GITEX GLOBAL: Hotels & Where to Stay
7 Dec – 11 Dec 2026 Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai 200,000+ attendees
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- Free cancellation rooms
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 marks a genuine turning point: after 45 years at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the world's largest tech show moves to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, running 7 to 11 December with Expand North Star co-located on the same site. Expect 200,000-plus attendees — government CIOs, enterprise buyers, AI and cybersecurity vendors, investors and thousands of startups — plus a new rhythm nobody has muscle memory for yet. The venue sits in Dubai South, 40-plus kilometres from the old Trade Centre district, which redraws the hotel map entirely: the small stock in and around Expo City goes first, then Dubai Marina and Jebel Ali along the metro's Route 2020 corridor. December is also peak Dubai tourist season, stacking leisure demand on top. The rates on this page are live and bookable, so you can position yourself correctly for the new geography before everyone else recalibrates.
Popular areas for attendees: Dubai South / Expo City · Dubai Marina · Jebel Ali.
- Hotels mapped against the new Expo City reality — Route 2020 metro access and true drive times, not old DWTC habits
- Live 4 and 5 star rates from Dubai South to the Marina, priced in your currency
- Free-cancellation rates prioritised for a first-year venue where plans will shift
- Instant tax invoice issued at booking
Event at a glance
- Dates
- 7 Dec – 11 Dec 2026
- Venue
- Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai
- City
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Airport
- DWC
- Attendance
- 200,000+
Recommended Hotels for Business Travellers
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Stay close to the venue
Hotels ranked by walking distance.
Flexible bookings
Pay Weekly available on free cancellation rooms.
Rates shown for the event window, Sun, Dec 6 → Sat, Dec 12 (arrive the day before, leave the day after) — or choose your own dates above.
Hotel rates near major event venues rise as the dates approach and the closest hotels sell out first. Booking a free-cancellation rate early locks the price with no downside.
On the map
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- The best hotels within walking distance of the venue
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Where to eat during GITEX GLOBAL
DWTC empties into DIFC and Satwa at night — book the flagship dinners before you fly and keep the 24-hour institutions for the late build-up shifts.
Trèsind Studio
Progressive Indian tasting menu
Palm Jumeirah — ~25 min by car from DWTC
The world's first Indian restaurant to hold three Michelin stars — an intimate ~20-seat rooftop studio. The definitive close-the-deal dinner if you can secure seats.
Tip: Book weeks ahead; the tasting runs ~3 hours — pick a night with no early hall access.
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Zuma Dubai
Contemporary Japanese izakaya
DIFC — one metro stop from DWTC
The default client-dinner room for Dubai's finance and trade-fair crowd — robata grill, polished service, minutes from DWTC.
Tip: The business set lunch is a fast, high-impression option between sessions.
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Ravi Restaurant
Pakistani · since 1978
Al Satwa — ~6 min by car from DWTC
A Dubai institution, open 24 hours — benchmark karahi and tandoor bread at canteen prices. Cab drivers and visiting CEOs at the same tables.
Tip: Chicken karahi and butter naan — and it never closes after late build-up shifts.
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Al Ustad Special Kabab
Iranian kebabs · since 1978
Bur Dubai — ~12 min by car from DWTC
Family-run, photo-plastered Persian kebab house — one of old Dubai's most beloved rooms, famous for yoghurt-marinated chicken kebab.
Tip: Open until ~3:30am — handy after late networking.
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Al Mallah
Lebanese street food
2nd December St, Al Satwa — ~5 min from DWTC
Dubai's benchmark shawarma — decades-old Satwa cafeteria open until ~2am. The quick, reliable bite after a long exhibition day.
Tip: Chicken shawarma with extra toum, pavement seating.
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The Sum of Us
Specialty coffee · bakery
Sheikh Zayed Rd — walking distance from DWTC
In-house roastery and sourdough bakery — effectively DWTC's nearest serious specialty coffee, good for a pre-show flat white or informal first meeting.
Tip: Arrive before 9am during GITEX week to beat the badge crowd.
Open in Google MapsAfter the halls close: Dubai
Client dinner, team night out or a free day after GITEX GLOBAL — bookable experiences in Dubai, same account, same checkout.
While you're in Dubai
Dubai's winter season packs world-class horse racing, rugby, tennis and stadium concerts around its year-round business calendar.
Dubai World Cup horse racing
One of the world's richest race days turns Meydan Racecourse into a major social occasion that pairs perfectly with a spring trip.
Find ticketsEmirates Dubai 7s rugby
The Dubai Sevens weekend mixes international rugby with music and a festival atmosphere, and is hugely popular with expat business crowds.
Find ticketsDubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Top ATP and WTA players compete in an intimate stadium in Garhoud, minutes from the airport and major business districts.
Find ticketsCoca-Cola Arena concerts
Dubai's main indoor arena in City Walk draws global touring artists and comedy acts, especially through the cooler months.
Find ticketsAbu Dhabi Grand Prix (F1)
The season-closing F1 race at Yas Marina is about an hour's drive from Dubai and comes with headline after-race concerts.
Find ticketsFixtures recur each season; exact dates for your fair week are confirmed at ticket search.
