Ryan Reynolds, YouTube co-founder Steve Chen and the former mayors of Paris, Bogota and Melbourne are among the first speakers announced for LiveX 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
The inaugural Liveability and Investment Exhibition will take place at the Adnec Centre from September 29 to October 1, bringing together more than 100 international speakers across six themes covering liveability, culture, education, the economy, energy and health.
Actor, producer and entrepreneur Reynolds will be joined by Anne Hidalgo, former mayor of Paris, and Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogota, as well as former Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp.
Also announced are Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun, actor and environmental advocate Adrian Grenier and US media personality Tucker Carlson.
“Liveability is increasingly a defining factor in attracting investment, talent and long-term economic growth,” said Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport.
“Abu Dhabi has focused on creating an environment where economic opportunity and quality of life reinforce one another. By bringing more than 100 international speakers into the same programme as investors and decision-makers, LiveX connects a wide range of perspectives with the people and capital shaping the emirate's continued development.”
Alongside its speaker programme, the event will feature a dedicated Investors Lounge in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Mubadala, with more than 1,500 investors expected to take part in an invitation-only programme.
The exhibition will also feature walk-through pavilions, neighbourhood masterplans and live mobility and robotics demonstrations, alongside food and performance programming.
A series of community initiatives are taking place before the event, including a travelling public installation inviting residents to share what makes Abu Dhabi liveable and a cycling tour through some of the city's districts and public spaces.
Children across the emirate are also invited to take part in Imagine What's Next, an initiative that asks them to illustrate one thing they would add to their neighbourhood. Their artwork will form part of a digital mural to be displayed at LiveX.
LiveX takes place at Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi from September 29 to October 1
