MENA Blockchain Week Transforms Dubai Into a City-Wide Blockchain Venue

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MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW), the region's first decentralized, citywide Blockchain initiative, has officially launched, running from May 18 to May 24, 2026, in Dubai. Organized by SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS) and backed by Dubai Business Events (DBE) as the official destination partner, the initiative brings together 40+ simultaneous events, 5,000+ attendees, and 100+ speakers under a single coordinated campaign.

Unlike any event before it, MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) is not a single conference or summit. It is ecosystem infrastructure: a shared campaign identity that transforms Dubai itself into the venue, allowing independent organizers, community leaders, and Blockchain projects to run their own events across the city simultaneously. Born from the ecosystem's decision to build its own moment rather than wait for one. MENA Blockchain Week aligns with the UAE’s Proud of UAE initiative and the D33 Agenda, reinforcing the nation’s resilience and its leadership across the region. MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) is the UAE ecosystem's answer to uncertainty, a declaration that Dubai does not wait for the right moment. It creates one.

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Dubai Built This. Here Is Why It Had To.

Dubai's emergence as a leading global Blockchain destination has been underpinned by progressive regulation through the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), strong institutional backing aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and sustained inflows of international capital and talent. As the ecosystem expanded, however, fragmentation became a challenge. Independent events ran in parallel with limited coordination, and when a major anchor event exited the market, it left a gap during MENA's peak Blockchain season.

MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) was developed to address this directly, through a decentralized architecture that distributes both authority and economic value across participating organizers, venues, and community partners.

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One City, One Week, Four Layers Model

The initiative operates on a four-layer model:

• Layer 0: Campaign infrastructure: SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS) provides the campaign identity, legal framework, and sponsor coordination. Founding venue partner Hadron Founders Club anchors the campaign's physical infrastructure, with Unbox Community contributing additional event space across Dubai. Events also take place at 25H Hotel and Dubai Founders HQ, activating the campaign city-wide.
• Layer 0: Campaign infrastructure: SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS) provides the campaign identity, legal framework, and sponsor coordination, with Hadron Founders Club and Unbox Community serving as official venue partners across Dubai. Events additionally take place at 25H Hotel and Dubai Founders HQ, activating the campaign city-wide.
• Layer 1: Independent organizers, community leaders, and Blockchain projects running events under the MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) banner with full creative independence.
• Layer 2: Institutional and government partners, including Dubai Business Events (DBE), a division of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC), the UAE Blockchain and AI Association (ABAI), and leading global exchanges hosting official meetups during the week.
• Layer 3: The audience: founders, builders, investors, institutions, and policymakers attending events across the city throughout the week.

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"MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) is a natural extension of Dubai's blockchain leadership. The decentralized model it operates on reflects the city's spirit, open, collaborative, and built for scale. The Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC) is fully behind this initiative and the community it serves. " - Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, CEO, Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC).

“I view MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) as a significant milestone in our regional ecosystem, not only for its scale, but for its decentralized architecture that empowers the community and activates Dubai as a global hub for shared value, collaboration, and innovation across the MENA region. It demonstrates Dubai’s role as a true builder of ecosystems, where resilience, leadership, and innovation converge to shape the future of Blockchain and AI.” – Dr. Mohamed Al Hemairy, Chairman of the UAE Blockchain and AI Association

“When the market pulled back, the community stepped forward. MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) is what that looks like: an ecosystem that chose to build rather than wait in one city that has never stood still." - Mohamad Alhusseini (MoeX), Founder & CEO, SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS) and Founder & Event Director, MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW)

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MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) 2026  at a Glance

MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) 2026 runs across eight themed days, each dedicated to a distinct vertical within the blockchain and digital assets ecosystem:

May 14: Pre-event Launch, Community Resilience Summit

May 18: Day 1, Community Day and Builders Day

May 19: Day 2, AI in Blockchain and Automation

May 20: Day 3, Stablecoins, Neo Banks, and Agentic Payments

May 21: Day 4, UAE Blockchain Regulations, Security and Compliance

May 22: Day 5, RWA and Tokenization

May 23: Day 6, Content Creators Day and Workshops

May 24: Day 7, Traders and Exchange Day

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Confirmed Speakers at MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) 2026

MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) 2026 brings together 50+ speakers drawn from across the global blockchain, Web3, and digital assets ecosystem, spanning founders, investors, policymakers, and builders actively shaping the industry's next chapter.

