AgriNext Awards & Conference Dubai 2026: Where Agriculture Leaders, Innovators and Investors Shape the Future of Food Systems

Dubai will host the AgriNext Awards & Conference Dubai 2026 on 21 October 2026 at the Al Thuraya Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Dubai – Deira by IHG, bringing together agribusiness executives, AgriTech innovators, investors, policymakers, researchers and startups for a full-day programme of keynotes, panels, networking and an awards ceremony. The in-person event is scheduled to run from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM (GMT+4) on the event portal, with a published agenda extending the day through a 6:00 PM awards ceremony.

"Agriculture sits at the center of some of the biggest challenges the world is facing — food security, climate resilience, resource scarcity — and also some of the most exciting technology-driven change. AgriNext Dubai 2026 was built as a space where the people closest to that change, from growers and agribusiness leaders to investors, technologists and policymakers, can come together for honest conversation and real collaboration," said Anas Jawed, Founder and CEO of Next Business Media and Conference Chair of AgriNext Dubai 2026.

Conference programme and speakers

The published agenda outlines a packed schedule of sessions that foregrounds sustainable farming, digital transformation, trade policy and circular economy approaches. The conference opens at 8:55 AM with remarks from Anas Jawed, followed by a 9:20 AM panel on sustainable farming practices featuring Nazlı Gündoğdu of Safranatolia; Troy Setter of Consolidated Pastoral Company; Stuart Donald of Al Dahra; and Shirley Shahar of Desert Tech Ventures. That panel will explore regenerative agriculture, soil health and carbon sequestration strategies.

Keynote presentations include a 10:15 AM address by Matt Lewis of Ophelia Partners LLC on "Biological and Specialty Growth Opportunities in the US and Beyond" and an 11:50 AM talk from Dr. Abdelilah Belatik of AAAID titled "Harvesting Value — Strategic M&A as a Lever for Food Security and Agri-Business Growth," which examines mergers and acquisitions as strategic tools for food security and sector expansion.

Midday programming targets digital agriculture and policy. A 12:15 PM panel, "AI in Agriculture — Transforming Farming Through Smart Decisions and Predictive Analytics," lists Mohammad Razali Bin Ismail (Meraque Group), Amit Grover (Grover & Company), Sheikh Muhammad Noman (Pagasus Capital Investment) and Roman Ulyanov (Greeneration). At 12:45 PM, a panel on "Global Trade and Policy Challenges in the Agricultural Sector" will feature Jaclyn Wilson (Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch), Filipe Ribeiro (Al Dahra), Søren Kannik-Marquardsen (Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai) and Natalie Gleeson (Pure Harvest Smart Farms).

Networking, awards and sector themes

Afternoon sessions include a 3:05 PM panel on the circular economy in agriculture — "Reducing Waste and Maximizing Resources" — with Saeed Al Shamsi (EXHub Holding), Jim Redmond (Yankee Creek LLC) and Dr. Sami Carouba (Nikai Group of Companies), focusing on food-waste reduction, biowaste recycling and resource efficiency. The event blends technical deep dives (vertical farming, bio-fertilizers, rainforest microbiomes) with strategic conversations on trade, finance and M&A.

Organisers position AgriNext Dubai 2026 as a convening aimed at creating actionable connections between innovators and capital, and at highlighting scalable solutions for food-system resilience. With a cross-cutting agenda that spans AI, circularity, biological inputs and strategic transactions, the event is set to showcase projects and partnerships that participants hope will translate into investment, policy engagement and operational pilots across the region and beyond.