For half a decade, the Gulf’s growth looked inevitable. Capital compounded, visitor numbers climbed, and new destinations rose from the desert faster than anywhere else in the industry could build. The Iran-U.S. war ended that certainty. Every major travel organization operating in or through the region now has to decide how much of that trajectory survives sustained conflict, and how much traveler trust survives with it.
Change Global Forum East returns to Abu Dhabi on December 8-9, 2026, hosted by Experience Abu Dhabi. This is the event’s fifth edition and its second in the city. Last year’s edition drew 424 leaders from 279 companies across 21 countries, and 65% of them were director level or above. This is where the region’s next decisions get argued rather than announced.
The Six Decisions on the Table
1. Where the Capital Supercycle Goes Next
Investors and asset owners face a timing call: recommit capital to Middle East hospitality now, wait for the picture to clarify, or redirect to markets carrying less risk.
2. Moving AI From Pilot to Revenue
Volatile demand makes efficiency gains matter more, not less. Chief executives and chief operating officers have to decide whether to run artificial intelligence under one mandate or build it into revenue, service, and distribution. They also have to decide which governance keeps the failures small.
3. Regenerating Demand Amid Global Tensions
The Q4 return of South and East Asian travelers is not guaranteed. Airlines, destinations, and government leaders have to decide what pulls that demand back, and what they can do on the ground to tell the story.
4. What Happens After the Mega-Event
Destination operators and developers confront the drop-off question: does sports and entertainment infrastructure build durable demand cycles, or the same post-event fade that has followed similar bets elsewhere?
5. The 2028 Hospitality Supply Mix
Hospitality executives and real estate allocators read whether branded residences, short-term rentals, and hybrid models are portfolio opportunity or margin threat before the next development cycle locks in.
6. Resilience as the Strategy
How much instability can an operating model absorb at once? Chief financial officers and strategy heads now have to plan for geopolitical, climate, and source-market shocks arriving together, not one at a time.
The Room Is Curated, Not Closed
Complimentary registration is available, subject to approval, for senior leaders across tourism authorities and destinations, hotels, airlines and airports, online travel and distribution, capital and real estate, and travel technology. Anyone else can buy a standard pass with no approval needed.
Source: skift.com
