Dubai AI Week 2025: Global Innovation and AI Leadership

Dubai has once again positioned itself at the forefront of global innovation with the successful conclusion of Dubai AI Week 2025. Spearheaded by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, the event underscored the emirate’s unwavering commitment to embracing artificial intelligence and emerging technologies as essential tools for future development. This year’s edition attracted over 30,000 attendees from more than 100 nations, making it a major milestone in Dubai’s technological journey.

A Visionary Statement from Sheikh Hamdan

During the closing of the event, Sheikh Hamdan emphasized the importance of proactively embracing AI to cement Dubai’s status as a global hub for talent, innovation, and enterprise. Highlighting the city’s commitment, he announced that the next Dubai AI Week will take place in April 2026, with the intention of doubling all participation and activity benchmarks.

Sheikh Hamdan remarked that artificial intelligence is reshaping the global landscape in unprecedented ways, transforming how societies function and how governments plan and implement strategies. He noted that those preparing today by investing in ecosystems, nurturing talent, and committing to responsible AI governance will lead tomorrow’s world.

He also reiterated Dubai’s resolve to encourage the growth of AI enterprises, collaborate with global experts, and issue new directives to government leaders for the strategic deployment of AI technologies to elevate life quality and societal well-being.

Pioneering AI Integration in Dubai’s Ecosystem

Sheikh Hamdan shared a vision of embedding AI within all segments of Dubai’s society — from educational institutions and research centres to innovation hubs and data-driven ecosystems. His comments reflected Dubai’s strategy of attracting billion-dollar ventures through its sophisticated infrastructure, forward-looking regulation, and an environment that fosters innovation and talent.

Institutional Support and Long-Term Vision

His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, highlighted how Dubai AI Week is the culmination of years of initiatives undertaken by the foundation. He explained how the event has evolved into a comprehensive platform that unites experts, firms, and thought leaders to shape the future of AI.

He credited the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the direction of Sheikh Hamdan for making future foresight a core component of the UAE’s governance and development model. Al Gergawi described this model as one built on partnerships, cross-sector collaboration, and nimble governance, essential traits in an era defined by AI advancements and rapid change.

AI Retreat at the Museum of the Future

A major highlight of the week was the AI Retreat hosted at the iconic Museum of the Future. It brought together more than 150 leading experts, policymakers, and industry influencers from around the globe. Representing both public and private sectors, these delegates explored strategies and use cases to shape AI’s future trajectory.

Global Participation at the Dubai Assembly for AI

The Dubai Assembly for AI welcomed over 10,000 visitors and participants, including 25 high-level international delegations from countries such as the United States, Canada, South Korea, Germany, and India. The event was marked by showcases of breakthrough innovations from tech titans like Meta and Microsoft, alongside contributions from 60 startups and participation by 20 leading universities and research institutions.

Dubai AI Festival: A Convergence of Global Talent

Another significant highlight was the Dubai AI Festival, organized by Dubai AI Campus in partnership with DIFC. Drawing over 10,000 participants, the festival featured a vibrant mix of policymakers, innovators, experts, and investors. With more than 100 speakers across 40 sessions, 30 high-level roundtables, and various workshops, the festival served as a dynamic platform for AI knowledge exchange.

Introducing AI to Future Generations

Dubai AI Week 2025 also featured the AI Week in Schools initiative, which was held between 21–25 April. Coordinated with Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the program saw participation from over 10,000 students across 60 schools. The initiative was designed to educate students about AI technologies and potential career paths, laying the groundwork for the next generation of innovators.

Global Prompt Engineering Championship: Celebrating AI Excellence

The second edition of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship saw close to 3,800 participants from 125 countries. Competitors vied for the title of the world’s best AI prompt engineer across four key categories. The championship offered a total prize pool of AED 1 million and saw winners such as Abdulrahman Al Marzooqi in AI Coding, Yahya Kaddoura in AI-Generated Art, Ibrahim Helmy in AI Gaming, and Ibrahim Hajjo in AI-Generated Videos.