Getting there
From DXB (Dubai International)
- The Red Line metro runs from both DXB terminals across the city; Expo 2020 station on the Route 2020 branch is at the venue — direct trains exist, otherwise change at Jabal Ali, for a total ride of roughly 70-80 minutes
- A taxi from DXB to Expo City covers about 50 km and takes 45-60 minutes, typically AED 120-170 depending on traffic
- Careem and Uber operate airport pickups; December evening arrivals face heavy Sheikh Zayed Road traffic
- If you land at DXB with meetings the same day, the metro is more predictable than the road at peak times
From DWC (Al Maktoum International)
- DWC is the closest airport to Expo City — a 15-20 minute taxi ride of roughly AED 40-60
- Its route network is thinner than DXB's but growing; check whether your carrier serves it, because the proximity is a genuine advantage for this show
- There is no direct metro link from DWC; taxis and ride-hail are the practical options
- Some regional and charter traffic shifts to DWC during major Dubai events, so compare both airports when booking
Getting around during GITEX GLOBAL
Getting to Expo City daily
- Expo 2020 metro station (Route 2020 branch of the Red Line) delivers you to the venue's gates; from the Marina/JLT area, ride the Red Line to Jabal Ali and change for the branch — about 35-45 minutes door to door
- Trains toward Expo will be at their fullest 08:30-10:00 and 17:00-19:00 during show week; the Gold Class carriage is a paid escape valve
- Ride-hail drop-off zones at a first-year venue will take a day or two to bed in — allow slack on the opening morning
- Staying inside Expo City or in Dubai South makes you one of the few people walking to the world's biggest tech show
Around Dubai
- Buy a Nol card (or use contactless/transit apps) for the metro; fares are zone-based and the airport-to-Expo run crosses several zones
- RTA taxis are metered and plentiful; Careem is the dominant app and December surge pricing around big-event closings is real
- December weather is Dubai at its best — mid 20s Celsius — so outdoor networking areas at Expo City are pleasant all day
- The Marina-to-Expo City drive is 25-35 minutes off-peak on Sheikh Zayed Road but can double at rush hour; the metro is immune to that
Visa & entry
Visa-free / visa on arrival
- GCC citizens enter the UAE without a visa
- Around 70 nationalities — including the UK, US, EU states, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea — get a free visa on arrival: 90 days for EU and several others, 30 days (extendable) for most of the rest
- Chinese passport holders enter visa-free under a bilateral agreement
eVisa / visa required
- Nationals of India (without qualifying US/UK/EU documents), Pakistan, most of Africa and parts of Asia need a pre-arranged UAE eVisa via an airline, hotel or licensed agent — GITEX registration does not itself grant entry
- Indian citizens with a valid US visa or green card can obtain a visa on arrival
- Since mid-2026, several South-East Asian and African nationalities qualify for entry when holding residence permits from major economies — check the latest list if this may apply to you
Documents to carry
- Passport valid six months or more from arrival
- GITEX badge or registration confirmation — badges are identity-linked, so carry the same passport you registered with
- Hotel booking and return ticket, which immigration and airlines can request
UAE entry rules are revised frequently; confirm your nationality's current requirements with the UAE embassy, your airline or an official government channel before booking.
First time at GITEX GLOBAL?
- Forget everything you have read about GITEX logistics — 2026 is the first Expo City edition, so old advice about DWTC halls, parking and nearby hotels no longer applies
- Register and upload your ID early; GITEX badges are identity-verified and the on-site resolution queues at a first-year venue are a risk not worth taking
- The opening day (7 December) is a leadership summit format, with the full exhibition running 8-11 December — read the programme before booking flights
- Book Expo City, Dubai South or Route 2020-corridor hotels first; the Marina is livelier but commits you to a 35-45 minute daily commute
- December is peak season in Dubai for leisure too — flights and hotels tighten city-wide, so book both earlier than you would for the old October slot
Insider tips from repeat attendees
- Expand North Star sharing the same site is new — investor and startup traffic that used to be a harbour away is now in adjacent halls, so build cross-over time into your schedule
- The last day of any GITEX is materially quieter and better for substantive conversations with exhibitor leadership
- Expo City's legacy pavilions and outdoor plazas give the show unusually good open-air networking space for December — receptions will cluster there rather than in distant hotel bars
- Ride the metro one stop past the crush: at closing time, boarding at the quieter end of the platform or waiting out the first 30 minutes in an Expo City cafe beats the 17:30 scrum
GITEX GLOBAL travel FAQs
Where should I stay for GITEX GLOBAL 2026?
Closest are the hotels within Expo City and the Dubai South district, which will sell out fastest in the show's first year at the new venue. Dubai Marina and JLT offer the best balance of nightlife and a manageable metro commute via Jabal Ali, while Jebel Ali sits conveniently between the two.
How much do hotels cost during GITEX?
GITEX has always doubled rates in its host districts, and the December 2026 edition adds peak tourist season on top — expect strong city-wide pricing with the sharpest premiums near Expo City. Rooms rarely get cheaper closer in; they simply disappear.
How early should I book hotels for GITEX 2026?
Earlier than usual: the venue move means unusually small nearby supply and no established booking patterns. Four to six months out is prudent for Expo City and Dubai South, and refundable rates let you adjust as the first-year logistics become clear.
Which airport do I fly into for GITEX at Expo City?
Dubai International (DXB) has the global connectivity, with a 45-60 minute taxi or roughly 75-minute metro journey to Expo City. Al Maktoum International (DWC) is only 15-20 minutes from the venue and worth choosing if your airline serves it.
Is GITEX 2026 still at the Dubai World Trade Centre?
No. From 2026 GITEX GLOBAL relocates to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, in Dubai South near Al Maktoum airport, running 7-11 December together with Expand North Star. The DWTC era ended with the 2025 edition.
Register for your attendee badge
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