War puts the Gulf’s once‑packed conference calendar on hold

Before the Middle East war, the Gulf had positioned itself to become one of the world’s busiest hubs for conferences, exhibitions, and high‑level events.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have each worked hard to be seen as the crossroads for business, politics and innovation, hosting global sporting events from Formula 1 to high-stakes boxing championships and top-tier golf tournaments.

The Gulf has also welcomed global CEOs, home to major business gatherings like the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Web Summit in Doha and Abu Dhabi Finance Week.

Now, as war grounds flights and threatens to destabilize the region’s carefully built future, events from cultural to crypto have been quietly rescheduled.

Several high‑profile gatherings across the Middle East scheduled from March to May are being postponed, rescheduled or placed under review as organizers assess the impact of the current regional conflict, underscoring how geopolitical tensions are disrupting the Gulf’s once‑packed conference calendar.

Formula 1 announced earlier this month that “due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April.”

A number of flagship gatherings scheduled for April and May still remain in limbo, with several choosing a modified version of what is normally a massive global event.

Art Dubai, the city’s flagship cultural event featuring 120 galleries from over 40 countries each year, told CNBC that the event would go ahead in an “adapted format at Madinat Jumeirah” from May 14–17.

“There remains a clear sense that maintaining the platform that Art Dubai represents is important for the wider cultural ecosystem,” the statement added.

Several other major events have already been pushed back. Arabian Travel Market, a massive travel industry conference held at the World Trade Center in Dubai, originally scheduled for May, has been moved to August, with organizers citing “recent developments in the region.”

The World Economic Forum announced it would be rescheduling the Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting, which had been planned for April 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “This reflects a commitment to convening the meeting under conditions that ensure its full strategic impact,” the World Economic Forum said Tuesday.

The Arab Media Forum, scheduled for April, has been postponed to September 2026, with organizers saying the decision was taken to ensure the event meets its scale and ambition.

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