DCD Investment Forum | MENA 2026
About the Event
DCD Investment Forum | MENA 2026 is a one-day executive conference organized by Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), running October 27, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Dubai. The event gathers senior investors, lenders, developers, and operators active in MENA digital infrastructure deal-flow. With 35+ speakers confirmed and 2,500+ senior data center professionals expected across the co-located DCD>Connect | MENA programme, the Investment Forum targets the C-suite and finance community driving the region's data center capital cycle.
The MENA data center market has attracted multi-billion-dollar sovereign investment commitments and sits at the centre of Gulf AI infrastructure buildout. The Investment Forum addresses how operators, developers, and capital providers are structuring transactions and financing large-scale capacity expansions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and broader MENA.
Programming Focus
- Capital structures for large-scale data center projects in MENA
- Sovereign wealth, institutional, and private credit financing models
- M&A and joint venture activity across the Gulf
- Hyperscale and AI infrastructure investment strategies
- Power access, land procurement, and regulatory constraints affecting deal timelines
- ESG and sustainability requirements in debt and equity transactions
Featured Speakers
- Fabio Cattaneo — Group Chief Financial Officer, Khazna
- Dame Dawn Childs — Chief Executive Officer, Pure Data Centres Group
- Oliver Schiebel — CEO, hscale
- Thomas John — Head of Investments & Financing, DataVolt
- Gulfraz Qayyum — Managing Director, Head of Communications Investment Banking, Citigroup
Who Should Attend
- Senior data center investors and fund managers
- Infrastructure lenders and debt arrangers (banks, credit funds)
- Data center operators and developers seeking capital or JV partners
- Advisors and consultants active in MENA digital infrastructure transactions
- Legal, accounting, and valuation professionals supporting deal-flow
Logistics
The Investment Forum runs on October 27, the second day of the DCD>Connect | MENA event. Venue: Grand Hyatt Dubai, Dubai, UAE. An Investment Forum pass includes access to both days of DCD>Connect | MENA on October 26–27.