GITEX 2026 is unlike any edition that came before it. For the first time in its 46-year history, the world’s largest tech and AI show is moving to a brand new home: the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. New venue. New December dates. And for the 200,000 plus professionals flying in from 180 countries, an entirely new set of ground logistics to figure out.
Whether you are a solo delegate flying in for the week or a company sending an entire team to exhibit, speak, and network, this guide covers everything you need to know about transport during GITEX 2026 and how Maza makes every transfer seamless for both.
The GITEX Scale Summit opens on 7 December 2026, a dedicated day of high-level strategic dialogue for global leaders on AI economies and tech policy. The main exhibition and Expand North Star run from 8 to 11 December 2026.
All events take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, located at Al Wasl Avenue, Madinat Al Mataar, Dubai South. This is a full relocation from the Dubai World Trade Centre where GITEX has been held for decades.
More than 200,000 trade visitors. Over 6,800 exhibiting companies. 400 plus government entities. Delegates from 180 plus countries. GITEX and Expand North Star are reuniting under one roof for the first time, making this the largest combined edition in the show’s history.
GITEX 2026 introduces the world’s first TechCation experience, a concept that blends high-impact technology business with Dubai’s lifestyle, culture, and leisure offering. Delegates are encouraged to stay longer, explore more of the city, and treat the trip as a genuine destination experience beyond the exhibition halls. This makes ground transport across Dubai more important than ever before.
Expo City Dubai sits in the south of the city in the Dubai South district, close to Al Maktoum International Airport. It is approximately 35 to 45 kilometres from Downtown Dubai and around 40 kilometres from Dubai International Airport (DXB).
For GITEX veterans used to the Dubai World Trade Centre being minutes from DIFC and Downtown, this is a significant shift. The venue is further from the traditional hotel and business districts, and the road network, while well-planned, will carry considerable pressure from 200,000 plus visitors moving in and out daily for five consecutive days.
Here are realistic transfer times to Expo City Dubai during GITEX week:
| From | Distance | Off-peak | Peak hours (GITEX week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai International Airport (DXB) | ~40 km | 35 to 40 min | 55 to 75 min |
| Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) | ~22 km | 20 to 25 min | 30 to 45 min |
| Downtown Dubai / DIFC | ~35 km | 30 to 35 min | 50 to 65 min |
| Dubai Marina / JBR | ~20 km | 20 to 25 min | 35 to 50 min |
| Palm Jumeirah | ~25 km | 25 to 30 min | 40 to 55 min |
| Business Bay | ~38 km | 30 to 40 min | 55 to 70 min |
| Ibn Battuta / JVC area | ~12 to 15 km | 15 to 20 min | 25 to 35 min |
The closest hotel zones are Dubai Marina, JBR, Jumeirah Village Circle, and Ibn Battuta. If you are staying in Downtown Dubai or Business Bay, factor in the longer transfer times when scheduling morning sessions and evening commitments.
If you are attending GITEX as an individual, whether as a visitor, startup founder, speaker, or investor, your schedule is packed and your time is yours to protect. Here is exactly how a solo delegate should approach GITEX 2026 transport.
Most international delegates land at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The journey to Expo City or your hotel runs to around 35 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. After a long-haul flight, the last thing you want is to figure out a vehicle at the arrivals hall.
With Maza, your chauffeur tracks your flight in real time and is waiting at arrivals with your name board before you exit. Whether you land on time, early, or delayed, your driver is already there. Need to know which airport to fly into for the best transfer? Our guide to DXB vs DWC airport transfers covers exactly that.
GITEX sessions start early and often run late. Your hotel-to-venue transfer each morning and your return each evening needs to be reliable, not improvised. Book your daily runs with Maza once and your driver adapts to your schedule throughout the week. If a session overruns or a networking conversation extends, your chauffeur waits. No extra cost, no pressure.
GITEX week is not just the venue. It is dinners in DIFC, side meetings in Business Bay, partner events in Dubai Marina, and if you are embracing TechCation, evening experiences across the city. A pre-booked Maza chauffeur is on call for all of it. One driver. One point of contact. Your entire week, handled.
Many solo delegates also add a private Dubai city tour on the final day or over the weekend if they are extending their stay. It is the easiest way to experience the city you have spent the whole week working in.
11 and 12 December will see a significant outbound rush as thousands of delegates head to both Dubai airports simultaneously. Book your departure transfer at the same time as your arrival so your exit from Dubai is as seamless as your entry. We recommend allowing extra time and booking well in advance for peak departure slots.
