Malls, shopping strips and retail jobs touch nearly everyone in Dubai, whether it’s the weekend grocery run, the daily commute past a construction site, or a paycheque tied to the retail sector. This October, the industry shaping those everyday experiences will gather to talk about who leads it next.
The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers (MECSR) will convene Retail Congress MENA 2026 on October 5 and 6 at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, bringing together the region’s leading retail, shopping centre and real estate professionals. The congress runs under the theme “Level Up: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,” and its focus is squarely on people: building a next generation of leaders able to navigate a retail landscape being reshaped by artificial intelligence, shifting consumer expectations and increasingly complex business environments.
That framing matters beyond the boardroom. Over two days, shopping centre owners and operators, retailers, developers, investors and service providers will take part in keynotes, panels and case studies on leadership, succession planning and talent development, discussions with direct consequences for the thousands of people employed across the region’s retail economy.
David Macadam, CEO of MECSR, put the workforce stakes plainly. “The pace of change across our industry makes it increasingly important to develop talent and build strong leadership pipelines,” he said. “We want to bring together experienced leaders and emerging talent to explore how AI, changing consumer expectations and evolving retail models are shaping the skills and leadership needed for the future.”
Headlining the event is Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X and bestselling author of Solve for Happy. His session will examine how leaders and organisations can prepare people, not just businesses, for a future being reshaped by AI and accelerating technological change, a question that lands squarely on workers whose livelihoods sit within retail.
The programme reflects how decisions made in these rooms ripple out to shoppers and city life. Day one opens with “Dubai’s Retail and Tourism Agenda: The View from the City,” featuring Mohammed Feras Arayqat of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), followed by “The Human Future: AI, Happiness and How We Will Live, Work and Gather,” with Gawdat and Macadam. Later sessions include “NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities” with Alain Bejjani and Richard Dean; “Capital and Confidence: Navigating the Region’s Next Chapter,” featuring Gogi George of Lulu International Holdings Ltd., Shane Eldstrom of United Developers/Place Vendôme, Duaij Al Rumaihi of Seef Properties and Tarik Abdullah Alaklan of Cenomi Centers; and “Brand Retail in the Gulf: Sustaining Growth in a More Demanding Market” with John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group.
The day also covers the reinvention of familiar public spaces, spaces many residents walk through weekly. “Right in the Heart: Reinventing a Legacy Mall for Modern Retail” features Macadam and Mary Del Dosso, Mall Director of BurJuman and Reef Malls, Al Ghurair Group. A related session, “AI in Retail: Levelling Up the Operation,” brings in Baiju Pappachan of BUZ MMC & Raffle Tech, Nevzat Yavan of ESAS Properties and Hamdi Kulahcioglu of Akerio.
Day two opens with “The Road to Jeddah,” featuring Macadam, Ayman Alburti of Azad Properties and Thamer AlAboud, Chairman of the Tourism and Culture Council at Jeddah Chamber, previewing MECSR’s Saudi expansion. Further sessions address leadership at scale with Nasser Alajmi of AWJ Real Estate, Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, and Nada Ghaoui Abousaab of FIKRA Consultants; brand growth in the Gulf with Kapil Sethi of GMG and Majid Algothmi of RED Malls/Azad Properties; “The Holy Cities Opportunity” with Konrad Kolankiewicz of Knowledge Economic City and Mohammad Iqbal Alawi of Alsarah Holding; and “The Operator’s Playbook: Unlocking the Full Potential of Every Asset” with Jihad Dirani of Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co, Khaled Abuhamdeh of Al-Futtaim Group, Khalid Aljanahi of Cenomi Centers and Rony Mourani, CEO of Mall of Qatar. The programme closes with “The Next Wave: Retail, Dining and Destinations Reshaping the Mall,” featuring Ahmad Alkashakri of the Restaurants & Cafés Owners Association and Todd Pilgreen of Gensler, followed by a closing keynote from Macadam.
Technology will be visible to attendees on-site. MECSR has named Eleva AI, the Barcelona-based AI agent platform for physical venues, as the Official AI Partner of the congress. Eleva AI will power the event’s dedicated AI agent, accessible through official channels, answering questions about the agenda and speakers, helping attendees find exhibitors and assisting with venue navigation.
Alongside the conference, an exhibition will showcase destination malls, retail concepts, real estate developments and specialist services. The MECSR Shopping Centre & Retailer MENA Awards will recognise outstanding assets, initiatives and teams across the region, with the 2026 finalists already announced.
Sponsorship spans the industry: Diamond Sponsors are Cenomi Centers, Unified Real Estate Development, Azad Properties/RED Malls and Al Othaim Investment, with Platinum Sponsors Knowledge Economic City Co. and Red Sea Mall. Danah Real Estate and Dalma Mall are Gold Sponsors; Yardi Systems and Champion Group are Silver Sponsors; and MRI Real Estate Software, Giftstarr, BurJuman, Kingdom Centre and Ground Control Entertainment are Bronze Sponsors.