Dubai to host first Concordia Horizon Summit in Middle East in May 2027

Dubai will host the Concordia Horizon Summit in May 2027, the first time the event has been held in the Middle East.

The summit will bring together government leaders, business executives and other decision makers under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. It is being organised with the Department of Finance for the Government of Dubai.

Organisers said the agenda will cover global challenges, areas of cooperation and public-private partnerships, and the event will also be used to announce economic and development initiatives. They expect major announcements and new partnerships, with a focus on turning discussions into investment opportunities and joint ventures in the region.

Dubai's selection as host was announced at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York in September 2026, held alongside the UN General Assembly.

Concordia is a US-based non-profit established in 2011. It runs a global series of events that bring senior decision makers and cross-sector leaders together to build strategic partnerships.

Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of the Department of Finance for the Government of Dubai, said bringing experts and decision makers around a shared vision was the starting point for turning ideas into concrete economic steps. Hosting the summit, he said, "reflects international confidence in Dubai as an attractive destination for business and investment".

Rodney Ferguson, CEO of Concordia, said it would be the organisation's first Horizon Summit in the Middle East. "We see clear alignment with Dubai's position as a global crossroads for innovation, investment, and economic growth, and Concordia's ability to bring voices from countless sectors into the same room," he said.

Previous summits

Concordia's flagship Annual Summit in New York in September 2026 covered technology, healthcare, energy and the environment, social development, and the economy and global trade.

Earlier editions have produced several initiatives. Prosper Africa is a financing framework designed to mobilise more than $800 million in private investment for African infrastructure and climate adaptation through public-private partnerships. Project Fury, an initiative by IDE Global, aims to support one million female entrepreneurs and improve the livelihoods of 100 million people through small business programmes.

At the 2024 Annual Summit, African Parks announced a $1 billion initiative to scale up conservation across Africa, including a commitment to manage 30 of the continent's most critical protected areas by 2030. Abbott Laboratories and Seed Global Health have also previously announced a joint effort to establish a Centre of Excellence for Maternal Health in Malawi.

Further details on the programme, participants and areas of focus for the Dubai summit will be announced in the coming months.