Abu Dhabi hosts the Global AI Show at Space42 Arena on Monday 8 December and Tuesday 9 December 2025, with core programme hours running approximately from 09:00 to 17:00 each day and registration opening from around 08:00. The event positions itself as one of the most powerful AI conferences of the year, bringing together more than 5,000 attendees, over 200 speakers and around 150 exhibitors under the theme of accelerating intelligent futures. Sessions cover applied machine learning, responsible AI, infrastructure, governance and industry specific case studies, while the exhibition floor showcases tools and platforms from global companies and emerging startups. Instead of feeling like a narrow technical meetup, the programme is built for decision makers as well as builders, which means you can move from strategic keynotes to very detailed product demos in the same day. This is one of the flagship AI gatherings in the Gulf in 2025.
Theme tracks and daily agenda structure
Across the two days, the agenda mixes keynote talks from government leaders and C level executives with focused panels and fireside chats that explore how AI is reshaping finance, health, energy, cities and creative industries. In parallel, technical sessions dive into topics like model deployment, AI security, data infrastructure and enterprise integration, giving practitioners space to learn from real implementations rather than just theory. You can expect the main conference activity to sit inside the approximate 09:00 to 17:00 window, with coffee breaks, lunch and networking blocks punctuating the schedule so conversations can continue away from the stage. Side meetings, press interviews and private roundtables often extend the day to around 18:00 for those who want to maximise contact time. Most professionals will see a full conference day here as a true 09:00 to 17:00 commitment, with extra meetings layered around the edges.
Exhibition floor and startup opportunities
On the exhibition side, organisers plan more than 150 booths featuring AI platforms, cloud providers, analytics tools, cybersecurity solutions and sector specific applications from both established vendors and newer companies. Startups can book small turnkey pods or multi stand bundles that include delegate access, app visibility and branding options, which makes it easier for early stage teams to appear alongside larger players. For visitors, this layout means you can walk the floor and compare offerings in areas such as generative AI tools, process automation, predictive analytics and AI infrastructure within a few hours. Because the expo runs throughout both days, you can drop in between sessions rather than sacrificing talks you care about. If you want to scout vendors or meet founders face to face, plan at least a few focused hours on the exhibition floor (suitable for solo professionals, teams and investors).
Ticket types and approximate AED pricing
Ticketing is tiered, starting with a free visitor style pass that grants basic exhibition and conference access while limited seats last. A popular mid level option is the Delegate Pass, listed at 399 USD in current promotions, which converts to roughly 1,460 to 1,500 AED and includes two days of conference entry, the official event app, coffee, tea, a lunch box and access to networking zones. At the top end, the VIP Pass appears at 1,799 USD, which is around 6,500 to 6,700 AED, adding premium food and beverage, access to a VIP and speaker lounge, a special registration desk and reserved seating in the main sessions. For companies that want to exhibit, turnkey booths and startup pods range from a few thousand to nearly 18,000 AED equivalent, depending on size and bundle configuration. All prices should be seen as approximately converted to AED and may change as offers shift, so always check the latest figures before committing (suitable mainly for business visitors and corporate groups).
Who attends and networking possibilities
Organiser data suggests that around 70 percent of attendees occupy senior positions, including founders, C level executives, vice presidents and heads of AI or data functions. The rest of the audience includes senior engineers, researchers, startup operators, investors, advisors, academics and ecosystem partners, which creates a concentrated networking environment. Because the event app supports pre booked meetings, you can line up conversations with specific companies or investors in advance, then use the on site business lounges to hold quick discussions. Informal networking also tends to happen in the coffee areas, at the edges of the expo floor and during side events linked to the wider AI week in Abu Dhabi. If you are attending alone, the structured meeting tools and designated networking spaces make it much easier to build a useful contact list in just two days (suitable for solo delegates, corporate teams and investors).
