AI Meets Capital at Step Dubai

When the doors opened at Step Dubai 2026 this week, the message was clear early on: artificial intelligence is no longer a side topic in business conversations — it is becoming the backbone of how companies are built and scaled.

The first day of the event, held in strategic partnership with Dubai Internet City, brought together more than 8,000 founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders. Instead of covering a wide mix of themes, Step dedicated the entire agenda to one question: how AI is changing the global economy and what that means for businesses on the ground.

This year’s theme, “Intelligence Everywhere: The AI Economy,” shaped every session, from infrastructure and finance to policy, entrepreneurship and the human impact of automation. For many SME founders in the room, the focus was practical rather than theoretical — how AI tools are already influencing decision-making, operations and growth.

One of the notable moments of the day was Step’s announcement that it is moving toward becoming an AI-first organisation itself. Rather than only talking about transformation, the company outlined how it is embedding AI into its own operations. That includes building internal tools for event planning, community engagement and data analysis.

At the event, this approach showed up in small but useful ways. Attendees used the Step Event App to manage schedules and speaker sessions, while a WhatsApp AI assistant answered questions and suggested sessions in real time. Step also introduced new platforms such as Buzz, aimed at helping brands and founders share content and connect, and Uniqorn, a matchmaking tool designed to link start-ups with investors for more targeted meetings.

Dubai Internet City’s role as ecosystem partner was also part of the conversation. Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, spoke about how AI is changing how companies are formed and scaled, and why infrastructure and community support matter just as much as technology itself for long-term growth.

From Step’s side, co-founder and CEO Ray Dargham framed the day as less about hype and more about alignment. He pointed to the way founders, investors and policymakers are starting to look at AI not as a standalone sector, but as a layer that will run through every industry over the next decade, especially from hubs like Dubai that sit between global markets.

One of the early sessions featured a conversation between Dargham and Adeo Ressi, founder of the Founder Institute, focusing on venture capital, AI adoption and what company-building looks like in an environment where intelligence is increasingly automated.

Beyond start-ups, larger technology firms also joined the discussion. Companies such as GenSpark and Atlassian shared how they are deploying AI across products and enterprise systems, offering a look at what scale adoption actually involves — from revenue models to operational changes.

Policy and regional development were another part of the first-day agenda. A panel moderated by entrepreneur Fadi Ghandour brought together former government ministers to discuss how AI, innovation policy and entrepreneurship intersect in shaping economic growth across the Levant and North Africa.

Sessions ran across four main tracks — Founders & Funders, AI in Finance, The AI Stack and Human First. Together, they covered everything from investment strategies and infrastructure to ethics, workforce changes and practical deployment of AI tools in businesses.

Outside the main stages, in5, Dubai’s start-up incubator by TECOM Group, showcased emerging companies, while D/Quarters introduced a more informal outdoor co-working space at the venue, reflecting how flexible work environments are becoming part of modern business events too.

Now in its 14th year, Step has hosted thousands of start-ups globally. For the 2026 edition in Dubai, the event is welcoming more than 8,000 attendees and over 200 speakers, with access to an investor network representing around USD 12.6 billion in deployable capital.

For SMEs attending Step Dubai, the first day felt less like a tech showcase and more like a working conversation about how artificial intelligence is quietly becoming part of everyday business decisions — from fundraising and product development to operations and customer engagement.