Dubai Future Week 2026 transport guide: getting to Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future
Dubai Future Week 2026 runs 18–21 November at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future. Metro, drop-off on Sheikh Zayed Road and delegate cars.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 6 min read
Dubai Future Week 2026 runs Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 November across Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future on Sheikh Zayed Road. It’s the new home of the Dubai Future Forum and Dubai AI Week, with more than 10,000 participants expected. Take the Red Line, or book a car that drops you at the tower and waits off the main road.
Both venues sit on the busiest stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road, between DIFC and Dubai World Trade Centre, so a four-day programme here is mostly short trips in heavy traffic. We plan conference transport for delegations and speakers on this strip every season. Here’s how we’d plan the week.
When and where is Dubai Future Week 2026?
Dubai Future Week lists 18–21 November 2026 at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future, organised by Dubai Future Foundation. Dubai Media Office says it brings the Dubai Future Forum, Dubai AI Week, AI Grandmaster, the Dubai Foresight Awards, Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity and TED Talks into one week.
| Edition | Dates | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Future Forum 2024 | 19–20 November 2024 | Museum of the Future | Held |
| Dubai Future Forum 2025 | From 18 November 2025 | Museum of the Future | Held |
| Dubai Future Week 2026 | 18–21 November 2026 (Wednesday–Saturday) | Emirates Towers and Museum of the Future | Confirmed by the organiser |
| 2027 | Not announced yet; the forum has run in mid-to-late November | To be confirmed | Check dubaifutureweek.com |
| 2028 | Not announced yet | To be confirmed | Check dubaifutureweek.com |
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed has described it as an annual event, so expect a 2027 edition in a similar slot. Daily hours hadn’t been published when we wrote this; check your registration email.
One thing to know: the Museum of the Future closed to regular visitors at the start of September 2026 and plans to reopen in the first quarter of 2027. The week’s sessions there are part of the programme, but don’t plan a tour of the exhibitions.
Who goes
Policymakers, investors, founders, technologists and researchers, plus speakers and their teams. Registration is online and asks for your organisation and job title. The programme runs across five tracks (how we’ll live, think, innovate, feel and do business) and eight formats, from the Big Stage to closed-door Policy Room sessions.
That mix shapes transport. Speakers need precise drop-off times. Delegations move between the two venues and meetings in DIFC. Investors often have three or four appointments around the programme each day.
How do you get to Emirates Towers for Dubai Future Week?
| Option | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chauffeur | Drop at the venue entrance, car waits nearby, on call between sessions | Speakers, delegations, investors with meetings | Sheikh Zayed Road at peak hours |
| Dubai Metro | Red Line to the station at Emirates Towers | Solo delegates staying on the Red Line | Rush-hour crowds on Wednesday to Friday |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | App booking to the tower | One-off trips | Pickup queues when sessions end |
| Walk from DIFC | Short walk for delegates already in the financial district | Hotels in DIFC | November afternoon heat in a suit |
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, on Sheikh Zayed Road in Trade Centre 2, says the complex has direct access to the Dubai Metro. The Museum of the Future is next door on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Drop-off, waiting and moving between venues
Sheikh Zayed Road has no stopping on the main carriageway, and the service roads around the towers fill quickly during an event. This is how we run it:
- Tell us the session and the venue for each drop: Emirates Towers or the Museum of the Future.
- Drop-off at the entrance marshals direct cars to, never on the highway.
- The car waits off the main road in a car park or a holding area, with the chauffeur on his phone.
- Call 15 minutes ahead for each pickup. On this stretch a car can be two minutes away and still 15 minutes from your door if it has to loop round.
For a full day of sessions and outside meetings, hourly hire (three-hour minimum) beats separate transfers. The car is yours between sessions, and you’re not hailing taxis on Sheikh Zayed Road between meetings.
Traffic and other events that week
- Morning and evening peaks. Wednesday to Friday are working days, so Sheikh Zayed Road carries commuter traffic around the 9am and 5–7pm peaks. Our Dubai rush hour guide has the worst windows.
- Dubai World Trade Centre next door. The World Police Summit runs there until 18 November, overlapping the first day.
- Friday 20 November: a Dubai Racing Carnival race night at Meydan.
- The weekend: the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (19–22 November) and Icons of Porsche in Nad Al Sheba (21–22 November) pull cars across the city. See our Dubai events calendar for the full week.
Which car for Dubai Future Week?
- A speaker or principal: a first-class sedan. A Mercedes S-Class is the usual choice for VIP drops on Sheikh Zayed Road.
- A delegation of 3–6: a large SUV or V-Class, so everyone arrives together.
- A ministry or company delegation with several cars: matched sedans with one coordinator. Our delegation transport guide explains how we run convoys.
- A university or startup group: a minibus. We arrange buses with a driver for groups.
Frequently asked questions
When is Dubai Future Week 2026?
Dubai Future Week 2026 runs 18–21 November 2026 at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future in Dubai, organised by Dubai Future Foundation. It brings the Dubai Future Forum, Dubai AI Week and other Dubai Future Foundation platforms into one week, with more than 10,000 participants expected.
Is Dubai Future Week the same as the Dubai Future Forum?
The Dubai Future Forum is now part of it. Dubai Media Office says Dubai Future Week combines the forum with Dubai AI Week, AI Grandmaster, the Dubai Foresight Awards, Prototypes for Humanity and TED Talks. Earlier forums were two-day events at the Museum of the Future, held in November in 2023 and 2024.
How do I get to Dubai Future Week by metro?
Take the Red Line to the station at Emirates Towers on Sheikh Zayed Road. Jumeirah Emirates Towers says the complex has direct access to the Dubai Metro, and the Museum of the Future is next door. Trains are busiest at the morning and evening commuter peaks.
Is the Museum of the Future open during Dubai Future Week?
Not for regular visits. The museum closed to visitors at the start of September 2026 and expects to reopen in the first quarter of 2027. Dubai Future Week sessions use the building as a programme venue, so registered participants attend there, but the exhibitions aren’t open.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
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