Dubai to host inaugural electric vehicle exhibition in November 2026
In short
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will organise the first Dubai International Electric Vehicle Exhibition and Conference (EV World 2026) from 10 to 12 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre, under the patronage of Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. RTA Director-General Mattar Al Tayer said the global public transport sector is shifting rapidly towards electric and new-energy vehicles. Gulf News reported that more than 300 companies and organisations, 10,000 visitors, 70 speakers and 30 business partners are expected.
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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will organise the inaugural Dubai International Electric Vehicle Exhibition and Conference 2026 (EV World 2026) from 10 to 12 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Gulf News and Emirates 24|7 reported that the event is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. WAM, the state news agency, gave the same dates and venue. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The outlets describe the theme differently. Gulf News and WAM both said the event is held under the theme “Driving a Smart and Sustainable Mobility Future”, while Emirates 24|7 gave it as “Towards a Smart and Sustainable Future in Mobility”. The documents do not reconcile the two versions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said the global public transport sector is undergoing a rapid transition towards electric and new energy vehicles, driven by advances in battery technology, clean energy, charging infrastructure, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. He said the transformation is creating economic and investment opportunities for cities able to combine advanced infrastructure with flexible regulation, innovation and public-private partnerships, and that Dubai’s investment environment and ability to attract talent and companies position it to play a role in that shift. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Emirates 24|7 also reported that Al Tayer said the first edition confirms Dubai’s position as a global centre for innovation and the future economy, and that the RTA has adopted a “Zero Emission Public Transport in the Emirate of Dubai 2050” strategy, making it the first entity in the Middle East to do so. The document text ends there and gives no further detail on the strategy. [ 2 ]
Gulf News reported that more than 300 companies, government authorities and organisations will take part, with more than 10,000 industry specialists and visitors, 70 speakers and more than 30 business partners expected. Neither Emirates 24|7 nor WAM mentioned those figures. [ 1 ]
Gulf News said the exhibition comes as Dubai seeks to accelerate its transition towards cleaner transport, including electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, while expanding charging infrastructure and testing autonomous mobility technologies. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The exhibition is presented by its organisers as a platform to draw manufacturers, investors and policymakers as Dubai pushes a transition to electric and hydrogen transport and expands charging and autonomous mobility infrastructure. Al Tayer said the sector shift is creating economic and investment opportunities for cities that combine regulation, infrastructure and public-private partnerships. The documents give no further detail on the event’s commercial outcomes.
Key facts
- The Roads and Transport Authority will organise the inaugural Dubai International Electric Vehicle Exhibition and Conference 2026 (EV World 2026) from 10 to 12 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Gulf News reported that more than 300 companies, government authorities and organisations will take part, with more than 10,000 industry specialists and visitors, 70 speakers and more than 30 business partners expected. [ 1 ]
- Mattar Al Tayer is Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Al Tayer said the global public transport sector is undergoing a rapid transition towards electric and new-energy vehicles, driven by advances in battery technology, clean energy, charging infrastructure, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Emirates 24|7 reported that the RTA has adopted a “Zero Emission Public Transport in the Emirate of Dubai 2050” strategy. [ 2 ]
- Gulf News and WAM gave the theme as “Driving a Smart and Sustainable Mobility Future”; Emirates 24|7 gave it as “Towards a Smart and Sustainable Future in Mobility”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will organise the inaugural EV World 2026 from 10 to 12 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The event is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Mattar Al Tayer is Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Al Tayer said the global public transport sector is undergoing a rapid transition towards electric and new-energy vehicles driven by advances in battery technology, clean energy, charging infrastructure, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and that this creates economic and investment opportunities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The organisers present the event as supporting Dubai’s shift towards a smarter, more sustainable transport system and its position as a mobility innovation hub. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The theme of the event is given differently by the outlets. Gulf News and WAM both use “Driving a Smart and Sustainable Mobility Future”, while Emirates 24|7 uses “Towards a Smart and Sustainable Future in Mobility”; the documents do not explain the difference.
- The expected scale of the event — more than 300 participating companies and organisations, more than 10,000 specialists and visitors, 70 speakers and more than 30 business partners. Only Gulf News gives these figures; Emirates 24|7 and WAM do not mention them, so they are single-source claims.
- Details of the RTA’s “Zero Emission Public Transport in the Emirate of Dubai 2050” strategy. Emirates 24|7 mentions the strategy and that the RTA was the first entity in the Middle East to adopt it, but the document text is cut off before further detail.