Global experts to gather in Abu Dhabi to chart the Gulf’s future at Hili Forum 2026

More than 55 speakers and 1,000 participants from 35 countries will gather in Abu Dhabi for the third Hili Forum, a meeting focused on the Gulf’s position in a rapidly changing international order.

The forum will take place on September 7 and 8 at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort under the theme “Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction.” Its timing reflects the region’s heightened strategic importance. The recent Iran-Israel-US war showed how quickly tensions in the Gulf can affect energy markets, trade and international security.

The region is no longer viewed only through energy security and traditional geopolitics. The forum presents the Gulf as a strategic crossroads where military competition, economic interdependence, technological change, connectivity corridors and geopolitical realignment meet.

This year’s agenda is organized around geopolitics, geo-economics and geotechnology. Sessions will examine regional security architectures and deterrence, the resilience of critical trade and energy routes, the growing overlap between technology and geopolitics, and the role of middle powers in shaping the next phase of the international system.

The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy are jointly organizing the event. Policymakers, government officials, academics, thought leaders and international experts are expected to share ideas, build partnerships and discuss possible futures. The forum’s theme calls for strategic foresight, practical policy responses and dialogue as the region undergoes rapid geopolitical change.