Global AI Show

What Global AI Show does

Global AI Show is a B2B AI conference series organized by VAP Group (legal entity VAP Digital Media FZ LLC, a UAE Free Zone company). It operates premier in-person AI summits in the Middle East — the flagship Abu Dhabi edition at Space42 Arena (November 11-12, 2026) and a forthcoming Riyadh edition (April 2027) — targeting C-suite executives, AI startups, government leaders, and institutional investors. The company projects 6,000+ attendees in Abu Dhabi, 10,000+ in Riyadh, 150+ speakers and 100+ exhibitors per event, with over 70% CXO-level attendance.

The product surface consists of tiered ticket passes (VIP at $999-$1,799, Business at $199-$399, Standard at $29, plus multi-seat group bundles), exhibition and sponsorship packages (Title, Gold, and specialized partner tiers such as Exclusive AI Observability), a Startup Spotlight pitch program, a Smart Networking App for attendee matchmaking, and a multi-track agenda spanning 16+ verticals including Gov-Tech, Defense-Tech, Energy-Tech, Cyber-Tech, and Sovereign-Cloud-Tech. The event is powered by Times of AI as media partner and sits within a 110K+ global AI community. There is no proprietary AI/ML technology; the underlying tech stack is conventional event tooling plus a matchmaking app.

The business model is event-driven B2B with three revenue streams: one-time ticket sales, exhibition/sponsorship fees (largest by typical event economics), and strategic partnership/media revenues. Government-tier endorsements from the UAE National Program for AI, Abu Dhabi Chamber, and Aramco (Riyadh) provide regulatory positioning in two of the world's most aggressive AI-spending markets. Distribution combines self-service online ticket sales with a direct enterprise sales team for sponsorship and exhibition deals. No external funding, revenue, or headcount data is disclosed.

Name

Global AI Show

Legal name

VAP Digital Media FZ LLC

Website

https://globalaishow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Global AI Show, operated by UAE-based VAP Group, organizes premier B2B AI summits in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, selling tiered tickets, exhibition space, and sponsorships to C-suite executives, AI startups, government leaders, and institutional investors across the GCC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Conference and Event Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Trade Shows & Expos (Digital Booths, Lead Capture) (MPAGAOAB), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• AI summit conferences
• B2B networking events
• AI exhibition services
• GCC enterprise events
• AI conference series

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling attendance passes to the conference. Three tiers offered: VIP Pass ($999 early bird), Business Pass ($199 early bird), and Standard Pass ($29). Higher-tier passes include exclusive access to VIP lounges, speaker meet-and-greets, and premium networking zones.
2. Exhibition and Sponsorship: Companies pay to exhibit their AI solutions, secure speaking slots, and gain brand visibility. Sponsorship tiers include Title Sponsor, Gold Sponsor, and specialized categories (e.g., Exclusive AI Observability Partner, Smart Hydration Partner).
3. Partnership and Media Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with organizations like National Program for AI (UAE) and Abu Dhabi Chamber for exhibitions and branding rights. Powered by Times of AI media outlet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Global AI Show organizes premier in-person AI summits and conferences in the GCC region, bringing together C-suite executives, AI startups, investors, and government decision-makers. The core deliverable is a multi-track conference experience combining keynote sessions, panel discussions, an exhibition floor for AI solution providers, curated networking zones, and a Smart Networking App for attendee matchmaking.

