AI Mavericks Live Summit 26
Aerial view of Yas Marina and Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi

The Gulf's biggest AI community

AI Mavericks Live Summit 26

Practical AI comes to life in Abu Dhabi.

Join business leaders, technology teams, founders, practitioners and ecosystem partners for three days of real implementation stories, industry conversations, working technology and meaningful connections.

10–12 December 2026Abu Dhabi, UAEYas Conference CentreMain keynote day: Saturday 12 December

Educate • Connect • Inspire

Register for the Summit ↗Partner with the event

Presented by AI Mavericks.

  • 10–12 Dec

    2026 · Summit dates

  • Abu Dhabi

    United Arab Emirates

  • Yas Conference Centre

    Venue

  • 12 Dec

    Main keynote day · Saturday

Beyond a single event

The Gulf’s biggest AI community.

AI Mavericks brings together the people exploring, implementing and enabling AI across business and society. Through regular learning sessions, practitioner conversations, technology showcases, industry programmes and community connections, members continue learning and collaborating throughout the year.

Educate • Connect • Inspire

AI Mavericks is a practical AI community based in Doha, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, connecting people across the Gulf, with delivery support from the International Business Week (IBW) team. AI Mavericks Live Summit 26 runs inside IBW Global Summit 2026 (10–13 December).

Members of the AI Mavericks community in conversation at a practitioner session

01

Weekly

Conversations, insights and community exchange.

02

Monthly

Practitioner sessions, workshops and industry discussions.

03

Across the year

Training, showcases, sector programmes and ecosystem initiatives.

04

Flagship gathering

AI Mavericks Live.

Our purpose

Building a community-led AI transformation of society.

Educate • Connect • Inspire

About the event

Practical ideas, working technology and valuable connections.

AI Mavericks Live Summit 26 is a three-day practical AI gathering for people responsible for understanding, selecting, implementing or enabling AI. Across 10–12 December at Yas Conference Centre on Yas Island, the summit connects leadership exchange, working AI ventures, responsible adoption and practical skills. The main keynote programme is Saturday 12 December; full session times and speakers will follow when confirmed.

01 — Practical learning

Implementation stories, leadership decisions and lessons people can apply.

02 — Cross-sector exchange

Enterprise, government, academia, founders, investors and practitioners.

Panel discussion on practical AI implementation in front of a seated audience

Planned Physical AI Live

A close look at intelligent machines moving from demonstration toward deployment.

Beyond the summit

Community conversations and follow-up learning can continue beyond the summit.

What to expect

Practical ideas, working technology and valuable connections.

  • Real implementation experiences
  • Industry-focused conversations
  • Practical workshops and masterclasses
  • Working technology demonstrations
  • Physical AI and robotics
  • Founder and startup participation
  • Meaningful business and community networking

About IBW / delivery experience

Institutional reach. Proven delivery.

The International Business Week team brings experience delivering cross-sector gatherings.

International Business Week has spent years convening founders, investors, universities, corporates and ecosystem partners across several markets, building programmes where introductions lead to work rather than to another panel.

Delegates on stage at the IBW Global Summit 2025

25+

Forums delivered

5

Regions

1

International platform

The IBW Center of Excellence in Doha during a partner gathering
IBW Center of Excellence, Doha
A speaker addressing the IBW Global Summit 2025 stage
IBW Global Summit 2025 stage

Track record

IBW Qatar Special Edition Conclave

Greater Bay Area China Business Week

Global Tech Weekend, Tbilisi

Innovation Summit, Dubai

IBW Center of Excellence, Doha

Ecosystem ties

Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, QSTP, HKSTP, Cyberport, Pace University and FRWRD Intelligence

Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport, Pace University, FRWRD Intelligence

These logos reflect past International Business Week relationships. They are not confirmed partners of AI Mavericks Live.

AI Mavericks Live is built with ecosystem partners including International Business Week, Startup Grind Qatar, Builders Tribe AI, SquareCircle Ventures and Entrepreneur Avenue.

Four connected tracks

One summit. Four AI conversations.

Leadership, adoption, responsible use and skills across three days on Yas Island.

01 · Executive Knowledge

CEOs and CIOs share AI strategy, use cases and implementation lessons through keynotes, masterclasses and roundtables.

02 · AI Accelerator

Startups and scaleups show working AI, enterprise agents and Physical AI to corporate innovators, investors and partners. Founder pitches and live demonstrations explore real operating needs.

03 · Responsible AI

Practical guardrails for trusted adoption: ethics and governance, security and resilience, data and sovereignty.

