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Showcasing Dubai’s vision for the future of AI, the second edition of the Dubai AI Festival, a pivotal part of Dubai AI Week, commenced today under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, said: "Dubai AI Festival stands as a testament to our vision of positioning Dubai as a global leader in artificial intelligence innovation. This Festival reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering an environment where creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge technology converge to shape a brighter future for all.”
He added: “Our pursuit of excellence in AI transcends technological advancement; it encompasses harnessing the transformative power of AI to drive economic growth, improve quality of life, and create new opportunities for our people. As industry leaders, experts, and visionaries gather from around the world, we reaffirm our pledge to lead in AI innovation and to ensure that Dubai remains at the forefront of the global digital economy. Together, we explore the boundless potential of AI, inspire new possibilities, and forge a path towards a future where intelligence and innovation know no bounds."
Hamdan bin Mohammed’s visit commenced with a tour of the exhibition area. His first stop was at the Dubai AI Campus pavilion which showcased cutting-edge AI solutions and the latest developments in artificial intelligence, underscoring Dubai's commitment to becoming a global leader in AI innovation. At the pavilion, he also viewed the Google Cloud workshop on generative AI essentials for start-ups.
His Highness then moved on to the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF) pavilion which highlighted Chinese start-ups, and presented a platform for potential collaborations and investment. This interaction provided a unique opportunity to understand the entrepreneurial landscape of China. Additionally, he visited the South Korea pavilion, which highlighted the technological advancements and entrepreneurial spirit of South Korean start-ups.
After exploring the exhibition area, His Highness proceeded to the main plenary hall to attend an ongoing session where industry experts and thought leaders shared valuable insights on ‘AI for all’ and discussed democratising access to AI for a connected world.
Held under the overarching theme of ‘Enabling Digital Economies’, the two-day Festival, organised by the Dubai AI Campus – a Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) initiative – in strategic partnership with the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications Office, attracted over 10,000 industry experts, 500+ investors, decision-makers, and innovators from more than 100 countries.
The event, which concludes on Thursday 24 April 2025, provides valuable opportunities for networking, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, solidifying Dubai’s position at the forefront of the global digital economy. Dubai has a thriving AI ecosystem with over 800 AI companies currently operating in the Emirate, of which 66% have chosen the city as their global headquarters.
Delivering the opening keynote address, His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, said: “Dubai’s advanced infrastructure, progressive regulations, and innovative services are attracting the world’s top AI talent. The Dubai AI Festival is a catalyst for further growth as it advances AI innovation and drives collaboration for a tech-driven future. DIFC is a leading supporter of Dubai’s future technology and digital economy strategies and is proud to provide a platform for leading AI and tech leaders to connect, collaborate, and innovate to shape the future of AI in the region and beyond.”
At the Festival, His Excellency highlighted DIFC’s commitment towards leading on the AI agenda, as evidenced in its AI-powered evolution. Through its strategic transformation engine called The Cube, launched in 2024 as part of DIFC’s Data Analytics and AI Strategy, DIFC is leveraging AI innovation and data analytics to redefine how it operates, governs and delivers services.
The Cube offers a scalable framework to implement high-impact AI use cases across DIFC’s digital landscape, enhancing decision-making, automation, and data integrity at the Centre. His Excellency spoke about a notable AI use case which is revolutionising DIFC’s service delivery and client experience. In its first phase, the project has successfully automated 26 key DIFC services. Over 15 per cent of the total volume of DIFC services is now fully handled by AI without any human intervention, enabling instant processing of client requests. This serves as a real-world example of AI’s transformative potential in driving operational agility, cost efficiency, and resource optimisation within government organisations.
Coinciding with the first anniversary of the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence, DIFC’s progress is setting the standard for driving AI adoption across industries. By partnering with public and private sector organisations, DIFC is building awareness and enabling the application of AI innovations to advance Dubai’s digital economy.
The Dubai AI Festival hosted over 100 speakers from leading global organisations who discussed and explored key themes of AI governance, ethics, investment, and real-world applications at 40+ sessions, 30+ roundtables, and workshops.
Prominent speakers at the event included H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, UAE; H.E. Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC; Dr. Werner Vogels, Global VP & CTO, Amazon; Parminder Bhatia, Chief AI Officer, GE HealthCare; Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Ola; Scott Harden, Global Chief Technology Officer, Global Innovation, Schneider Electric Innovation; Thomas Pramotedham, CEO, Presight AI; Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO, Al Fardan Exchange; Dr. Anirudh Devgan, President and CEO, Cadence Design Systems; Dr Xu Li, Co-Founder & CEO, Sense Time; Dr. Amr Awadallah, CEO, Vectara; Nigel Toon, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder, Graphcore; H.E. Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, UAE; and Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer, WPP.
The panel sessions on Day 1 of the Dubai AI Festival examined AI’s power to connect global communities and showcased its transformative impact across industries including finance, healthcare, transportation, and space exploration. Speakers and panellists explored AI’s potential to create new opportunities and drive economic growth and offered insights on how to leverage AI to build intelligent customer experiences and achieve ambitious digital goals.
To join Day 2 of the Festival, register via the official website: https://dubaiaifestival.com, and follow updates on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