Product overview

Global AI Show is a series of premier AI summits and conferences organized by VAP Group, with editions in Abu Dhabi (November 2026) and Riyadh (April 2027). The event features multiple ticket tiers (VIP Pass, Business Pass, Standard Pass), exhibition opportunities for AI companies, a Smart Networking App for attendee matchmaking, and Startup Spotlight pitch programs. The conference covers diverse AI tracks including Gov-Tech, Defense-Tech, Energy-Tech, AI Enterprise, Cyber-Tech, and more, bringing together 6,000+ to 10,000+ AI professionals, investors, and government leaders across two major Middle East locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global AI Show Abu Dhabi Premier AI summit and conference scheduled for November 11-12, 2026 at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, featuring keynotes, panel discussions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities for C-suite executives, AI startups, investors, and government decision-makers.
• Global AI Show Riyadh AI conference and exhibition scheduled for April 2027 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, targeting enterprise technology buyers seeking Vision 2030 alignment and GCC market expansion.
• Exhibition and Sponsorship Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• Third edition showing visible growth in participation and engagement across GCC
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• VAP GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026VAP Group (VAP Digital Media FZ LLC) is the organizing entity behind Global AI Show. They organize world-class summits and manage the event series, creating the 110K+ global AI community and facilitating connections among AI leaders, startups, and investors.
• Times of AIcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Times of AI is the official media partner powering Global AI Show. They provide content amplification, press coverage, and serve as the media ecosystem partner (100+ media partners mentioned) for the event series.
• National Program for AI (UAE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026National Program for AI is a Supporting Partner for the Abu Dhabi edition. This government-backed partnership aligns the event with UAE's national AI strategy (AI 2030) and provides governmental endorsement.
• Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and IndustryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Abu Dhabi C&EB W (Chamber) serves as Destination Partner for the Abu Dhabi edition, providing institutional backing and facilitating business connections for attendees.
• AramcoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Aramco is highlighted as a major participant and supporter of the Riyadh edition, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 and demonstrating energy sector AI leadership.
• BigBear.aicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BigBear.ai is a 2025 Partner, with CEO Kevin McAleenan, Acting CTO Jim McLaughlin, and VP Zach Casper participating as speakers on AI governance and national security topics.
• InfosyscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Infosys is a 2025 Partner, with speakers from their Responsible AI Office including Sray Agarwal (Head of EMEA) and Bharathi Ganesh (Head of R&D and Literacy) presenting on responsible AI practices.
• Alibaba CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Alibaba Cloud is a 2025 Partner, with Carter Tian (Chief Solution Architect, AI Expert of META Region) participating as a speaker on AI cloud infrastructure.
• ElevenLabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ElevenLabs is a 2025 Partner, specializing in AI voice synthesis and audio AI solutions, representing the generative AI vendor ecosystem at the event.
• Dell TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Dell Technologies is a 2025 Partner and major technology infrastructure sponsor, providing enterprise hardware and solutions for AI workloads.
• SnowflakecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Snowflake is a 2025 Partner, with Frederick Khoury (Senior Solution Engineer) participating as a speaker on data and AI integration.
• Magna AIflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Magna AI serves as Title Sponsor for the Riyadh edition. CEO Dr. Moataz Bin Ali is featured as a keynote speaker on AI transformation and enterprise adoption.
• DynatracecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Dynatrace is the Exclusive AI Observability Partner for the Riyadh edition, providing AI performance monitoring and analytics expertise.
• VentureDivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026VentureDive is a 2025 Partner and Global AI Show Series Partner, with Imran Moinuddin (SVP Data & AI) speaking on AI implementation and data strategy.
• NYU Abu DhabicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NYUAD is a 2025 Partner, representing academic institutions in the AI ecosystem with faculty and researchers participating in conference sessions.
• EdaraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Edara (Edaarat Group) is a Gold Sponsor for the Riyadh edition, participating in the exhibition and networking activities.
• AgoraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Agora is a Gold Sponsor for the Riyadh edition, providing real-time engagement and communication platform expertise.
• Scale AIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Scale AI is a Gold Sponsor for the Riyadh edition, representing the enterprise AI data labeling and training platform space.
• NTT DatacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NTT Data is a Gold Sponsor for the Riyadh edition, providing IT services and consulting for AI transformation.
• SAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026SAS is a Gold Sponsor for the Riyadh edition, specializing in analytics and AI software solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LEAP: Major Saudi tech conference held in Riyadh with 200,000+ attendees, backed by Saudi government and supported by major AI sponsors. Direct geographic and thematic competitor for the Global AI Show Riyadh edition and Saudi enterprise/government AI marketing budgets.
• The AI Summit Series: Global AI-focused B2B conference series running events alongside major tech shows (London, New York, Singapore, Dubai). Directly comparable in pure-AI vertical focus, enterprise attendee target, and sponsor-driven revenue model.
• GITEX Global: The largest tech and startup event in the Middle East, held in Dubai with 200,000+ attendees across AI, cloud, and enterprise tech. Operates in the same GCC geography and directly competes for the same C-suite enterprise buyers, AI sponsors, and government delegations.
• Web Summit: Global tech conference organizer running large-scale events (Lisbon, Rio, Qatar) attracting 70,000+ attendees and thousands of startups, sponsors, and investors. Directly comparable in event-driven B2B conference model targeting enterprise buyers, startups, and media.
• VivaTech: Major European tech and AI conference held annually in Paris, attracting 150,000+ attendees, global enterprise sponsors, and AI startups. Comparable in scale, B2B conference model, and focus on connecting enterprise buyers with AI vendors and startups.
• Ai4: AI-focused enterprise conference series held across multiple US and international cities, targeting enterprise AI buyers and AI vendors. Directly comparable in pure-AI vertical positioning and enterprise sponsor-driven economics.

Regional players

• World Government Summit: Dubai-hosted annual government and policy summit attracting heads of state, ministers, and global thought leaders. Overlaps in targeting government decision-makers, CXO-level audience, and aligning with national AI strategies in the GCC.

Broad incumbents

• TechCrunch Disrupt: Flagship tech media-led conference with strong startup pitch and investor networking components (Startup Battlefield). Comparable in startup-investor matchmaking program structure analogous to the Startup Spotlight, though broader in tech vertical focus.
• Money 20/20: Large-scale global fintech conference series with strong enterprise sponsor base. Operates a similar tiered ticketing and sponsor-driven B2B conference model, though focused on financial services rather than AI broadly.

Others

• Times of AI: AI-focused media outlet already powering Global AI Show's content amplification. Acts as an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than competitor, demonstrating how the event business could expand into owned media and content monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlobalAIShow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GlobalAIShow
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalAIShow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-ai-show
• Instagraminstagram.com/globalaishow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global AI Show