04 · AI Upskilling

Workshops, relevant business use cases and Centres of Excellence support a community ambition of one million AI-ready GCC professionals by 2030. This is a goal, not an achieved count.

New for December: Startup World Cup Abu Dhabi.

On 12 December, the main summit day, the Startup World Cup comes to Abu Dhabi as part of IBW Global Summit 2026. The competition runs more than 100 regional finals across six continents, with a $1,000,000 global investment prize at the Grand Finale in San Francisco. The summit week follows Abu Dhabi Finance Week (7–10 December) and GITEX Global in Dubai (7–11 December).

IBW's investor network now includes its October 2026 strategic MOU with SquareCircle Ventures, signed at Ai Everything Abu Dhabi. Read the announcement.

One system · two halves

Digital AI meets Physical AI.

Digital AI

  • AI agents and workflow automation
  • Enterprise data and decision intelligence
  • Customer and employee experiences
  • Governance, security and responsible adoption
  • AI-enabled business transformation
A live technology demonstration in front of an audience of senior delegates

Physical AI

  • Robotics and intelligent automation
  • Built-environment applications
  • Hospitality and facility operations
  • Inspection, logistics and industrial workflows
  • Demonstrations moving toward real deployment

Executive knowledge

Six sectors in the leadership exchange.

01

Life Sciences

Research, care delivery and responsible adoption.

02

Energy & Engineering

Operations, construction, inspection and asset performance.

03

Entertainment, Tourism & Hospitality

Guest experience, creative applications and service operations.

04

Mobility

Intelligent movement, connected systems and transport.

05

Fintech

Financial services, decision support and business workflows.

06

Logistics & Supply Chain

Procurement, planning, fulfilment and operational resilience.

Who will be in the room

Built for people responsible for outcomes.

  • 01CEOs & CIOs
  • 02Founders & scaleups
  • 03Investors & family offices
  • 04Government & public sector
  • 05Corporate innovation teams
  • 06Professionals & universities
Senior delegates networking in a conference room at an International Business Week event

The summit connects decision-makers, builders and practitioners around practical AI. Final attendance and speakers are not yet confirmed.

Programme

Three days of practical exchange.

The main keynote programme is Saturday 12 December. Across the summit, formats include keynotes, masterclasses, roundtables, founder pitches, live demonstrations and workshops. The day-by-day timetable will follow once speakers and partners are confirmed.

  • 01

    Keynotes

  • 02

    Roundtables

  • 03

    Founder pitches

  • 04

    Workshops

  • 05

    Masterclasses

  • 06

    Live demos

Main keynote programme: Saturday 12 December. Individual session times and speakers will be announced when confirmed.

On the floor

See it running, not described.

Alongside the sessions, the Summit makes space for working technology, live pitches and content built to travel beyond the room.

Register via IBW ↗
A small group working through an operational challenge together

01

Working AI demonstrations

See working solutions, enterprise agents and Physical AI against real operating needs.

02

Founder and Startup Sessions

Emerging solutions meeting the wider ecosystem of operators, partners and supporters.

03

Built for the room. Built for media

Ideas from the room can continue through practical sessions and community conversation.

A facilitator presenting on stage to an engaged audience

Speakers

First speakers to be announced soon.

Speakers are published only after confirmation by the programme team.

Express Interest in Speaking

Partner with AI Mavericks Live

Help build the platform where practical AI comes together.

Partnership is a collaboration. Bring a working case, capability or useful perspective — not a scripted sales pitch.

Request the partnership brochureRequest partnership details

Support & Sponsorship

Support the summit and the year-round community around it.

Community & Ecosystem

Connect your community and networks into the wider room.

Industry

Bring sector experience into the conversations that matter.

Knowledge & Training

Contribute learning, workshops and applied expertise.

Technology & Showcase

Demonstrate working technology in a credible setting.

Strategic Collaboration

Shape longer-term programmes together with AI Mavericks.

What partnership can include

  • Your name and logo on the summit site and at the venue.
  • A demo or showcase of your technology during the summit.
  • Introductions to relevant founders, executives and ecosystem partners across the three days.

Each partnership is shaped directly with the team, so tell us what you want to achieve.

Ways to contribute

  • Supporting event delivery
  • Sharing an implementation story
  • Contributing to a sector conversation
  • Demonstrating relevant technology
  • Supporting workshops or learning sessions
  • Connecting communities and industry networks
  • Developing longer-term programmes with AI Mavericks

Partners support the delivery and reach of AI Mavericks Live. Programme curation, speaker selection, recommendations and audience-data governance remain with the organisers.

Partner ecosystem

The community and delivery team

Presented by

AI Mavericks

Delivery support

The International Business Week (IBW) team

Our ecosystem

Ecosystem partners

Connecting communities around practical AI.

