A three-day summit at Madinat Jumeirah
The Bench opened FHS World 2026 in Dubai on 29 September. The summit runs to 1 October at Madinat Jumeirah. Organiser The Bench reports around 1,000 participants from 50 countries.
Ali Shahid is chief executive of The Bench. He said Dubai has hosted the summit since its launch and remains its home.
The 2026 theme is Reinvest in our Future.
Who is on the programme
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates, delivered a keynote titled The UAE Growth Engine: Tourism, Investment and the New Economy.
The organiser's September speaker notice listed more than 100 global industry leaders. The agenda ran keynote speeches, panel discussions and roundtable debates across the three days.
Investment and real estate on the Summit Stage
Beyond the Headlines: Investing in a Changing Middle East ran on day one from 11:10 to 11:45. The panel drew on CG Corp Global and CG Hospitality, Brookfield, First Abu Dhabi Bank and the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
The Government & Developers' Roundtable: Aligning Vision to Deliver the Region's Hospitality Future ran 12:20 to 12:50 with Marjan Lifestyle, Modon Hospitality and Minor International.
Buy. Build. Transform. Where Global Capital Sees Opportunity followed at 14:00. Hospitality REITs: A New Investment Architecture for the Middle East closed the day at 16:45 with First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq Bank and Fields of Gold Capital & Asset Management.
Day two added Reset to Returns: Recalibrating Hospitality Investment in a Changing GCC at 10:45.
Sustainability and technology
From Measurement to Market Value: Sustainability data as an asset-value input, not a reporting exercise ran 16:00 to 17:00 in the Workshop Room. The panel brought Sustainability Kiosk and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Nature as an Asset Class: Building Sustainable Capital Through Regenerative Tourism followed at 16:55 on the Summit Stage with TUI Hotels & Resorts, Club Med and SALVA.
Investing in Innovation: The Technologies Reshaping Travel, Tourism & Hospitality took the Future Stage on day two, 11:10 to 11:35, with Emirates Airline, ExploreTECH and PwC.
The Startup Den ran 11:35 to 13:15 the same day, hosted by Ali Shahid, with judges from UN Tourism, VU Venture Partners and Jumeirah. Nine startups are listed in the den.
The $500K Hotel Tech Challenge: Where Would You Invest? filled 15:45 to 16:45 with operators and vendors including Rove Hotels, Duetto, Fairmas, Premier Inn Middle East, Rotana and Amadeus Hospitality.
The FHS World Hackathon opened on day one. Its finals took the Future Stage at 12:05 on the closing day, and the grand finale ran at 14:00 on 1 October.
FHS Living closes the week
FHS Living takes the Summit Stage for the whole of day three, 1 October. The Bench rebranded the former Branded Residences Forum under the FHS Living name. Access is limited to Premium and FHS Living pass holders.
The branded residences track sits inside that day. Titles on the Summit Stage include The State of the Global Branded Residences Market, Branded Residences Uncovered: Global Performance Review & Insights, Terms, Tensions and Trade-Offs: Getting the Branded Residence Deal Done, and The Next Chapter: Can Dubai Sustain Its Branded Residence Momentum?
Awards and signings
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum presented the FHS Lifetime Achievement Award to Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline. Sheikh Ahmed chairs the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Airports, and chairs and heads Emirates Airline and Group. He is patron of the summit.
Two agreements by Accor were signed on the opening day. Marjan hosted a private breakfast.
On day two, Jonathan Worsley, chairman of The Bench, presented the FHS Leadership Award to H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.
Receptions and the 2027 edition
The welcome reception ran at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam on 29 September from 18:00 to 21:00. Day two closed at McGettigan's in Souk Madinat Jumeirah.
FHS World 2027 runs in November 2027 at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Marjan and The Bench announced the move together. The 2027 edition is expected to draw around 1,200 delegates, including 250 investors and 200 speakers from 60 countries.
Registration for the 2027 edition is open. For a group programme, the dates and the destination now stand a year out.