as technological solutions. They also underscored that cybersecurity is a continuous process with no end point, requiring integration from the early stages of the product lifecycle, and early preparedness for post-quantum encryption challenges, viewing it as a strategic licence to operate rather than simply a compliance cost.
The session ‘The Future of Cashless: Trends in Digital Payments’ explored rapid shifts in payment solutions, with participation from Otto Abasi Williams SVP, PayPal World, Regional Head and GM Middle East and Africa at PayPal, and Sumit Arora, Chief Executive Officer for the middle east at WorldFirst. Both speakers highlighted the importance of striking a balance between speed and security.
Speakers noted that the shift towards cashless payments is driven by convenience, certainty and trust, amid the growing reliance on mobile phones and instant payment systems. They added that artificial intelligence is strengthening fraud detection capabilities, often even before a transaction is completed.
They also emphasised that cross-border trade has become essential for growth, and that small and medium-sized enterprises require financial infrastructure comparable to that available to large corporations. Speed remains the main challenge in international payments, while innovation in stablecoins and blockchain technologies plays a key role in enabling instant settlements, alongside the importance of unified digital infrastructure to facilitate integration between markets.
The session ‘Commerce Without Borders: The Next Decade of Digital Trade’ outlined the future trajectory of cross-border trade, with participation from Ozan Acar, Head of Global Affairs at Trendyol. He emphasized the need to remove regulatory barriers and strengthen integration between regional and global markets to enable companies to expand internationally with confidence and efficiency.
Discussions highlighted the role of trade in advancing economic integration and supporting prosperity, while noting challenges related to customs procedures, consumer protection, payment systems, and regulatory differences across markets. Participants explained that digital platforms are no longer merely sales marketplaces but have evolved into infrastructure providers that transfer institutional trust to small businesses. They stressed the need to include digital trade within free trade agreements, describing Africa as a promising growth market (contingent on infrastructure). They also warned agianst excessive protectionism, while regional integration represents the most sustainable path for future growth.
The accompanying exhibition brought together 160+ exhibitors, serving as an interactive platform to showcase technology and logistics solutions and to build strategic partnerships across global and regional players. A closing ceremony honored speakers, partners and sponsors, reflecting the forum’s spirit of international collaboration and consolidating ‘WORLDEF Dubai 2026’ as a global platform for shaping the future of digital trade and as a key enabler of Dubai’s journey toward a more integrated, innovative and sustainable digital economy.
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