The Baby & Kids Expo Dubai 2026 will take place from 22 to 24 October at Dubai Exhibition Centre, bringing more than 450 international baby, child and toy brands together with an expected 17,000 visitors as the event expands its focus from babies and maternity to the wider needs of families with children.
The three-day exhibition will cover 15,500 square metres and feature more than 100 speakers, with programmes spanning early education, play, healthcare, wellbeing, childhood development and the school years.
The expansion comes as the UAE marks 2026 as the Year of the Family, giving the Dubai event a broader focus on family wellbeing, education and children’s development.
Baby & Kids Expo Dubai 2026 expands beyond the early years
Previously known as The Baby Expo, the event has been repositioned to reflect the needs of families beyond pregnancy, maternity and infancy.
Organisers say feedback from exhibitors, consumers and previous post-event surveys showed demand for a platform that could support parents as their children grow.
For visitors, that means the 2026 edition will bring together products and services covering a much wider part of family life, including:
- Pregnancy and early childhood
- Baby and children’s products
- Toys and play
- Early education and learning
- Healthcare and family wellbeing
- Child development
- School-age and pre-teen needs
The change also increases the event’s relevance to businesses operating across education, healthcare, retail, children’s products and family services.
What to expect at Baby & Kids Expo Dubai 2026
The exhibition is expected to feature more than 450 brands from over 20 countries, giving families the opportunity to compare products and services in one location.
Brands listed for the 2026 edition include Cybex, Babyshop, Stokke, Philips Avent, Mumzworld, Crayola, Playsmart, Momcozy, Aster Pharmacy and Kinderkraft. Healthcare providers including Medcare and Mediclinic will also participate.
Families will be able to test products, speak with experts, access event-specific discounts and take part in entertainment and activities aimed at children and parents.
The programme also puts greater emphasis on education and expert-led discussions, rather than positioning the exhibition solely as a shopping destination.
Three summits will focus on leadership, industry and early learning
Three dedicated summits form a major part of the 2026 programme.
The new She Leads Summit will take place on 22 October, focusing on women’s leadership, career development, wellness and navigating motherhood alongside professional and personal transitions.
Also on October 22, the NextGen: Industry Leaders Summit will bring together CEOs, founders and senior decision-makers from the baby, children’s and toy sectors. Discussions will examine market growth, innovation, consumer behaviour and the changing family market, alongside regional and international trends.
The Early Learning Summit, launching on 23 October, will focus on education and early childhood development. It is aimed at educators, operators, experts, innovators and other professionals working across early education and family wellbeing.
Together, the summits broaden the Dubai expo’s role from a consumer exhibition into a platform for business networking, professional discussion and knowledge sharing.
Why Dubai family expo is expanding
The scale-up follows growth at previous editions.
The 2025 event recorded 14,814 visitors and facilitated more than US$7 million in trade deals, according to the organisers. Its expansion into Saudi Arabia also attracted 11,783 visitors and generated SAR2.6 million in closed business.
The 2026 Dubai edition is targeting more than 17,000 visitors, representing an increase of roughly 15% on the attendance recorded in 2025.
The larger footprint and expanded categories point to a shift in the event’s audience as well: it is designed not only for parents of babies, but also for families with toddlers, school-age children and pre-teens, as well as retailers, educators, healthcare professionals and industry executives.
Baby & Kids Expo Dubai 2026: dates, venue and key numbers
For families planning to attend, the main details are:
- Dates: 22–24 October 2026
- Venue: Dubai Exhibition Centre
- Exhibition area: 15,500sqm
- Expected visitors: 17,000+
- Brands: 450+
- Countries represented: 20+
- Speakers: 100+
- 2025 Dubai attendance: 14,814 visitors
- 2025 trade deals: More than US$7 million
The event’s positioning around the Year of the Family 2026 also places greater emphasis on the longer-term issues families face, including education, health, wellbeing, work, technology and children’s development.
Rather than focusing only on what parents need for a new baby, the 2026 edition is designed around a broader question: what do families need as children grow?
That shift is likely to make the October event relevant to a substantially wider audience than the original baby-focused format.