Confirmed speakers represent some of the most influential organizations shaping the blockchain and digital asset landscape, including Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange; VARA, the UAE's virtual assets regulator; Dubai Blockchain Center, Dubai's official blockchain hub; D2A2, the Dubai Digital Asset Association; CoinMENA, MENA's leading crypto exchange; Bitpanda, the European digital assets platform; Hacken, a leading blockchain cybersecurity firm; RAK Bank, one of the UAE's leading retail banks; Animoca Brands, a global Web3 gaming and investment leader; Hadron Founders Club, the Web3 founder accelerator; the Ethereum Foundation, Ethereum's core development body; Mintlayer, the Bitcoin-native DeFi layer enabling decentralized finance directly on Bitcoin; and FearsOff, among others.

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The Forces Behind the Movement

Organizer

SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS): A Dubai-based events and strategy agency delivering high-impact Blockchain events across the UAE and MENA region. SkyNet X Solutions (SNXS) serves as the campaign infrastructure and coordination layer behind MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW)

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Official Government Partner

Dubai Business Events (DBE) is a division of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), through its Dubai Business Events (DBE) division as a destination partner, serves as the city's lead authority for attracting and facilitating international business events.

MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) has secured formal destination support from Dubai Business Events, a division of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, positioning the initiative as an officially recognized contributor to Dubai's international business events calendar and the broader Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

This support is formalized through a signed Memorandum of Understanding, granting registered attendees and event organizers access to a dedicated delegate-boosting package that includes Dubai destination content, promotional imagery, videos, and collateral to amplify event promotion across the region.

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Founding Partners

Hadron Founders Club: Powered by Polygon, Hadron Founders Club is a global community and accelerator, purpose-built for the next generation of Web3 and frontier-tech founders. With campuses in Dubai and a growing ecosystem of 200+ founders and 50+ portfolio companies, Hadron brings together networks, structured acceleration, and conviction-backed capital to help early-stage builders move faster. In Dubai, it goes beyond digital to on-ground, creating the space where the region's most ambitious ideas take root and scale.

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Strategic Partners

Polygon Labs is a leading blockchain scaling platform powering global payments, decentralized applications, and real-world asset infrastructure. The Polygon ecosystem has an active presence in Dubai through the Hadron Founders Club and a growing regional developer and founder community.

Dubai Blockchain Center (DBCC): Led by Dr. Marwan Alzarouni and inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on 15 May 2018, the Center stands as a driving force in shaping the future of the digital world. As an ecosystem builder, it brings together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and academia to challenge convention, advance knowledge, and redefine the role of emerging technologies. Through this convergence, DBCC is not only accelerating innovation in blockchain and artificial intelligence, but actively shaping the direction of the global digital economy.

The UAE Blockchain and AI Association (ABAI) is a UAE-based non-profit driving the adoption of Blockchain, AI, and Web3 technologies by connecting government, academia, and industry to accelerate innovation and digital transformation; chaired by Dr. Mohamed Al Hemairy, the Association supports policy development, industry collaboration, and startup enablement while positioning the UAE as a global hub for emerging technologies.

Dubai Digital Asset Association (D2A2) is the Middle East’s first industry-led, not-for-profit association dedicated to advancing the digital asset ecosystem across the UAE and beyond. Established under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, D2A2 serves as a trusted platform for collaboration, policy dialogue, education, and innovation across digital assets, blockchain, and emerging financial technologies. Guided by a board of globally recognized industry pioneers, exchange founders, regulatory advisors, and policymakers, D2A2 bridges the private sector and regulatory authorities to promote responsible innovation, regulatory clarity, and the UAE’s position as the world’s leading digital asset hub.

MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) is the region's leading not-for-profit fintech industry body, globally ranked among the top four fintech associations worldwide.

Founded by Nameer Khan in 2018, it is awarded MENA's Future Fintech Leader by the Central Bank of UAE and Abu Dhabi Global Market. MFTA fosters open dialogue and collaboration across fintech startups, financial institutions, regulators, investors, and policy makers, shaping the future of financial services across the MENA region and beyond.

Ghaf Labs is a boutique blockchain consultancy and innovation firm specialising in Tokenization and AI architecture, ecosystem enablement

and regulatory alignment for digital asset projects, institutions, and enterprises across the UAE and MENA region. With previous and existing partnerships spanning with the likes off Bybit, Sui Foundation, Republic, and Brinc. Ghaf Labs is one of the UAE’s most active blockchain consultants.

