Dubai Launches Its Inaugural AI Week, Showcasing Global Tech Innovation

Editorial Team

Last updated 14-04-2025

4 min

Dubai will host its first AI Week in April 2025, attracting around 10,000 participants.

Organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the event boasts 180 top speakers.

An educational programme will engage Dubai's youth in AI hands-on experiences and career insights.

Key activities include the AI Retreat, AI Forum, and the International AI Challenge.

Events cater to a range of interests, from digital health innovation to robotics and startup networking.

When we talk about Dubai, it inevitably conjures up ideas of glittering skyscrapers, desert safaris, and perhaps indulging in the occasional bowl of luqaimat at a local café. But increasingly, the Emirate has become synonymous with pioneering technology and forward-thinking innovation. It seems only fitting then, that from April 21 to 25, 2025, the city will host its very first Dubai AI Week, bringing together around 10,000 participants, including some 180 top-notch speakers from over 100 different countries.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, this ambitious event is organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence—a flagship venture for the Dubai Future Foundation. Across five bustling days, places all around town will transform into buzzing hubs of creativity and debate, welcoming major global players like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia, as well as tech experts, policymakers, start-up founders, and thousands of visitors keen to explore AI’s limitless potential.

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I have always admired the UAE’s knack for nurturing young talent, and thankfully this event won’t leave out Dubai’s brightest pupils and students. A specially-designed educational programme is planned, organised by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, ensuring that the younger generations get hands-on experience with AI technology and gain a valuable insight into potential career paths.

Over the week, a total of nine major events will captivate visitors. At the stunning Museum of the Future on Monday, the AI Retreat will offer a quieter, focused forum for over 100 government decision-makers, industry experts and tech specialists discussing strategic perspectives on artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the Dubai AI Forum in Area 2071 will play host to thousands of digital leaders exploring groundbreaking innovations over five days of lively discussions.

One of the more inventively named sessions is the "Machines Can See" summit held in collaboration between Polynom Events and the UAE government’s Office of AI. If you ever fancied learning what a self-driving vehicle or advanced robotics truly "see", this is probably your thing. On a similar practical note, the International AI Challenge on April 22 and 23 showcases engineers competing head-to-head using generative AI tools like ChatGPT—kind of like an Olympic Games for coding geeks.

Healthcare professionals, meanwhile, will find plenty to pique their interest at HIMSS 2025. With sponsorship from Dubai’s Health Authority, this major conference at Emirates Towers Hotel will highlight future trends in precision medicine and generative AI, illustrating clearly why Dubai is becoming a key destination for digital health innovation.

And that's just scratching the surface—other highlights include the AI Innovations Conference, which aims to boost scientific research in artificial intelligence applications, and the action-packed AI Week Hackathon, calling the brightest minds together to create AI agents that can handle real-life problems autonomously.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation, emphasised that the AI Week represents a milestone in the UAE’s journey toward becoming a leading hub for technology. Reflecting on Dubai’s thriving tech scene, Al Gergawi said, "With the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and continuous guidance from Sheikh Hamdan, Dubai's role as the foremost destination for tomorrow's tech and creative minds only keeps growing."

There's also plenty on offer for startups— any budding entrepreneur knows Dubai is always the place to network and launch exciting ventures, and this year's AI Festival at Madinat Jumeirah provides ample opportunity for partnerships, investment, and showcasing pioneering technologies.

All these activities aim to tackle AI across six major themes, ranging from governmental policy to education and talent cultivation, ensuring everyone—from school pupils to global corporate giants—is fully involved. It's all about collaboration, exchanging wisdom, and inspiring fresh ideas for using AI to ultimately enhance our quality of life.

So there we have it—Dubai weaving together a week-long programme packed full of opportunities, debates, challenges, and, naturally, the odd spot of networking over a pot of karak tea. For more details or registrations, enthusiasts can take a look at their official wesbite: www.week.dub.ai/ar.

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