Welcome Reader to the January edition of the FashionTech Middle East newsletter. This month felt like a preview of what 2026 is going to be about: AI moving from “tools” to “agents”, more serious conversations about trust, governance and risk, and the GCC continuing to level up its fashion ecosystem with sharper formats and bigger ambition.
CES 2026 sets the tone for AI wearables as fashion month kicks off
January opened with CES 2026, where wearable technology quietly moved from “experimental hardware” to AI-native interfaces. This year’s standout theme wasn’t flashy devices, but context-aware wearables: AI-powered rings, smart glasses, and biosensing accessories designed to operate continuously in the background, learning from user behaviour and responding in real time. For fashion and luxury, the implication is clear: wearables are becoming lifestyle objects first and tech products second, pushing brands to think about form, materials, and aesthetics alongside data, privacy, and utility.
Muscat Fashion Week showcases creative identity
Muscat Fashion Week (13–15 January 2026) returned to Oman as part of the larger“Muscat Nights 2026” cultural season, blending runway shows with design talks, workshops, and performances that bridge heritage, craftsmanship, and innovation. The event positioned fashion as a language of identity and creative expression while amplifying the region’s design ecosystem and creative classes.
Saudi fashion innovation ecosystem enters a new phase with expanded incubator support
Saudi Arabia’s fashion incubator programme entered a new phase in 2026, introducing three tailored pathways to accelerate fashion brands, from emerging designers to more established players. This marks a deeper structural commitment to scaling fashion and creative businesses within the Kingdom, with mentorship, market access, and investment support.
Formalised incubation ecosystems help bridge the gap between creative talent and commercial viability, catalysing fashiontech, digital commerce, and sustainable practices within the GCC’s rapidly growing fashion sector.
GCC: What a regional AI survey tells us about real adoption in marketing
The latest survey of more than 600 technology marketers and communications professionals in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reveals that artificial intelligence is now a core tool for boosting efficiency, personalisation, and operational execution in campaigns. However, nearly half of respondents say that true brand differentiation still depends on human creativity, strategic storytelling, and cultural insight, not automation alone. While AI is valued for personalisation and engagement, it cannot replace the strategic thinking and culturally nuanced narratives that make brands stand out in crowded digital landscapes. While not fashion-specific, the findings are highly relevant for fashion and retail brands.
For Nadia and Andrei, years of experience in AI and mobile development led to a simple but persistent problem in fashion. Inspiration is everywhere, but turning it into wearable, personal outfits is not.
That insight became the foundation of Aesty, an AI-powered fashion app that helps users create real outfits using their own wardrobe, body, and style preferences. Built fully in-house in Dubai and backed by 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁, the platform has already been downloaded by over 𝟭𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 globally.
Operating from Dubai, Aesty benefits from the Middle East’s rapid adoption of technology and its forward-looking fashion culture.
👉 Read the full interview here.
January ✨ Events we attended
World Economic Forum, Davos
Davos this year was dominated by one theme: AI at scale, from an infrastructure POV. Across sessions and side-events, the conversation moved from “can we deploy AI?” to “how do we govern it, secure it, and reorganise around it?”
A few FashionTech-relevant takeaways:
- AI governance is now a board-level topic. Trust, transparency, and the rules of deployment are no longer optional if you want AI embedded in workflows and customer-facing experiences.
- Agentic AI is becoming the default mental model. The leap is from copilots that assist to agents that execute multi-step tasks, which has direct implications for commerce, service, and brand ops.
- The “AI jobs” debate is getting real. Leadership sentiment is mixed, but the direction is clear: companies are restructuring, not just experimenting. That matters for how fashion teams budget, who owns AI, and how incentives work.
- Forbes Middle East launched its Davos hub, creating a visible convening space for regional leaders alongside the global agenda.
- And yes, the platforms were in the mix too. Both Pinterest and Meta had an official presence, reinforcing how tightly culture, media and commerce are converging around AI-era discovery.
ShopTalk Luxe, Abu Dhabi
ShopTalk Luxe felt like a clear signal of where luxury and premium retail are heading. Held from 27 to 29 January 2026 at Emirates Palace, the event brought together global brand leaders, operators, technologists and investors to move the conversation beyond trend-spotting and into how luxury actually adapts in practice. Across the agenda, the focus was firmly on experience, data and AI, and what it really takes for brands to operate across increasingly digital, high-expectation consumer journeys. High-profile voices, including Vera Wang, reinforced the message that creativity and technology are no longer separate conversations in luxury.
What stood out most was the format. ShopTalk Luxe is designed less as a traditional conference and more as a deal-making and collaboration platform, with its curated Meetup programme (think speed-networking) driving focused, senior-level conversations throughout the three days. The choice of Abu Dhabi and the regional presence underlined the Middle East’s growing role as a testing ground and connector for global luxury and commerce innovation. For us, the event highlighted a maturing luxury tech narrative: less hype, focus on execution, and a growing appetite for tools and partners that can translate technology into tangible commercial outcomes. We will be sharing more takeaways from ShopTalk Luxe in the coming days.
Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion: AI & the Future of Fashion
At the Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion, FTME co-founders Karin and Liya took the stage for a masterclass panel on AI & the Future of Fashion, exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping design, retail, and creative decision-making across the industry. The conversation moved beyond hype to practical realities: how AI is already influencing trend forecasting, content creation, merchandising, and customer engagement, and what this shift means for designers and brands operating in an increasingly data-driven landscape.
Dubai’s official fashion week returns with the first reveals of AW26/27. Expect runway programming, brand moments, and a business-heavy layer that keeps getting more serious each season (buyers, industry programming, partnerships).
Vogue Business’ Fashion Futures format has become one of the most credible “industry signal” stages because it sits at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and how the business of fashion actually changes. The Dubai edition (in partnership with d3) has previously convened leaders across retail, sustainability, and brand building, and it’s a strong room if you want less buzzword energy and more operator-level perspective.
A senior, decision-maker-heavy forum focused on the future of retail, leisure and commercial development in the region. For FashionTech, this is where you listen for: how malls evolve, what “experience” means in 2026, where spend is going (loyalty, data, media, automation), and how Saudi retail is thinking about next-gen infrastructure.
𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹 (𝗨𝗖𝗣), shopping is shifting from browsing websites to AI assistants evaluating, selecting, and in some cases buying products on a customer’s behalf. For fashion brands, this changes what discoverability actually means.
We’ve put together a 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, that will help you understand how the rules of digital commerce are evolving, and where fashion brands still have leverage. Read the full article: https://tinyurl.com/w3bbmdmy
Closing Thoughts
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with anyone in your network who might be interested in how technology is reshaping fashion in the Middle East and beyond.
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Until next month,
Karin & Liya
Co-Founders, FashionTech Middle East