As a Strategic Partner of MENA Blockchain Week 2026, Ghaf Labs will co-host an official side event through Scale, its dedicated community meetup arm, at Grand Millennium Dubai, bringing together blockchain founders, investors, and ecosystem builders in one of the city’s premier hospitality venues.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Community Partners

Dubai Ethereum Community Hub is Dubai's dedicated space for Ethereum builders, researchers, founders, and creators, hosted at Hadron Founders Club's Dubai campus. Part of the Ethereum Foundation's global Ethereum Everywhere community hub program, the Hub offers regular co-working, events, workshops, and meetups, serving as the city's primary gathering point for the Ethereum ecosystem in the UAE.

UNBOX Community is an award-winning premium coworking space in the UAE and KSA, designed for ambitious professionals, startups, and growing teams. More than just a workspace, UNBOX is a hub for innovation and connection, bringing together a curated community through high-end environments, networking experiences, and industry-leading events such as MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) activations across its locations.

Tech Valley is a UAE-based Web3 and cryptocurrency marketing platform connecting projects, entrepreneurs, and investors across the Arab world and MENA region. The company produces content, podcasts, and reports in Arabic, organizes industry events, and provides consulting and business setup services for blockchain and digital asset projects entering the UAE market.

Bitcoineen is a licensed UAE-based crypto education platform founded in 2021, delivering structured Arabic-language blockchain and Web3 education across the Arab world. With over 400 workshops delivered, 40+ cohorts trained, and a community of 19,000 followers, Bitcoineen is the region's leading platform for grassroots crypto literacy and the partner of choice for Binance Academy's first fully Arabic education program

Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW) is Southeast Asia's premier blockchain event, bringing together 15,000+ attendees, 250+ speakers, and 200+ sponsors at the SMX Convention Center Manila. Running June 19–21, 2026 under the theme "Decoded: Deployed," PBW 2026 moves past theory to showcase how blockchain is powering real systems across finance, gaming, public infrastructure, and digital identity. Co-presented by the Blockchain Council of the Philippines and supported by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, PBW is the largest gathering of blockchain decision-makers, builders, creators, and policymakers in the Asia-Pacific region. As a Global Event Partner of MENA Blockchain Week 2026, PBW connects the UAE and MENA blockchain community with Southeast Asia's most active and rapidly growing Web3 ecosystem.

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Media Partners

DX Talks is a MENA-based media and events platform specializing in blockchain, Web3, digital transformation, and emerging technologies. Founded by Rudy Shoushany, internationally recognized keynote speaker and blockchain advocate, DX Talks produces live talks, podcasts, media content, and training programs across the region.

Unlock Blockchain is an independent digital media platform based in Dubai, dedicated to covering blockchain, crypto, and digital assets for a professional audience across the MENA region. Operated by The UNLOCK Company DMCC, Unlock’s coverage spans both regional and global developments shaping the industry, with a particular focus on regulation, markets, institutional adoption, stablecoins, fintech, and the future of digital finance—providing decision-makers with the insights needed to navigate this fast-moving sector.

FiFreedomToday is the Middle East’s leading independent financial media platform, dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional finance and the digital future. Serving a Pan-Arab audience, the platform has established itself as a powerhouse in financial literacy, Fintech, and Web3, currently reaching over 2 million followers and generating upwards of 90 million monthly views across its digital ecosystem.

BESTINMEDIA is a PR and marketing agency, as well as the online publication BESTIN Magazine, based in the United Arab Emirates. The agency specializes in strategic communications, brand promotion, and the development of media projects for businesses and entrepreneurs across the region. BESTIN Magazine is primarily read by company executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals from various industries. The publication covers business, lifestyle, investments, innovation, culture, events, and opportunities for living and doing business in the UAE, serving as an informative platform for the business community and an international audience interested in the region.

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About MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW)

MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) is the region's first decentralized, citywide Blockchain initiative, running May 18 to May 24, 2026, across multiple venues in Dubai. The initiative unites independent organizers, community leaders, government bodies, and institutional partners under one campaign identity, transforming Dubai into a coordinated, city-wide venue for the global blockchain community.

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Get Involved

Organizer applications and sponsorship packages for MENA Blockchain Week (MBCW) 2026 are open now, with limited availability ahead of the May 18 launch.

For event registration and full schedule: menablockchainweek.ae

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