Space42 Arena as a technology event venue
Space42 Arena sits in the Al Raha Beach area of Abu Dhabi and is designed as a flexible, technology ready venue with about 2,500 square metres of indoor space and high ceilings, making it well suited to a hybrid of conference seating and exhibition layouts. The hall’s infrastructure includes advanced lighting, sound and staging options, so keynote sessions feel more like a polished production than a simple ballroom talk. Multiple entry points, a defined lobby area and on site parking help manage the flow of thousands of visitors throughout the day. Because the venue is purpose built for events, you can expect reliable wayfinding, air conditioning suited to winter conditions and staff familiar with handling large tech and business audiences. Parking capacity is generally good but can still feel tight at peak arrival times around 08:30 to 09:30, so early arrival is still the safer option (suitable for corporate delegations and larger teams).
Getting to Space42 Arena and returning home
From central Abu Dhabi, Space42 Arena is typically around a 20 minute drive, with common routes following Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street toward Khalifa City and then branching to Al Raha Beach. If you are travelling from Dubai, many delegates use Sheikh Zayed Road or E11, allowing 60 to 90 minutes depending on morning traffic, and then exit toward Al Raha Beach shortly before the city centre. From Al Ain or other inland cities, routes usually connect via E22 or E11, so it is wise to budget extra time for possible slowdowns near Abu Dhabi’s entry points. For those who prefer not to drive, taxis and ride hailing services offer a straightforward option, especially if you are staying in Al Raha, Yas Island or central Abu Dhabi hotels. When returning after 17:00, traffic around Al Raha and the main highway can be heavy, so consider leaving slightly after the peak or planning a dinner stop nearby before driving back to another emirate (suitable for attendees from Dubai, Sharjah and other UAE cities).
Side events and wider AI week context
Global AI Show forms the anchor of a broader Global AI Show Week, which runs in Abu Dhabi from early to mid December and features additional meetups, workshops and smaller gatherings aimed at builders, investors and policymakers. For example, side events like AI builders’ meetups, investor sessions or themed mixers often occupy late morning or early evening slots around the main conference days, giving specialists more focused spaces to dig into their niche. For delegates who stay through both days and some of the surrounding week, this structure turns the trip into a compact AI festival that moves between Space42, nearby hotels and partner venues. If you only attend one day, it still makes sense to scan the side event calendar in case there is a perfectly timed workshop or meetup that matches your interests. These surrounding events are especially useful for solo professionals and startup founders, because they make networking feel less formal and more conversational.
Weather, clothing, traffic and booking tips
Early December in Abu Dhabi usually feels pleasantly warm rather than hot, with long term data pointing to daytime highs around 25 to 27 degrees and evening temperatures falling toward 17 to 20 degrees, plus only a small chance of light rain across the month. Forecasts for the first half of December 2025 continue that pattern, suggesting clear or partly cloudy days near 25 degrees, which suits light business clothing and makes outdoor transfers between cars, taxis and the arena comfortable. However, recent updates from the National Centre of Meteorology highlight that fog and mist can appear on some mornings in Abu Dhabi and Dubai due to higher humidity, so drivers should remain alert, particularly on early arrivals from other emirates. Inside the venue, air conditioning can feel cool during long sessions, so bringing a light blazer or cardigan over your normal conference outfit is a smart move. Traffic around Al Raha Beach and the E11 corridor can build between 08:00 and 09:30, then again from about 17:00 onwards, so planning a slightly earlier arrival or lingering for post event networking can both reduce time spent in congestion. Ticket types, session times and access policies are set by the organisers and may evolve as promotions and programme updates roll out, so treat all prices and timings here as approximately confirmed rather than fixed. Make your reservation before it is too late! As many Abu Dhabi event watchers and editors at platforms like www.few.ae often point out, those who secure their passes early, allow extra time for traffic and dress for both warm outdoor conditions and cool indoor air usually enjoy these major conferences with far less stress and a much better focus on the content.
then "Add to Home Screen"