ATM rescheduled. F1 cancelled. What's left of the Gulf's 2026 events calendar

As the US-Iran conflict enters its nineteenth day, the events industry continues to see a wave of postponements and cancellations affecting major gatherings that typically draw vast international and regional crowds.

The Northbourne Advisory Executive Dashboard reports that as of March 18, 42 major events have been suspended, 28 postponed, and 21 cancelled outright. The impact varies by country, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia seeing "escalating" risk levels due to renewed attacks and reported fatalities, respectively. 

These are some of the major events to note.

Arabian Travel Market: Moved to August  

Now in its 33rd edition, the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), one of the largest travel and tourism trade shows in the world, has been postponed.

On 18 March, organiser RX confirmed that ATM 2026 – along with ATM Travel Tech and IBTM @ ATM – has been rescheduled from 4-7 May to 17-20 August 2026, with the venue remaining unchanged at DWTC. The official statement cited the safety and wellbeing of customers, partners and colleagues and the goal of giving the global travel and tourism community "greater confidence and flexibility to attend".

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: "The safety and well-being of our customers, partners and colleagues remains our highest priority, and the decision to reschedule ATM 2026 to August reflects our commitment to ensuring that everyone can participate at this important industry gathering. We look forward to welcoming the international travel community back to Dubai later this year."

Formula 1: Both Gulf races gone

On 15 March, Formula 1 confirmed what the paddock had widely anticipated for several weeks: both the Bahrain Grand Prix (10–12 April at Bahrain International Circuit) and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (17–19 April in Jeddah) are cancelled. The 2026 F1 calendar is reduced to 22 races, with no replacement events scheduled. A five-week gap now sits in the calendar before the Miami Grand Prix.

The F1 Gulf double-header had become one of the most commercially intensive periods in the MENA calendar – a concentrated window attracting global brands, broadcast partners, hospitality operators, and thousands of international visitors to back-to-back markets. Saudi Arabia had pushed hard to retain its race; it was overruled by FIA and F1 on safety grounds.

LEAP 2026 and DeepFest: Saudi Arabia's tech showcase pushes ahead 

LEAP 2026, the Saudi technology conference held at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, is confirmed as proceeding on 13–16 April. The event is expecting more than 200,000 attendees, and over 1,000 speakers, with registration remaining open. 

DeepFest, the AI summit running alongside LEAP, is similarly confirmed. Together, the two events make Riyadh the largest active gathering of technology and innovation stakeholders in the region.

This reflects a broader Saudi posture throughout the conflict: no blanket event ban, the Saudi Pro League continuing to play, and Riyadh Season active through its scheduled end. 

Future Hospitality Summit: Moved to a later date

The Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for spring, has been moved to 22–24 June at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh. Organisers cited the regional situation and the need for "stability and confidence in international travel". The rescheduling to June is echoes the wide sentiment that by mid-year the airspace situation will have normalised sufficiently to enable the international hospitality and investment community to travel.

TOKEN2049 Dubai and the Crypto calendar

TOKEN2049 Dubai, which had been scheduled for 29–30 April at Madinat Jumeirah with 15,000 attendees expected, has been postponed to 21–22 April 2027. 

The decision follows a pattern visible across the professional conference and trade show sector: where events have strong brand equity and established demand, organisers are protecting the product by giving it the time it needs rather than accepting the reputational and logistical risks of a compressed rescheduling. The IAAPA Expo Middle East (now moved from its March slot to April 2027) and the M&I Expo Abu Dhabi (from April 2026 to 2027) follow the same logic.

The Finalissima and other major sports events

UEFA officially cancelled the Finalissima 2026, the match between European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina, which had been due to take place at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on 27 March. The Qatar Football Festival, which had included the Finalissima as its centrepiece, was also cancelled with full ticket refunds.

 MotoGP's Qatar Grand Prix has been rescheduled to 8 November. The FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, an Olympic qualifying event drawing athletes from 50-plus countries, is listed as unconfirmed for 15–18 April in Doha.

The 4th GCC Games, a major multi-sport event hosting athletes from all six Gulf states and scheduled for 11–22 May across Doha venues, has no official postponement announced despite the ongoing conflict, leaving its status uncertain.

KEY INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL EVENTS: STATUS TRACKER: 18 MARCH 2026

Source: Northbourne Advisory Gulf Region Event Cancellations Executive Dashboard, compiled 17–18 March 2026, drawing on 649 verified public sources including government directives, airline operational updates, sporting body announcements, and venue communications across Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

All statuses subject to rapid change; verify directly with organisers before planning decisions.