What the flight costs, by city
Cheaper but slowerfrom $209 via AUH, 10h 35m door to door
Cheaper but slowerfrom $251 via RUH, 16h 45m door to door
Cheaper but slowerfrom $337 via BAH, 23h 15m door to door
Every one of these cities has a nonstop to Dubai. Flying in a day early for the Summit moves the fare by at most $9. Pick your dates around the show.
What is on at GITEX 2026
| GITEX Global 2026 | Confirmed by the organiser |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 December 2026 (Summit), 8 to 11 December 2026 (expo) |
| Location | Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai |
| Registration | Online at gitex.com |
| Visitor pass | 630 AED. Expand North Star is free. |
GITEX runs five days in all: one summit day, then four days of expo floor. It has left the Dubai World Trade Centre after 45 years, moving to Expo City Dubai and from October to December.
Where to stay
GITEX week costs about a quarter more than the following week across Dubai. The premium bites hardest at the venue, where only five hotels clear four stars.
Every Dubai property for the nights the expo runs.
Questions
When and where is GITEX 2026?
The GITEX Summit runs on 7 December 2026 and the GITEX Global expo runs 8 to 11 December 2026, both at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. Expand North Star runs 8 to 10 December 2026 at the same venue.
Has GITEX really moved from the World Trade Centre?
Yes. After 45 years at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the 2026 edition moves to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, and the dates move from October to December. Expand North Star moves with it, from Dubai Harbour.
How much does a GITEX ticket cost?
A GITEX GLOBAL visitor pass is listed at 630 AED on the organiser's own registration form. An Expand North Star pass is listed as free. Wego does not sell event passes, so book those through the organiser.
How do I get to Expo City Dubai?
The Dubai Metro Red Line runs to the Expo 2020 station inside Expo City. By road the venue is about 30 minutes from Downtown Dubai and about 15 minutes from Al Maktoum International. Parking is free.
Should I fly into Al Maktoum instead of Dubai International?
Al Maktoum sits about 15 minutes from the venue, but on our sampling no scheduled fare was available into it from any of the ten cities on this page. Plan on landing at Dubai International and travelling south.
Does the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix affect GITEX travel?
It can. The Formula 1 season finale runs 3 to 6 December 2026 at the Yas Marina Circuit, finishing the day before the GITEX Summit opens. If you arrive on 5 or 6 December you are buying into race weekend demand across the UAE.
When should I book a hotel?
Earlier than you would for an ordinary December week. Of the 376 qualifying Dubai hotels we priced, 294 were dearer during GITEX week than the week after.
Sources
- GITEX GLOBAL, show dates, venue and the co-located events, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- GITEX GLOBAL visitor registration, pass prices, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- Expand North Star, its 2026 dates and its move to Expo City, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- UAE Government Media Office, the official announcement of the venue move, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- Expo City Dubai, metro, road and parking access, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the race weekend dates, retrieved 15 September 2026.
- Wego flight and hotel search, sampled 15 September 2026 in USD.
- Featured photograph of Expo City Dubai by Shuxin Wu on Unsplash, free licence.
How these figures were produced
- Fares are cheapest return economy for one adult, flying out 6 December and home 12 December, the window the full show needs. Where a city sells a nonstop we quote the nonstop, because a fixed show date makes a sixteen hour routing a false economy; a connection saving more than $50 is printed beside it.
- Room rates are the cheapest nightly rate for one adult, 7 to 12 December, at properties of four stars or better scoring 8.0 or better, within 45 km of the Dubai Exhibition Centre. Band figures come from the whole qualifying population of 376, not from the cards shown.
- The comparison week is 14 to 19 December, the week straight after the show, sampled the same day at the same properties. It sits before the Christmas peak but inside Dubai’s high season, so it is a conservative baseline.
- Distances are straight line from the Dubai Exhibition Centre, not travel time. Wego’s own distance to city centre measures from Downtown Dubai and runs the opposite way to what this show needs.
- Al Maktoum International returned no priced itinerary from any of the ten cities, so no fare is shown for it. That is what we measured, not a statement about the airport’s whole network.
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
