The Baby & Kids Expo Dubai returns from 22-24 October 2026 at Dubai Exhibition Centre for its biggest and most ambitious edition yet. Featuring more than 450 baby, child and toy brands, thousands of families, and a growing community of retailers, educators, healthcare providers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, the event promises an expanded three-day programme spanning the full family journey.

Formerly known as The Baby Expo, the event has evolved beyond maternity and infancy to reflect the changing needs of modern families and the wider growth of the region’s family-focused economy. The expanded 2026 edition will cover the family journey from pregnancy and the early years through education, play, health, wellbeing, and childhood development up to the pre-teen years.

The timing comes as the UAE celebrates 2026 as the Year of the Family, a national initiative focused on strengthening family wellbeing, supporting growth and helping lay the foundations for confident and capable future generations.

The 2026 edition will span 15,500sqm, bringing together more than 17,000 visitors, over 450 international baby, child, and toy brands, and 100+ speakers, building on the success of the 2025 event, which attracted 14,814 visitors and facilitated over US $7 million in trade deals. The exhibition’s expansion into Saudi Arabia last year further demonstrated regional demand, welcoming 11,783 visitors and generating SAR 2.6 million in closed business.

With exhibitors from more than 20 countries, The Baby & Kids Expo offers families access to the world’s most trusted brands, services & retailers all under one roof, including Cybex, Babyshop, Stokke, Philips Avent, Mumzworld, Crayola, Playsmart, Momcozy, Aster Pharmacy, and Kinderkraft, alongside regional healthcare providers such as Medcare and Mediclinic.

Ashleigh Lloyd, Co-Founder of The Baby & Kids Expo, said, ‘The transition to Baby & Kids Expo in 2026 is a direct response to exhibitor feedback, consumer insights, and post-show surveys from previous editions, which highlighted the need for an event that moves beyond the early years to support families through every stage of childhood.’

‘Designed to meet the evolving needs of modern families and industry leaders, this year’s event introduces a more comprehensive platform featuring curated summits, expert guidance, and products and services spanning the full parenting journey — from early education and play-based learning to family health, wellness, child development, and the transition into the school years and beyond.’

‘By placing greater emphasis on education, early learning, toys and innovation, The Baby & Kids Expo Dubai 2026 reflects the growing regional focus on schooling, development, and long-term family wellbeing.’

Learning, Leading, and Growing Together

Three specialised summits will take place as part of the 2026 exhibition, reinforcing The Baby & Kids Expo’s expanded knowledge-sharing role.

As an exciting new addition to this year’s lineup, the inaugural She Leads Summit takes place on 22 October and will feature a full-day programme dedicated to women’s leadership, ambition, wellness, and professional growth whilst navigating motherhood and major life transitions.

Also taking place on Day One, the NextGen: Industry Leaders Summit returns as a key B2B gathering, connecting CEOs, senior decision-makers, and founders from across the baby, kids, and toy industry to examine market growth, innovation, consumer behaviour, the evolving family market, and long-term forecasts, while comparing regional developments with international markets.

Launching for the first time on 23 October, the Early Learning Summit shines a spotlight on education and early years childhood development. This dedicated B2B forum for the early education and family wellbeing ecosystem will convene educators, operators, experts, innovators, and industry leaders to explore how learning, care, and early environments can better support children and families from the very beginning.

Supporting Every Stage of Family Life

Designed to empower parents and strengthen support networks, The Baby & Kids Expo offers parents and families the chance to learn from the experts, try out the latest products, take advantage of exclusive event-only discounts, enjoy family-friendly entertainment, and join a growing community shaping the future of family wellbeing in the region.

‘Families don’t stop needing support when their baby becomes a toddler – their needs simply change. Our move from The Baby Expo to Baby & Kids is reflective of that reality,’ said Ashleigh Lloyd.

“We’re creating a platform that grows alongside families, while bringing together the businesses, educators, healthcare providers and innovators shaping children’s lives. It’s about creating meaningful connections and giving families access to the ideas, expertise, products and services that matter at every stage.

“2026 is an especially significant year to bring that wider conversation to the forefront. The 2026 edition has been designed around the realities of modern family life – where parenting increasingly intersects with education, health, technology, wellbeing, work, entrepreneurship and consumer choice.”

The Baby & Kids Expo is supported by an esteemed roster of sponsors, with Medcare & Aster Pharmacy as Main Stage Sponsors, Mediclinic as Hospital Stage Sponsor, Babyshop as Baby & Parenting Partner, Mumzworld as Platinum Sponsor, Cybex as Innovation Partner, Stokke as Gold Sponsor, and Mothercare and Teknum as Silver Sponsors. Additional partners for this year’s event include Virgin Megastore as Ticketing Partner.

Tickets for The Baby & Kids Expo 2026 are now on sale from: https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/ae/event/31179/family/the-baby-and-kids-expo

When: 22 – 24 October 2026

Where: Dubai Exhibition Centre

What: Three days of industry-led summits, access to more than 450 retail brands, and interactive family experiences