Dubai AI Week 2026 Doubles in Size, Sheik Hamdan Announces

Dubai AI Week established itself as a global AI hub that attracted over 30,000 experts from more than 100 countries in its 2025 edition. The landmark event brought together 10 major gatherings across the city. Participants engaged in more than 250 sessions, panel discussions, and workshops with tech giants like Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and NVIDIA.

This remarkable achievement prompted Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed to announce Dubai AI Week’s return in April 2026 with doubled expectations. The event will expand to feature 20 major gatherings throughout Dubai to substantially increase worldwide participation and reach. The 2025 event sparked over 30 new initiatives and mutually beneficial alliances between government entities, private sector stakeholders, investors, and startups. Dubai government’s workforce has embraced this change – 97% of employees now believe generative AI helps improve government operations. This shows AI’s power to revolutionize the emirate’s future.

Sheik Hamdan announces expansion of Dubai AI Week 2026

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Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has announced Dubai AI Week will return in April 2026 with a bigger scope and vision. The successful completion of the 2025 edition has made Dubai a global hub for AI innovation.

Doubling the number of events and participants

The Crown Prince wants to double all targets set during the first event for the 2026 edition. Dubai AI Week 2026 will now have 20 city-wide events, up from 10 major gatherings in 2025. This growth comes after the 2025 edition drew 30,000 attendees from more than 100 countries.

“Following the success of this year’s edition, we have directed that the next Dubai AI Week be held in April 2026, with the goal of doubling all targets — expanding to 20 events across the city and welcoming participation from the world’s leading technology experts,” stated Sheik Hamdan.

The 2026 event will bring new features like the AI@70 summit to explore major scientific, ethical, and societal questions about artificial intelligence. The event will also launch the Humanity Lab, an eight-week incubator at the Dubai AI Campus.

Strategic goals behind the expansion

Sheik Hamdan has outlined what Dubai wants to achieve through this expansion. Dubai aims to become “the annual meeting point for the world’s AI leaders” and secure its place in global AI discussions.

“We are moving forward with determination to seize the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence to design a better future,” explained the Crown Prince. This vision goes way beyond the reach and influence of the event itself.

Dubai’s next AI strategy phase will bring more AI companies to the emirate. The city will work closely with global experts and create detailed strategies for government-wide AI adoption. These changes will boost quality of life and bring positive changes to society.

The Crown Prince stressed Dubai’s plan to spread AI skills across schools, universities, research centers, and innovation hubs. This focus on education supports the emirate’s long-term goal to create an environment that can produce and grow billion-dollar AI ventures.

Dubai’s ability to attract global AI investment comes from three strengths: state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, flexible regulatory frameworks, and steadfast dedication to building capabilities and strengthening AI talent. The bigger Dubai AI Week will showcase and drive these ongoing initiatives.

Dubai AI Week 2025 sets the stage for future ambitions

Dubai AI Week made its debut as a game-changing platform for AI innovation in April 2025. The Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) and Dubai Future Foundation hosted this week-long festival that surpassed expectations.

Key achievements and milestones from 2025

The event drew over 30,000 experts and participants from more than 100 countries worldwide. Twenty-five international delegations came from nations like South Korea, Canada, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, and the United States. Ten major events took place at iconic venues including the Museum of the Future, Emirates Towers, and AREA 2071.

Participants took part in more than 250 sessions, panel discussions, and workshops. The Dubai AI Festival brought together over 10,000 attendees, with 500 investors from 100 countries and 100 speakers across 40 sessions. The Global Prompt Engineering Championship saw fierce competition among 3,800 participants from 125 countries who competed for AED 1 million in prizes.

The week sparked over 30 new initiatives, partnerships, and agreements between government entities, private sector stakeholders, investors, and startups. Du’s announcement stood out with their new AED 2 billion hyperscale data center project with Microsoft.

Lessons learned and areas identified for growth

The 2025 event showed Dubai’s capability to be a global AI hub while revealing new growth opportunities. The overwhelming response pointed to a significant unmet need for AI knowledge exchange and collaboration platforms in the region.

A joint report from Dubai Government Human Resources Department and Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government revealed that 97% of employees believe generative AI positively affects government operations. The University of Birmingham – Dubai responded to educational needs by announcing the region’s first PhD program in Artificial Intelligence.

PwC projects that AI will add AED 57.65 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with the UAE capturing AED 352.51 billion of that value. These numbers explain why Dubai continues to strengthen its AI development through expanded programming in 2026.

Dubai launches initiatives to strengthen AI leadership

Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed has revealed three groundbreaking initiatives that align with Dubai’s aggressive AI advancement strategy. These initiatives will strengthen the emirate’s position as a pioneer in global artificial intelligence development.

