The opening session of the THINKLIGHT conference at Light + Intelligent Building Middle East examined how the lighting industry has evolved alongside the region’s growth Ziad Fattouh, Co-Founder of Delta Lighting Design, shared insights from two decades in the region and the firm’s involvement in some of the Middle East’s most iconic developments Light + Intelligent Building Middle East takes place from 12-14 January at Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai, UAE: With the UAE’s construction sector forecast to grow from USD 107.2 billion in 2024 to USD 130.8 billion by 2029, demand for advanced, future-ready lighting solutions continues to rise across the country’s expanding urban landscape. Reflecting this momentum, industry leaders met yesterday on the opening day of Light + Intelligent Building Middle East 2026 to explore how the lighting industry is adapting alongside the region’s rapid development. These themes were explored during the inaugural Design Deep Dive session at THINKLIGHT titled “Illuminating a Region: The Lighting Journey of the Middle East”, delivered by Ziad Fattouh, Co-Founder of Delta Lighting Design. Opening the session, Martin Lupton, Co-Founder of Light Collective, highlighted the importance of examining lighting’s long-term influence on cities: “Very few regions have transformed as rapidly and dramatically as Dubai and the Middle East, and even fewer lighting designers have had the opportunity to both witness and shape that change” Drawing on more than two decades of experience delivering projects across the UAE and wider region for developers including Nakheel, Emaar, Majid Al Futaim, NEOM and the Red Sea Development Company, Fattouh reflected on how the role of lighting designers has expanded in line with the scale and ambition of regional development. He said: “Over the last two decades, the UAE construction market has grown at a pace that few places in the world can match. When we first launched in this region 20 years ago, we were competing with only a handful of lighting design agencies. Today, we compete with more than 100 firms. What happened in Dubai is now happening in Saudi Arabia, creating new opportunities but also raising expectations for quality, creativity and responsibility” New for 2026, the Design Deep Dives at THINKLIGHT are 45-minute keynote sessions led by internationally recognised lighting designers, complementing THINKLIGHT’s wider programme for lighting professionals to exchange knowledge, strengthen networks and collectively shape the future of lighting, design and technology in the region. The conference runs alongside InSpotLight and the Smart Building Summit, together providing a comprehensive knowledge platform for designers, manufacturers, developers and policymakers navigating the region’s rapidly evolving built environment. All sessions are CPD-certified, supporting continuous professional development while delivering practical insights into lighting design, smart building technologies and the future of sustainable, connected spaces across the Middle East. Abdul Muhsin, Show Director for Light + Intelligent Building Middle East said: “As the UAE continues its rapid expansion, the role of lighting and intelligent building technologies is becoming increasingly strategic. THINKLIGHT, alongside InSpotLight and the Smart Building Summit, reflects the industry’s shift towards more integrated, sustainable and design-led solutions. By bringing global expertise and regional insight together on one platform, the event is supporting meaningful dialogue and practical knowledge exchange at a critical moment for the built environment.”
Co-located with Intersec, Light + Intelligent Building Middle East 2026 takes place from 12-14 January at Dubai World Trade Centre. Featuring more than 600 brands from 30 countries, the event is expected to attract more than 16,000 industry professionals. The exhibition provides a strategic platform for business development, product discovery and collaboration across lighting, electrical engineering and smart building technologies, reinforcing the Middle East’s position as a global hub for innovation in the built environment Light + Intelligent Building Middle East will be held in Za’abeel Halls 1-3 and Hall 1 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
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