Tech Thursdays
Meetup
Abu Dhabi
Tech Thursdays — Where Abu Dhabi’s Tech Community Connects
An invitation-only forum where Abu Dhabi’s tech leaders, community, innovators, and strategists share insights, spark ideas, and shape the UAE’s tech future.
What is Tech Thursdays?
Tech Thursdays is a curated community initiative uniting Abu Dhabi’s tech leaders, innovators, and strategists
It’s not about presentations or panels — it’s about collaborative conversations and meaningful connections in a relaxed, curated environment
Explore emerging technologies, trends, and real-world applications
Connect with fellow industry leaders, innovators, and forward-thinking peers
Collaborate in a relaxed, curated environment designed for meaningful conversations
Share insights, experiences, and strategies shaping the tech landscape
Grow as part of a community passionate about technology and innovation
Not a lecture, pitch night, or sales event
Tech Thursdays Abu Dhabi - Next Meetup - Momentum | E9 | May 21
5:30-8:00 PM
May 21st
Momentum | E9 | May 21
Date: Thursday, May 21st
5:30–8:00 PM
We are in the tent on the patio
Come as you are, relaxed happy hour drinks
no agenda, no slides, just Abu Dhabi’s tech community coming together.
<strong>🇦🇪</strong>| E8 | Apr 23
Date: Thursday, April 23
5:30–8:00 PM
We are outside on the patio
Come as you are, relaxed happy hour drinks
no agenda, no slides, just Abu Dhabi’s tech community coming together.
Iftar Edition 🌙 | E7 | Feb 26
Date: Thursday, February 26
Arrival from 6:00-6:15 PM | Iftar available at Maghrib
Tech Thursdays Abu Dhabi goes Iftar
A welcoming, informal Tech Thursdays atmosphere. Iftar available at Maghrib.
Date: Thursday, January 22
From 5:30- 8:00 pm
Come as you like, we are outside
A relaxed meetup of happy hour drinks, social, networking, connection, and conversation
The Breakfast Club | E5 | Past Event
Date: Thursday, December 18
From 7:30- 9:30 am
Come as you likee
The Egg Truck Cafe
A relaxed morning of coffee, breakfast, networking, connection, and conversation
no agenda, no slides, just Abu Dhabi’s tech community coming together.
Date: Thursday, November 20
5:30 - 8pm
Come casual, we are outside
Abu Dhabi City Golf Club
A relaxed evening of networking, connection, and conversation
no agenda, no slides, just Abu Dhabi’s tech community coming together.
Is Abu Dhabi ready to play on the global deep tech stage?
What should we prioritize as a community to drive serious innovation here?
Are local startups too focused on software, copycats not hard tech?
What deep tech breakthroughs should we aim to lead globally?
what are the future skills required for deep tech innovation?
Is AI making your job easier or making you obsolete?
Will we see an AI elite and who gets left behind?
Who will win in Abu Dhabi’s AI race big companies or clever, fast startups?
How should we as a tech community close the AI divide?
What skills will be useless in 5 years? What new ones will be critical?
Are we sleepwalking into the biggest disruption of our careers?
Co-Creating Our Community
What topics should we explore?
What is the right balance between networking, learning, and sharing?
What event formats would you enjoy?
What collaborations or cross-industry connections would you like to see?
How often should we meet?
What should it not be?
Who is Tech Thursdays?
Tech Thursdays is a community initiative created by Christian Lear with the British Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi Digital Sector Group. We started as a small, member-focused meetup, but quickly expanded to bring together a diverse mix of innovators from across Abu Dhabi’s tech scene. Together, we’re building a collaborative community that will help define the UAE’s digital future.
Can anyone come?
Not quite. Tech Thursdays is a curated, invitation-only meetup bringing together a strategic mix of tech industry leaders, deep tech innovators, forward-thinking strategists, and academic experts from across startups, corporates, and the wider Abu Dhabi technology ecosystem. This curated format ensures high-value conversations, actionable insights, and meaningful connections — creating a space where decision-makers and innovators can collaborate on shaping the future of technology in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Interested in joining? Sign up to express your interest, and we will review all submissions when finalizing the guest list for this second session.
Whats the format?
Tech Thursdays is about connecting with the tech community — fostering collaborative discussions where every voice matters. This isn’t about sitting back and watching presentations. It’s about sharing your perspectives, exchanging insights, and exploring opportunities with industry leaders, deep tech innovators, and strategic thinkers from across Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Each session is curated and collaborative, designed to spark meaningful conversations and high-value connections, with themes such as: AI & the Future of Work – balancing opportunity and disruption. Deep Tech – building capabilities in advanced, high-impact technologies. Tech in Energy – innovating at the intersection of technology and one of the UAE’s core industries. Tech Thursdays is a conversation — and you’re part of it.
What it is not?
Tech Thursdays isn’t a formal panel, pitch night, or sales event — this isn’t about presentations or promotions. It’s also not a technical deep dive, though future sessions may explore more advanced topics. For now, the focus is on strategic conversations and meaningful connections. This isn’t an open meetup either. Attendance is curated by invitation, building a community of engaged members and innovators shaping Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem. And it’s not a finished product. Tech Thursdays is an evolving initiative, shaped by the insights, feedback, and ideas of its growing community.