Gulf News reported that Dubai hosted the Middle East debut of PropTech Connect from February 4 to 5 2026 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai in partnership with the Dubai Land Department. The conference drew more than 3000 participants representing over 1500 companies from real estate technology and venture capital. It facilitated thousands of one-to-one meetings through dedicated platforms while featuring two exhibition zones to link startups with global investors and technology leaders. The event brought together developers owners operators brokers occupiers proptech firms artificial intelligence specialists and investors.
The programme as detailed in the Gulf News coverage included more than 60 panel discussions across five platforms addressing residential hospitality commercial industrial development and asset management segments. Fifty case studies drawn from international markets complemented the sessions along with 25 workshops and closed-door meetings centered on practical uses of artificial intelligence blockchain and data analytics in real estate operations. More than 200 speakers from leading institutions across Europe the United States Asia and the Middle East took part in the proceedings according to the report.
PropTech Connect ranks among the fastest-growing real estate technology conferences globally and Dubai marked its first destination in the event series international expansion plan following engagements with the Dubai Land Department Gulf News stated. The gathering supported objectives in Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 which centers on digital innovation to double the size of the economy and bolster global competitiveness. It also tied into the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033 that focuses on market efficiency data integration and transparency.
According to the Dubai Land Department the 2033 strategy targets doubling the real estate sector contribution to the emirate GDP to approximately AED 73 billion. The plan calls for a 70 percent rise in real estate transactions and seeks to increase homeownership rates to 33 percent while lifting the market value to AED 1 trillion. The department outlined additional goals to expand the value of Dubai real estate portfolios 20 times to AED 20 billion through the strategy.
A TechSci Research report valued the UAE PropTech market at USD 607 million in 2024 with projections to reach USD 1.55 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 17.49 percent. Sheikh Hamdan launched the Dubai PropTech Hub in May 2025 to more than double the market value beyond USD 1.23 billion attract over AED 1 billion in investments by 2030 and support more than 200 PropTech companies according to the assessment. The hub advances broader smart city and digital transformation efforts across the UAE.
Grand View Research figures placed the Middle East and Africa PropTech market at USD 1.19 billion in 2025 with an expected compound annual growth rate of 8.7 percent from 2026 to 2033. The Dubai conference positioned the emirate to reinforce its status as a global center for technology-led real estate development through stakeholder collaboration. Organisers highlighted the event role in preparing the sector for rising future demand in line with regional expansion trends.
