The World Drone Congress 2026 and the International Low-Altitude Economy & Unmanned Systems Expo, also known as the 11th Shenzhen International Drone Exhibition (UASE), will open at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center in Futian on May 21.

Running alongside the congress, the three-day expo will host a dedicated professional exhibition for international general aviation and eVTOL aircraft.

Spanning an exhibition area of 110,000 square meters, the expo will bring together over 1,200 companies from home and abroad to showcase tens of thousands of leading-edge products. Covering the full industrial chain from complete systems to upstream and downstream supply, from low-altitude safety to artificial intelligence, the expo will present a series of high-value industry highlights.

The exhibition will be organized into six major themed exhibition zones across nine halls. Hall 1 and Hall 6 will feature an integrated brand exhibition for the low-altitude economy, bringing together leading players such as DJI and United Aircraft to present an end-to-end layout spanning advanced equipment, core technologies, and scenario-based applications.

Halls 2, 3, and 4 will focus on low-altitude economy supply chains as well as competition and experience zones. Hall 5 will cover communications and navigation, low-altitude safety, and anti-drone technologies and equipment. Hall 7 will host a low-altitude economy demonstration area, research institute achievements, and international competition experience activities. Hall 8 will be dedicated to eVTOL and general aviation displays. Hall 9 will feature civil drones (complete systems) and artificial intelligence robots.

The expo is expected to welcome professional buyers from more than 50 countries and regions, including South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Sweden, Belgium, Russia, Spain, Portugal, the United States, Canada and Brazil. Domestically, government agencies, end users, operators, and system integrators from across the country will attend.

Meanwhile, the 10th World Drone Congress will feature one plenary session, more than 130 forums and related events. More than 10,000 academicians, industry experts, and entrepreneurs from over 140 countries and regions will gather to hold high-level dialogues and in-depth discussions on the development of drones and the low-altitude economy.

The congress will also bring together more than 630 top industry speakers, including more than 30 academicians from China and abroad, and more than 250 international experts and business leaders, who are expected to map out plans and provide recommendations for the high-quality growth of the low-altitude economy and help the industry move steadily forward.

The congress will include three international competitions. First is the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Drone Racing Competition, with three core events: drone FPV racing, drone fun challenges, and drone soccer competitions, designed to appeal to participants of different age groups and interests.

Second is the World Drone Congress WUC Series, featuring three independent events — drone soccer, building facade cleaning, and logistics lifting-and-collision challenges — covering popular application scenarios across the industry. Competitors can earn official WUC certification based on their results.

Third is the China AOPA 2026 International Drone Invitational. Events will include obstacle course competitions and drone soccer.