African women leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and businesses are expected to converge on Dubai in October as the International Woman Leadership Conference (TIWLC) and African Marketplace (AMP) Dubai 2026 hold consecutively in the city.
The two events, organised under the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA), will run from October 7 to 12, creating a six-day programme focused on leadership, business, trade, investment and cultural exchange.
The fifth edition of TIWLC will take place from October 7 to 9 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, bringing together women leaders from Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Europe and North America.
The conference will feature keynote addresses, executive and leadership masterclasses, networking sessions and discussions around leadership, career development, work-life balance and purpose. The programme will end with the TIWLC Gala Night, which will focus on culture, professional achievement and networking.
For the 2026 edition, organisers said participation is being expanded beyond the conference’s traditional Pan-African network to include women leaders from across the wider Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
The leadership conference will be followed by the second edition of African Marketplace Dubai, scheduled for October 10 to 12 at the Conrad Hotel Dubai.
AMP Dubai, which debuted in 2025 with more than 100 African and Caribbean brands, is expected to bring together businesses and prospective buyers and investors across sectors including fashion, furniture, art, food, technology, wellness and intellectual capital.
Organisers are projecting more than 100 exhibitors from over 20 countries and more than 4,000 attendees, including buyers, investors, trade institutions, policymakers and government delegations.
The organisers said exhibitor registration remains open, while selected exhibitors will receive editorial features, interviews and campaign content through the marketplace’s media partners.
A Talent Showcase will also run alongside the exhibition, providing a platform for African and Caribbean performers, speakers and podcasters during the three-day marketplace.
The marketplace is being held in partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, TVC Communications, Aruwa Capital, Fashion Souk Global, Pan-African Voices and Naijaprenuer.
The back-to-back scheduling of the two events is intended to link leadership development with commercial opportunities, allowing TIWLC delegates to move directly from three days of leadership sessions into three days of trade and business activities.
Organisers said the arrangement is designed to give participants a single Dubai trip covering both leadership programming and access to African and Caribbean businesses, buyers and investors.
