The UAE has become one of the world’s busiest fintech hubs, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi competing to host the founders, investors, banks and regulators shaping finance across the Middle East and Africa. That also means a crowded events calendar. Here are the 10 fintech events in the UAE we’d put in the diary for 2027, covering payments, banking, digital assets, insurtech and startup investment.
Dates checked on 30 September 2026. Where an organiser hasn’t announced its 2027 dates yet, we give the expected month based on its most recent edition, so always confirm on the official website before you book travel. Several UAE events moved their dates during 2026, so it’s worth checking twice.
UAE fintech events 2027 at a glance
| Event | City | 2027 dates | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORLDEF Dubai | Dubai | 26–28 Jan | E-commerce and payments |
| Step Dubai | Dubai | 3–4 Feb | Startups raising capital |
| FinNext Dubai 2027 | Dubai | 6 Feb | Founders, VCs and bankers |
| TOKEN2049 Dubai | Dubai | 21–22 Apr | Digital assets |
| Seamless Digital Commerce ME | Dubai | 24–26 May | Commerce and payments |
| Digital Insurance MENA | Dubai | 16–17 Jun | Insurtech |
| Middle East Banking Innovation Summit | Dubai | Expected Sep | Bank technology leaders |
| Dubai FinTech Summit | Dubai | To be announced | The DIFC fintech ecosystem |
| GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star | Dubai | Expected Dec | Tech and startup investment |
| Abu Dhabi Finance Week | Abu Dhabi | Expected Dec | Capital, digital assets and fintech |
The 10 fintech events to attend in the UAE in 2027
1. WORLDEF Dubai 2027
- When: 26–28 January 2027
- Where: Dubai CommerCity
- Best for: E-commerce, payments and digital commerce teams
An e-commerce and digital-commerce event first, with an Investment Stage and payments sessions on its Future Commerce Stage. The organisers reported more than 18,000 visitors at the previous edition. Worth a visit if your fintech sells to merchants or works in checkout, cross-border commerce or embedded payments.
2. Step Dubai 2027
- When: 3–4 February 2027
- Where: Dubai Internet City
- Best for: Startups and investors
Step isn’t a fintech-only event, but it is one of the region’s best-known startup and investor festivals, with a pitch competition and one-to-one investor meetings. It’s a useful stop for early-stage fintech founders raising their next round.
3. FinNext Dubai 2027
- When: 6 February 2027
- Where: Dubai
- Best for: Fintech founders, venture capital investors, bankers and BFSI leaders
A focused one-day fintech summit covering Gulf digital banking, Islamic fintech, virtual assets and cross-border payments across the Middle East and Africa, with investor meetings, a startup showcase and the FinNext Awards.
Full disclosure: FinNext is our own event. See passes and prices.
4. TOKEN2049 Dubai
- When: 21–22 April 2027
- Where: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
- Best for: Crypto, Web3 and digital-asset businesses, including traditional finance firms entering the space
The biggest digital-assets gathering in the UAE, run in a festival format with hundreds of side events. The organisers report more than 15,000 attendees from over 160 countries. If your roadmap includes stablecoins, tokenisation or virtual-asset licensing, this is the week to be in Dubai.
5. Seamless Digital Commerce ME (formerly Seamless Middle East)
- When: 24–26 May 2027
- Where: Dubai World Trade Centre
- Best for: Retail, e-commerce, digital marketing and payments teams
The region’s long-running commerce and payments trade show, run by Terrapinn, which reports around 20,000 attendees and 750 exhibitors. Expect a large expo floor and a broad audience across payments, e-commerce and retail, which makes it a good fit for fintechs that sell to merchants.
6. Digital Insurance MENA
- When: 16–17 June 2027
- Where: Dubai
- Best for: Insurers, insurtechs and technology partners
The insurtech pick for 2027. Now in its fifth edition, it brings together insurers and insurtechs from across the region, and hosts the Digital Insurance Awards.
7. Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS)
- When: Expected September 2027 (the 2026 edition ran 16–17 September)
- Where: Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai
- Best for: Bank CIOs, CDOs and CTOs
One of the region’s longest-running banking-innovation summits, which held its 17th edition in 2026 and is supported by the UAE Banks Federation. The agenda centres on AI, real-time payments and open banking, and the room is heavily C-suite.
8. Dubai FinTech Summit
- When: 2027 dates to be announced (the 2026 edition runs 2–3 November; earlier editions were held in May)
- Where: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
- Best for: The DIFC ecosystem: regulators, investors, banks and founders
The flagship fintech summit of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), which reported more than 9,200 participants from 118 countries in 2025. In 2026 it anchors the new Dubai Future Finance Week, which also includes forums on Islamic finance and tokenisation. Watch the official site for the 2027 dates.
9. GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star
- When: Expected December 2027 (the 2026 edition runs 7–11 December)
- Where: Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai
- Best for: Technology buyers, startups and investors
GITEX is a technology mega-show rather than a fintech event, but its startup and investor festival, Expand North Star, draws thousands of startups and more than a thousand investors. It moved to Expo City Dubai and to December in 2026.
10. Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW)
- When: Expected December 2027 (the 2026 edition runs 7–10 December)
- Where: Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi
- Best for: Institutional investors, asset managers, regulators and fintechs
Hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the week reported more than 35,000 attendees in 2025. Its fintech day, Fintech Abu Dhabi, is one of the region’s key gatherings for stablecoins, tokenisation and digital assets, set alongside some of the largest pools of capital in the world.
Tips for planning your UAE fintech events in 2027
- Choose your emirate and your season. Dubai hosts most of the calendar, while Abu Dhabi concentrates its finance events into Abu Dhabi Finance Week in December.
- Cluster your trips. Early February pairs Step Dubai with FinNext Dubai. In 2026, GITEX and Abu Dhabi Finance Week overlap (7–11 and 7–10 December), so if they clash again in 2027, plan which days you spend in each city.
- Know the licensing landscape. Meetings with DIFC, ADGM, VARA and the Central Bank of the UAE often matter as much as the talks, so plan them in advance.
- Book hotels early. Big shows fill Dubai’s hotels quickly, especially near the Dubai World Trade Centre and Madinat Jumeirah.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest fintech event in the UAE?
By attendance, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, Seamless Digital Commerce ME and TOKEN2049 Dubai are among the largest finance and fintech gatherings in the UAE, while GITEX GLOBAL is the biggest technology show.
When is the best time to attend fintech events in Dubai?
The main cluster runs from late January to June and again from September to December, avoiding the peak summer months. Early February, when Step Dubai and FinNext Dubai run, is a popular time for founders and investors.
Is Money20/20 Middle East in the UAE?
No. Money20/20 Middle East is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (14–16 September 2027). It features in our global list of fintech events for 2027.
Meet us at FinNext Dubai
FinNext Dubai 2027 takes place on 6 February 2027. See the Dubai programme, get your pass or nominate for the FinNext Awards. Planning further afield? Read our top fintech events in Asia-Pacific for 2027.