AI & SaaS Events in North Africa and the Middle East: the 2026-2027 Calendar
GITEX, LEAP, Web Summit Qatar, Cairo ICT, AI Forward Summit… The calendar of must-attend events around AI SaaS and agentic AI, from the Gulf to the Maghreb, across 2026 and 2027. Spot the dates, plan your trips — and let's meet on site.
14 major events, 6 countries, two regions: here is where AI SaaS and agentic AI adoption plays out across the Middle East and North Africa in 2026-2027. Dates from official sources, past editions removed.
How to use this calendar
If you evaluate, buy or build AI SaaS and agentic AI solutions, these trade shows and summits are where it all happens: this is where editors, integrators, public decision-makers, investors and technical teams from the Middle East and North Africa meet. In a single trip, you compare dozens of solutions, test demos and build contacts that would take months over email.
This calendar covers upcoming events — we are at mid-2026, and editions that have already taken place have been removed. Dates come from the organizers' official sources at the time of publication. One tip: always confirm the date and venue on the event's website before booking travel — organizers sometimes adjust their schedule.
We split into two tables: the Middle East (Gulf and Levant) and North Africa (Maghreb and Egypt). At the end, a few pointers to pick the event that fits your goal.
Middle East: the calendar
The Gulf concentrates the largest tech shows on the planet and very active public spending on AI. Riyadh, Dubai and Doha set the pace of the year.
| Event | Dates | Location | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEAP 2026 | 31 Aug – 3 Sep 2026 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia's flagship tech & AI event, at scale |
| Seamless Middle East 2026 | 22 – 24 Sep 2026 | Dubai, UAE | Payments, e-commerce, retail & applied AI |
| World AI Technology Expo 2026 | 7 – 8 Oct 2026 | Dubai, UAE | Enterprise AI, automation, robotics |
| GITEX Global 2026 | 7 – 11 Dec 2026 | Dubai, UAE | The world's largest tech & AI show (with AI Everything) |
| Web Summit Qatar 2027 | 31 Jan – 3 Feb 2027 | Doha, Qatar | Startups, investors and global tech |
| World Governments Summit 2027 | 1 – 3 Feb 2027 | Dubai, UAE | AI, governance and public policy |
| LEAP 2027 | 3 – 6 Feb 2027 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 2027 edition of the Saudi tech & AI event |
| Seamless Middle East 2027 | 24 – 26 May 2027 | Dubai, UAE | Fintech, payments, commerce & AI |
North Africa: the calendar
Across the Maghreb and Egypt, the ecosystem is ramping up: ministerial summits on AI governance, large regional shows and academic gatherings. Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt hold most of the events.
| Event | Dates | Location | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Forward Summit 2026 | 7 – 10 Sep 2026 | Hammamet, Tunisia | AI, governance & transformation — ministerial summit (AICTO) |
| IEEE AIDIST 2026 | 29 – 31 Oct 2026 | Tunis (Gammarth), Tunisia | Research & applied AI — academic conference |
| Cairo ICT 2026 | 8 – 11 Nov 2026 | Cairo, Egypt | "AI in Action" — tech, telecom & AI |
| GITEX Africa 2027 | 26 – 28 Apr 2027 | Marrakesh, Morocco | Africa's largest tech & startup show |
| AI Everything MEA 2027 | 1 – 2 Jun 2027 | Cairo, Egypt | Sovereign AI & cross-sector innovation (GITEX × MCIT) |
| GITEX Future Health Africa 2027 | 28 – 29 Sep 2027 | Casablanca, Morocco | AI applied to healthcare |
Which event for which goal
Not all of these events serve the same purpose. A few pointers:
- Source SaaS editors and compare solutions: GITEX Global (Dubai), GITEX Africa (Marrakesh), LEAP (Riyadh) and Cairo ICT (Cairo) gather the most exhibitors.
- Stay on top of agentic AI: the keynotes and summits — AI Forward Summit, AI Everything, World AI Technology Expo — offer the richest content on agents in production.
- Meet investors or raise funds: Web Summit Qatar and LEAP concentrate the regional startup scene and venture capital.
- Public sector and AI governance: World Governments Summit (Dubai) and AI Forward Summit (Hammamet) are built for public decision-makers.
- Payments, fintech and commerce: the Seamless Middle East editions (Dubai) are the reference for these verticals.
- Healthcare: GITEX Future Health Africa (Casablanca) for medical AI.
Let's meet on site
At OCEAN SOFT, we design AI SaaS that are local, specialized and clear-eyed — RAG grounded on your data, agents on narrow observable workflows, INPDP and GDPR compliance built in. We follow these events closely, between Tunis, Sfax and Marseille.
Planning to attend one of these events? Let's connect ahead of time to set up a slot on site: a demo of our platforms, scoping a use case, or simply a conversation about your AI roadmap. A coffee in Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo or Marrakesh is worth planning.