Join us for the first-ever GBTA Middle East Business Travel Forum
Join us in Dubai as we step into the future of business travel at this landmark regional gathering designed to bring together industry leaders, travel buyers, suppliers, and innovators shaping the business travel landscape across the Middle East and beyond.
This inaugural forum will be your gateway to:
- Regional insights into the trends, challenges, and opportunities transforming business travel in the Middle East
- Global expertise from thought leaders and seasoned professionals from across the GBTA community
- High-value connections with key stakeholders, partners, and peers driving the next era of mobility, meetings, and corporate travel
Whether you’re building new partnerships, seeking strategic knowledge, or exploring emerging solutions, this event is crafted to inspire fresh thinking and spark meaningful dialogue.
Local
2 Uptown – Uptown Towey
First Al Khail St – Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Registration Rates
|
Comprador |
Fornecedor | |
|---|---|---|
|
Membro |
Livre |
$50 |
|
Non-Member |
$25 |
$150 |
Attending the GBTA Middle East Business Travel Forum?
Mostre sua rede!
Download one of our official social media graphics and let everyone know you’ll be there. Post it on your favorite platforms using #GBTADubai2026 and tag @GBTA so we can share the excitement with you!
Agenda
A brief overview of GBTA, its purpose, and its work in the business travel industry. This session provides context for the event and introduces attendees to GBTA’s role in the Middle East and globally.
A dynamic opening session connecting global business travel to local realities, helping you see how today’s global business travel trends are shaping tomorrow’s opportunities.
In this session, we’ll delve into the key drivers shaping the future of business travel: the pace of forecasted growth and the influence of economic headwinds such as inflation, supply chain disruptions, global trade dynamics, geopolitical instability, and rising interest rates.
Drawing on insights from the Business Travel Index (BTI), this session provides an in-depth analysis of spending patterns and growth forecasts, globally and locally, over the next five years.
The business travel industry in the Middle East stands at a pivotal moment, navigating growing fragmentation and evolving retail strategies. This session explores how travel managers can turn these challenges into opportunities, rethinking value creation, elevating the customer experience, and modernising the commercial model to deliver greater transparency, efficiency, and choice.
This session will look at the impact of NDC and beyond, TMC consolidation and the shifting role and future of OBT’s,
Moderador:
Souhilla Taarabit
Head of Corporate Travel Services, Al-Futtaim
Panel Speakers:
Amit Khandelwal
Senior VP – Revenue Optimization, Emirates Airline
–
Ciaran Kelly
Managing Director Middle East & Africa, FCM Travel
–
Eric Dumas
CEO, TP Connects
–
Nevine Khedr
Regional Travel & Expense management Lead AMEA &EA, ABB
Key Discussion Points:
- The impact of NDC and beyond on distribution and retailing.
- TMC consolidation and its implications for buyers and suppliers.
- The shifting role and future of Online Booking Tools (OBTs).
- How will these changes impact the Corporate Travel Management priorities (is it just about cost control or is about travelers experience, sustainability, data analysis, and connected ecosystems? )
- How these trends reshape partnerships across the travel ecosystem.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming every aspect of business travel from smarter booking and personalization to seamless expense management. This session dives into practical applications of AI today, explores its integration with some of the industry tools readily available, and looks ahead to how AI will redefine travel management. We’ll help travel managers prioritize the uses of AI and tackle the critical balance between innovation and traveler experience.
Moderador:
Aurélie Krau
Consultant & Public Speaker, temoji
Panel Speakers:
Carlos Almendros
Director Strategic Sourcing Travel & Marketing, Cisco Systems
–
Jason Hooper
Head of Digital Solutions, dnata
–
Robin Kanthareuben
Technology Leader – Travel & Hospitality, Amazon Web Services
–
Shazia Mohammad
Head Of Strategic Accounts ME, Sabre
Key Discussion Points:
- The Current State of AI in Travel: Where we are today and what’s driving adoption.
- Real-World Use Cases: AI-driven solutions already helping travel managers and travelers.
- The Future of AI in Travel: Emerging trends and opportunities.
- Preparing for 2026: How to future-proof your travel program.
- The Impact of the AI on the role of the Travel Manager (more strategic role? I.e. more time for strategies, for negotiations, to manage suppliers? )
A short summary of the key points covered throughout the forum. This closing segment highlights the main insights from the day and outlines what attendees should leave with.
*Agenda sujeita a alterações
2 Uptown – Uptown Towey
First Al Khail St – Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Taxas de inscrição:
| Comprador | Fornecedor | ||
| Membro | Livre | $50 | |
| Non-Member | $25 | $150 |
GBTA Middle East Business Travel Forums 2026 Sponsorship Prospectus
Join us in developing and driving the growth of the Middle Eastern business travel sector while building lasting connections and staying at the forefront of industry innovation. Sponsoring the Business Travel Forum demonstrates our travel suppliers’ dedication to advancing the Middle Eastern Business Travel Industry and fortifying the development of robust Corporate Travel Programs.
Dê à sua organização a melhor oportunidade de se conectar à comunidade de viagens de negócios enquanto expande sua rede, aumenta os esforços de geração de leads e aprimora as oportunidades de branding.
Interested? Contact nossa equipe de patrocínio com qualquer pergunta.
Oportunidades de patrocínio
The Platinum sponsorship opportunities below are available in the following verticals:
* If sponsor purchases multiple sponsorship opportunities at various tiers, sponsor will be recognized at the highest sponsor level tier purchased.
** 1 week prior to the event and 1 week post event. Subject to GDPR Compliance and GBTA Terms & Conditions, which states one (1) email send prior to the event and one (1) after.
Contate-nos
Interested in sponsoring or have questions? Fill out the form below and a member of our team will reach out to you shortly.
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