Take your experience to the next level.
The VU Summit program brings together global voices, leading research, and real-world insight to explore how vertical urbanism can shape more resilient, livable, and culturally rich cities.
Be part of our pinnacle event and discover what awaits at the VU Summit.
Program at a glance
The summit will kick off in Riyadh with two days of exciting programming on Monday and Tuesday, then carry on to UAE with a Dubai Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening; additional core programming commences in Dubai on Wednesday morning. Join us in Riyadh, Dubai, or both!
Core Program Sessions
Engage with global thought leaders in presentations and panel discussions, organized over multiple days and parallel tracks in both Riyadh and Dubai, addressing the theme “Density and Identity: Shaping Skylines, Elevating Culture.”
Attendees will have an opportunity to select from over 150 peer-reviewed presentations, asking how high-density urbanism can respond to climate, mobility, and housing pressures while strengthening identity, instead of diluting it. Also incorporated in the program are focused Workshops and the CVU Awards Program.
Workshops
Integrated within the core VU Summit in Dubai, workshops will focus on specific topics across a wide range of issues related to tall building performance and the urban environment. While included in the core VU Summit ticket, attendees must register for workshops in advance, as space is limited.
Awards Program
The CVU Awards Program features projects and innovations from across the globe that employ the most advanced concepts and technologies in sustainable vertical urbanism.
Judged live by a global panel of experts, top submissions in each category are presented during the core VU Summit, allowing the audience to also experience these projects, presented across 10+ categories, including Best Tall Building, Repositioning, Urban Habitat, Innovation, etc. Overall winners in each category will be announced at the conference’s culminating Awards Ceremony & Dinner.
Networking & Social Events
Networking and social events are highlights of the VU Summit, excellent for making business connections, as well as catching up with colleagues and friends.
In addition to networking lunches and coffee breaks throughout the VU Summit, there are opportunities to extend your networking into the evenings during the opening networking receptions, our acclaimed Awards Ceremony & Dinner, and CVU-leader and sponsor-hosted social events (by invitation).
Awards Ceremony & Dinner
The highly anticipated Awards Ceremony & Dinner is the crowning event of the VU Summit closing out the core program. Trophies are presented to the year’s winning projects and individuals. There are opportunities to secure a seat or table at the dinner, where overall category winners are revealed, including the coveted “2026 Best Tall Building Worldwide.”
Off-site Tours
Off-site tours will take place in buildings, urban spaces, infrastructure hubs, and other key developments throughout each respective host city.
Attendees can register in advance for a wide variety of morning and/or afternoon programs, each exploring a specific theme related to the location, with on-site presentations, lively discussions, and behind-the-scenes tours led by professionals involved in the projects.
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