Machines Can See Summit: Spotlight on Computational Power

The Machines Can See Summit emerged as the region’s most specialized forum dedicated to machine learning and computational intelligence. Organized by the Polynome Group and supported by the UAE AI Office, the summit attracted over 3,500 participants, including scientists, technologists, policymakers, and investors.

Hackathon: Developing Agentic AI

The Dubai AI Week Hackathon focused on “Agentic AI” and was supported by Hackmasters. With 170 rising talents taking part, participants were challenged to create autonomous AI systems capable of solving real-world problems — a testament to Dubai’s dedication to nurturing homegrown AI capabilities.

Strategic Announcements and Key Milestones

One of the standout announcements came from du, which revealed plans to develop a AED 2 billion hyperscale data centre in collaboration with Microsoft. This infrastructure investment is expected to significantly boost Dubai’s digital capabilities and data economy.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also launched its comprehensive AI Strategy 2030, comprising 81 ambitious projects and initiatives designed to transform transportation using AI.

Reports Launched to Guide AI Implementation

Several influential reports were published during the week. The Dubai Centre for AI Applications released “15 AI Use Cases in Government,” illustrating successful AI applications in the public sector.

Another important document, “Dubai State of AI Report,” jointly published by the Dubai Digital Authority and the Dubai Future Foundation, evaluated over 100 high-impact AI use cases across healthcare, urban planning, finance, mobility, and recruitment.

A report co-published by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department and the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, titled “Generative AI Adoption Among Dubai Government Employees,” revealed that 97% of government employees believe AI positively impacts operations and 94% are optimistic about its future implications.

AI in Education and Healthcare

Dubai AI Week also emphasized the importance of AI in education and healthcare. The University of Birmingham – Dubai launched the city’s first PhD program in Artificial Intelligence.

The AI in Healthcare Forum, themed “Enhancing Healthcare with AI,” gathered experts from major global health institutions to explore how AI can revolutionize the sector.

On April 23, Emirates Towers hosted HIMSS 2025, supported by the Dubai Health Authority and Emirates Health Services. The event delved into the future of healthcare through developments in generative AI, genomics, precision medicine, and digital transformation.

Revolutionizing Public Services and Media

The 8th International Conference on Quality Education, hosted by the General Directorate for Identity and Foreigners Affairs, drew over 500 participants from 31 governmental entities to discuss the role of AI in improving public services.

Additionally, the Dubai Media Academy announced the AI Initiative in Arab Media, designed to establish a robust AI-powered Arabic content ecosystem. The initiative aims to promote language technologies tailored to cultural sensitivities and create impactful digital experiences for Arabic-speaking audiences.

Dubai AI Seal and AI Literacy Framework

Another notable development was the introduction of the Dubai AI Seal, the emirate’s official certification for trusted AI firms. Launched by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the seal aims to foster trustworthy collaboration between the public sector and AI providers.

In the field of education and public engagement, Dubai Health unveiled the ALiF initiative. Developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, ALiF provides the UAE’s first AI skills framework. The program offers practical AI training and emphasizes ethical considerations, aligning with both global and regional standards.

Strategic Partners and Global Tech Powerhouses

Dubai AI Week 2025 was supported by major institutional partners such as the Digital Dubai Authority, DEWA, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, and the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office.

Tech industry leaders played a pivotal role in the event’s success, with companies like Meta, IBM, Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Yango, SWIFT, PwC, NVIDIA, Cohere, Palantir, ElevenLabs, and Gartner actively participating in various capacities.

Key Discussions Driving the Global Dialogue

Throughout the week, the event featured a rich variety of discussions focused on the transformative potential of AI. Topics included the cross-sector impact of artificial intelligence, its influence on future job markets and skillsets, ethical governance, AI in education, media innovation, and the role of Arabic language in the AI era.