Frontier tech and digital economy: AIBC Eurasia opens in Dubai as organisers unveil 2026 roadmap and delegates raise over €100K for charity
AIBC Eurasia opened its doors this morning at the Festival Arena in Dubai Festival City, marking the first day of the summit’s sixth edition and the start of what organisers describe as a year-defining global tour for frontier technology across Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
The event is expected to welcome almost 15,000 attendees over the week, with 300 speakers and more than 250 exhibitors and sponsors, as Dubai hosts one of the earliest major gatherings of the year for AI, blockchain, Web3, digital finance and emerging technologies.
Press conference: “All roads lead to Rome”
Ahead of the opening programme, AIBC and Affiliate Grand Slam (AGS) held a joint press conference at Dubai Festival Arena, where both brands outlined their 2026 calendars.
Rome was confirmed as the flagship destination for both platforms, with AIBC World and AGS Rome set for 02–05 November 2026 at Fiera Roma. The organisers said the Rome programme is being built at large scale, targeting 30,000 delegates, 300 speakers, eight halls and five stages.
“AIBC World 2026 is not simply the next edition of our flagship event,” said Olga Yaroshevsky, Managing Director of AIBC, speaking in Dubai. “It’s the moment when AIBC becomes a global bridge between crypto, blockchain, emerging tech and real-world business at enterprise scale. All roads lead to Rome this November.”
Relaunching AGS
Sabrina Magri, Managing Director of AGS, announced that the brand is returning in a revamped format as a multi-vertical meeting point for the affiliate and performance marketing industry, spanning e-commerce, fintech, lead generation and mobile apps.
“Affiliate Grand Slam is built for the entire ecosystem, affiliates, advertisers, platforms, tools and networks, where traffic becomes revenue at scale,” she said. “Rome 2026 is just the beginning. It’s designed to deliver measurable business outcomes through high-intent conversations and direct access to decision-makers.”
Eurasia Awards night raises over €100K
The opening of the conference follows an awards evening on 9 February, when the Eurasia Awards took place at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, bringing delegates together for a sit-down dinner, ceremony and charity auction.
The auction night raised over €100,000, with proceeds supporting education and healthcare initiatives around the world.
What’s ahead today: keynotes, panels and the AIBC Awards
Today’s programme continues with keynote addresses and panels focused on regulation, payments infrastructure and digital-asset adoption, including sessions on stablecoins in the Gulf economy, tokenisation of real-world assets, and compliance challenges and opportunities for blockchain and crypto.
AIBC Eurasia is also hosting networking events throughout the day at Dubai Festival City, culminating this evening with the AIBC Awards at the Al Baraha Ballroom, InterContinental Dubai Festival City.
A number of government dignitaries, policymakers and regulators are attending across the summit programme, as Dubai continues to position itself as a regional centre for digital-asset policy, innovation and cross-border investment.
Among those participating are Dr Marwan Alzarouni, CEO of the Dubai Blockchain Center; H.E. Maria Camilleri Calleja, Ambassador of Malta to the UAE and Permanent Representative to IRENA; Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA FinTech Association; and Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta, Chairman of the Middle East Stablecoin Association.
A full conference agenda continues tomorrow, followed by the summit’s closing celebrations.