Dubai AI Academy to train 10,000 pioneers

Sheik Hamdan’s direction has led to the creation of the Dubai AI Academy, now a 6-month old part of the Dubai AI Campus at the DIFC Innovation Hub. The Academy’s ambitious educational program will train 10,000 emerging and experienced leaders in artificial intelligence applications, ethics, and strategy. Globally renowned institutions including Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, Udacity, and the Minerva Project have formed mutually beneficial alliances with the Academy.

The Academy’s original programs feature ‘AI for Civil Service’ for government employees and ‘Leadership in the Age of AI’ that focuses on strategic decision-making in complex technological environments. The Academy supports Dubai’s goal to double AI’s GDP contribution through detailed training modules that cover AI use cases, business integration, and ethical frameworks.

AI@70 Conference to shape global AI philosophy

Dubai will host the landmark AI@70: Towards a Global Humanity conference during Dubai AI Week 2026. This historic gathering celebrates the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Dartmouth Workshop that marked AI’s beginning as a field of study. Dartmouth College, which hosted the original “Constitutional Convention of AI,” has officially supported this initiative.

The summit leads to an eight-week Humanity Lab incubator at the Dubai AI Campus, matching the original Dartmouth Conference’s duration. This incubator combines art, philosophy, and technology to develop revolutionary AI products that show AI’s effect on humanity.

Dubai AI Seal to certify trusted AI companies

The Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence has introduced the Dubai AI Seal, a groundbreaking certification system for reputable AI companies. This seal creates a structured framework for government entities to partner with trusted technology providers. Companies with certification get a unique serial number and classification that helps organizations find reliable AI partners.

Technology companies must get this seal before participating in Dubai’s government AI projects. This requirement builds an ecosystem of trusted AI providers that maintain the highest standards of quality, security, and responsible use.

How Dubai plans to dominate the global AI landscape by 2026

The UAE plans to become a leader in the global AI world through its National AI Strategy 2031. The nation’s AI market will grow from AED 12.74 billion in 2024 to AED 170.12 billion by 2032. This growth opens up new economic possibilities.

Building billion-dollar AI ventures

Dubai’s AI strategy focuses on developing valuable AI companies. The government wants to help billion-dollar AI ventures succeed. Tech startups get vital support through initiatives like the Dubai AI Campus at the DIFC Innovation Hub. They can access high-performance computing resources and NVIDIA DGX systems. The campus gives a 90% discount on licensing fees, which makes innovation cheaper for new AI companies.

Embedding AI across education, healthcare, and governance

Dubai systematically uses AI in key sectors. AI technologies in healthcare boost patient care and optimize resources. They also make administration smoother and detect diseases early. Schools use AI tools that adapt to each student’s learning style and pace. AI applications make government services faster and more efficient.

Attracting global investment through infrastructure and policy

The UAE draws global AI investors with its business-friendly environment. Companies save money with zero personal income tax. This lets them spend more on research and growth. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have secured over AED 18.36 billion in AI-related investments from 2020 to 2024.

The UAE’s commitment shows in its AED 110.16 billion AI infrastructure fund created with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, and Microsoft. The country has also set up reliable regulations. These include the Federal Personal Data Protection Law and National Artificial Intelligence Ethics Guidelines. This framework helps AI innovation thrive.

Dubai Sets the Stage for Global AI Leadership

Dubai’s AI Week 2026 marks a major step in the emirate’s goal to become the world’s leading AI hub. Sheik Hamdan has doubled the number of events from 10 to 20, which shows his dedication to making Dubai pioneer technological innovation. The first event proved to be a soaring win with 30,000 experts from over 100 countries attending, and this success laid strong groundwork for future growth.

Dubai has launched several strategic initiatives alongside the expanded AI Week. The Dubai AI Academy aims to train 10,000 leaders. The new AI@70 summit will tackle ethical questions, while the Humanity Lab incubator will focus on practical AI development. These initiatives help Dubai build reliable infrastructure needed for environmentally responsible AI growth.

The Dubai AI Seal plays a significant role in building trust and quality standards within the emirate’s growing AI ecosystem. Government entities can now verify trustworthy technology partners through this certification system. Companies must maintain high standards to qualify. This regulatory framework enhances Dubai’s business-friendly environment, which has drawn over AED 18.36 billion in AI-related investments from 2020 to 2024.

Economic forecasts support Dubai’s AI strategy. The UAE’s AI market should grow from AED 12.74 billion to AED 170.12 billion by 2032. These numbers justify the heavy investment in infrastructure, education, and regulations. Dubai’s systematic integration of AI across healthcare, education, and government services shows an all-encompassing approach beyond just economic benefits.

Dubai AI Week 2026 serves as the life-blood of the emirate’s detailed strategy to become the world’s central hub for AI innovation, investment, and implementation. Dubai continues to build its foundation for lasting leadership as AI evolves faster through coordinated efforts across multiple sectors.