Startup Grind Qatar logo

Startup Grind Qatar

International Business Week (IBW) logo

International Business Week (IBW)

Partnership news

AI Mavericks announces its partnership with Entrepreneur Avenue

AI Mavericks x Entrepreneur Avenue partnership

AI Mavericks has announced its partnership with Entrepreneur Avenue. Marcel Dridje, who has spent years mentoring founders and backing early-stage startups, supports the AI Mavericks community.

Together they want to help more AI startups grow in the region. The AI Mavericks Accelerator supports AI product companies from outside the Gulf that want to set up and grow in Doha and across the Gulf.

AI startups and ecosystem partners can write to community@aimavericks.live. Read the announcement on LinkedIn.

The Doha skyline at sunset seen across the bay

Ecosystem Ties

Built in Doha. Connected to the world. Focused on implementation.

Qatar offers the scale, ambition and cross-sector access to move practical AI conversations toward real operating environments. AI Mavericks brings the people responsible for that movement into conversation across the Gulf.

A national AI strategy with six stated priorities

Qatar's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy sets out priorities across education, data access, employment, business, research and ethics.

Top 20 for digital competitiveness

Qatar entered the top 20 of the 2025 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking.

Sources for editorial verification: Qatar National Artificial Intelligence Strategy; IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2025.

Across the Gulf

A continuous conversation after Abu Dhabi.

Doha · March 2027

A sector-led activation connecting leaders, innovators and practitioners. Exact date and venue are to be announced.

Riyadh · April 2027

A planned regional activation around executive priorities, startups and workforce skills. Exact date, venue and local arrangements are pending.

Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait are part of a later phase; no dates have been announced.

Attend, partner, speak or demonstrate

Join the Abu Dhabi Summit

Attend the Summit

Registration for AI Mavericks Live Summit 26 is hosted by International Business Week (IBW) as part of IBW Global Summit 2026. On the IBW registration form, tick the AI Mavericks LIVE Summit checkbox.

Register via International Business Week ↗

Partner, Speak or Demonstrate

For partnership, speaking and demonstration enquiries, tell us below and the team will follow up. To join the year-round community, use the community Tally form.

Partner, Speak or Demonstrate

FAQ

Questions, answered plainly

What is AI Mavericks?

AI Mavericks is a practical AI community based in Doha, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, connecting people across the Gulf. It runs weekly conversations, monthly practitioner sessions and workshops, and a flagship event, AI Mavericks Live. Its purpose is a community-led AI transformation of society, built around three ideas: educate, connect, inspire.

How is the community active through the year?

Weekly conversations and community exchange, monthly practitioner sessions and workshops, and training, showcases and sector programmes across the year. AI Mavericks Live is the community's flagship gathering.

Who is AI Mavericks Live designed for?

Business and technology leaders, enterprise and operations teams, founders and startups, practitioners, solution providers, investors, universities and ecosystem stakeholders.

When and where will the event take place?

The AI Mavericks Live Summit 26 is planned for 10–12 December 2026 at Yas Conference Centre in Abu Dhabi. A separate Doha event is coming in March 2027; its exact date and details are not yet announced.

How many people are expected?

Attendance details have not been announced yet.

What is the Innovation Showcase?

Working AI, enterprise agents and Physical AI demonstrations are part of the proposed accelerator programme. The final lineup will follow confirmation.

What are the founder and startup sessions?

Sessions that connect emerging solutions with the wider ecosystem of operators, partners and supporters. The format is being planned and is subject to confirmation.

How can my organisation partner with the event?

Use the Summit interest form to contact the team. Partnership is shaped around shared value — knowledge, technology, community reach, industry experience or strategic support.

Can I apply to speak or demonstrate a solution?

Yes. Use the “Partner, Speak or Demonstrate” path in the registration section. Speakers and demonstrations are confirmed by the programme team before anything is published.

When will the programme and speakers be announced?

The programme and speakers will be announced once confirmed.

Are sessions recorded?

Recording details have not been announced. Please check with the team closer to the event.

How do I register to attend?

Registration is hosted by International Business Week (IBW) as part of IBW Global Summit 2026. Use the registration link on this page and tick the AI Mavericks LIVE Summit checkbox on the IBW form. Ticketing terms are IBW’s and are shown during their registration.

Do partners influence the programme?

Programme curation and speaker selection remain with the organisers. Partners contribute knowledge, technology, reach and support.

Architectural detail of a contemporary Doha facade at dusk

Ready to move from AI interest to AI action?

Register via IBW ↗Partner With Us