Solo delegate tip: WhatsApp Maza your full GITEX schedule before you travel, including flight details, hotel, any confirmed dinners or off-site meetings, and your departure flight. We map your entire week in one conversation and confirm every transfer upfront. Visit maza.ae/booking to get started.
If you are sending a team to GITEX 2026, whether that is 3 people or 30, transport logistics become a coordination challenge that compounds with every additional person. Here is how companies and corporate teams approach GITEX transport the right way.
Corporate teams at GITEX often split across multiple hotels, arrive on different flights, and have a mix of schedules across the five days. When transport is not coordinated in advance, what typically happens is:
A single coordinated Maza corporate booking eliminates every one of these problems before they happen.
Maza handles corporate group transport for GITEX as a single coordinated plan. You share your full delegation details, arrival flights, hotel locations, and daily schedule requirements. We assign dedicated vehicles and drivers and manage the whole week as one account. Your EA, PA, or travel manager has one point of contact for any change, addition, or query throughout the event.
For larger delegations, multiple Maza vehicles operate in parallel, each with a dedicated driver. Team members can be collected from different hotels at different times and delivered to the venue or to separate meetings across Dubai, all under one coordinated service. For corporate groups of five or more, our 7-seater vehicles keep teams together and on schedule.
Many GITEX corporate attendees are hosting key clients, investors, or senior partners who are flying in specifically for meetings at the event. These guests deserve a different level of arrival. A Mercedes S-Class with a suited chauffeur holding a name board at DXB arrivals is the right first impression. Maza handles VIP client pickups as standard, not as an upgrade.
Every Maza corporate booking is fixed-price and confirmed upfront. No surge pricing during peak event hours. No unexpected costs after a long day. Your finance team has full visibility of the transport budget before the first delegate boards their flight. For companies requiring invoicing or corporate accounts, our corporate chauffeur service team handles this as part of the booking process.
The simplest approach is to WhatsApp Maza directly with your delegation size, arrival dates, hotel locations, and a brief outline of your daily schedule requirements. We come back with a full transport plan and confirmed pricing in one conversation. You can also go straight to our booking page.
Corporate team tip: Book as early as possible. GITEX week in December 2026 will be one of the busiest transport periods Dubai has seen. Vehicles for full-week corporate packages are allocated on a first-confirmed basis. Companies that book in October and November secure the best availability and rates.
Every vehicle in the Maza fleet is maintained to the highest standard, cleaned before every transfer, and driven by a professional suited chauffeur. Here is how the fleet maps to GITEX delegate needs:
GITEX 2026 is held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. The full address is Al Wasl Avenue, Madinat Al Mataar, Dubai South. It is approximately 35 to 40 kilometres from Downtown Dubai and around 22 kilometres from Al Maktoum International Airport.
The GITEX Scale Summit takes place on 7 December 2026. The main exhibition and Expand North Star run from 8 to 11 December 2026.
Yes. Most Maza GITEX clients book a full-week package that covers airport arrival, daily hotel-to-venue transfers, any off-site meetings or dinners, and airport departure. One booking covers the entire trip for both individuals and corporate teams.
Yes. Maza regularly handles VIP and senior client airport arrivals for corporate delegations at major Dubai events. Your client is met at arrivals with a name board, assisted with luggage, and escorted to a premium vehicle. This is standard Maza service, not an add-on.
We recommend booking as early as possible. For individual delegates, at least four to six weeks before the event. For corporate delegations requiring multiple vehicles, ideally two to three months ahead. GITEX 2026 is expected to be the largest edition ever and December is Dubai’s peak season. Early booking secures your vehicles and your rates.
All Maza transfers are fixed-price and confirmed at the time of booking. There is no surge pricing during GITEX week or at any other time. What you confirm is what you pay.
GITEX 2026 is the most significant edition in the show’s history. A new venue, a new concept, a new time of year, and a record-breaking expected attendance. For solo delegates, the week is about maximising every connection and every session. For corporate teams, it is about projecting the right image and keeping every member of your delegation running on time.
In both cases, transport is the one variable that either quietly supports everything you are trying to do, or becomes the friction that costs you time and energy you cannot get back.
Maza takes care of the transport. You take care of the event.
Solo delegate? WhatsApp us your flight and hotel details and we confirm your full week in one conversation.
Corporate team? Share your delegation size and schedule and we build a complete transport plan with fixed pricing before anyone boards a flight.
