Dubai: The SAMENA Telecommunications Council has officially confirmed that its Leaders' Summit 2026 will be held on April 1 at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. The summit will take place under the patronage of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and in collaboration with Huawei.
According to Emirates News Agency, this confirmation follows a review involving UAE-based stakeholders and the broader SAMENA Council community. The decision to maintain the original date underscores the operational needs of the market. By convening leadership at this juncture, the summit aims to provide clarity in direction, continuity in execution, and boost confidence across the market.
Positioned as the first regional leadership dialogue following Eid Al Fitr, the summit offers a timely forum for stakeholders across the UAE and the wider GCC to re-engage on shared priorities. Discussions are expected to revolve around sustaining investment momentum, reinforcing infrastructure resilience, and advancing coordinated approaches to digital development.
The summit's 2026 agenda, themed 'Intelligent Networks for Sovereign and Sustainable Futures', will focus on forward-looking priorities with significant implications for operators, regulators, and investors. Key topics include policy dialogue on the 6 GHz band and early preparations for WRC-27, highlighting spectrum as a strategic enabler for future capacity and services.
The agenda will also delve into artificial intelligence applications, transitioning from experimental phases to scaled deployment across networks and industries. Additionally, it will address telecom operator business transformation, including new monetization models centered on privacy-compliant use of operator network data, platforms, and service capabilities.
Further focus areas include emerging hybrid connectivity paradigms integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, alongside the evolving role of space infrastructure. Parallel discussions will tackle space sustainability and orbital governance, driven by increased satellite deployment and the need for coordinated frameworks.
Leadership sessions will explore shifts in the technology and international business landscape, including investment flows, supply chain considerations, and cross-border collaboration models. The summit will also feature focused dialogue on infrastructure protection, network resilience, and continuity planning, given the growing interdependence across cloud systems, data centers, terrestrial networks, and satellite infrastructure.
Held in the UAE, the summit benefits from a robust market environment characterized by strong institutional coordination among regulators, operators, and technology partners. This coordination exemplifies sustained policy direction and disciplined execution, expected to strengthen the collaborative model and build confidence across the UAE and the regional ICT ecosystem.
Participants from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia will engage in discussions on policy alignment, investment priorities, and ecosystem development. Sustained engagement is driven by the need to manage both opportunities and external pressures.
"Maintaining leadership dialogue is essential to ensuring that the region's digital infrastructure continues to function and evolve in a stable and forward-looking manner," said Bocar BA, CEO of the SAMENA Council. "The Leaders' Summit aims to enable alignment across sectors on priorities that are both immediate and long-term in their impact."
The SAMENA Council has partnered with AMH Tourism as the Smart Destination Partner. These arrangements are designed to facilitate travel, accommodation, and on-ground coordination for attending leaders, ensuring ease of access and streamlined participation.
The SAMENA Telecommunications Council invites stakeholders from telecommunications, technology, digital services, and ICT-enabled sectors to participate in the Leaders' Summit 2026, reflecting a shared responsibility to support continuity and reinforce market confidence in the UAE and the region.