Crown Prince launches Dubai AI Academy to train 10,000 future leaders
World’s top AI minds to converge in the city again for Dubai AI Week 2026
Dubai has taken a giant leap towards becoming a global hub for artificial intelligence with the launch of the Dubai AI Academy 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 launch occurred during the inaugural Dubai AI Week 2025, held from April 21 to 25, across the Museum of the Future, AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers, and other key venues in Dubai.
Organised under the patronage of the Crown Prince, Dubai AI Week attracted more than 30,000 participants, further solidifying the city’s status as a leading destination for innovation and technology.
Dubai AI Academy
The Dubai AI Academy, an integral part of the Dubai AI Campus located within the DIFC Innovation Hub, aims to educate 10,000 emerging and experienced leaders in AI disciplines. The initiative, developed in collaboration with the DIFC Academy, is set to offer an array of AI training and certification programmes.
During Dubai AI Week, we have launched the Dubai AI Academy — an initiative designed to train 10,000 rising leaders and entrepreneurs in the most in-demand AI skills.
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) April 25, 2025
We also witnessed the signing of new partnerships between Dubai Future Foundation, du, Dtec, in5, and Ignyte.… pic.twitter.com/Qj13sthTd9
Partnering with prestigious global academic institutions such as Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, Udacity, and the Minerva Project, the Academy will provide tailored programmes that focus on leadership, ethics, and strategic decision-making in an AI-driven world.
Courses such as "AI for Civil Service" and "Leadership in the Age of AI" are designed to equip government employees and business leaders with the essential skills needed for ethical and effective AI adoption.
Dubai’s bold move aligns closely with the objectives of the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI) and contributes significantly to the DIFC’s 2030 Strategy, which prioritises talent development and innovation.
The Academy’s establishment is expected to enhance the integration of AI in both public and private sectors, boosting productivity and supporting Dubai’s ambition to double the contribution of AI to its GDP.
Dubai AI Week 2025
Speaking at the launch, the Crown Prince emphasised Dubai’s commitment to supporting transformative initiatives, stating: "Dubai will be the destination of choice for those who are seeking to lead the future of artificial intelligence."
He added: "We will continue to support impactful initiatives that showcase the promising and diverse applications of AI, and the opportunities it offers to accelerate economic growth and advance progress across government, education, and society."
The Dubai AI Campus, inaugurated in 2023 under Sheikh Hamdan’s directives, has already begun playing a pivotal role by offering vital resources such as computing power, business acceleration programmes, and a dedicated AI business licensing model.
With the Academy’s launch, Dubai strengthens its position as the region’s epicentre for AI and advanced technology, providing a conducive environment for startups, established companies, and research initiatives to thrive.
During Dubai AI Week, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also witnessed the signing of four strategic partnership agreements between Ignyte, a global digital start-up ecosystem platform, and organisations including the Dubai Future Foundation, du, Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Campus (Dtec), and in5.
These partnerships aim to accelerate the objectives of the Dubai Digital Economy Strategy, designed to foster the exponential growth of start-ups and to reinforce Dubai’s global standing in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Highlighting the broader vision, the Crown Prince remarked: "Artificial intelligence is driving an unprecedented transformation in human history, reshaping how individuals, institutions, and governments think and operate.
“Those who are best prepared for the future are the ones building the foundations today – by enabling ecosystems, empowering talent, and ensuring responsible AI governance."
He further indicated that the next phase of development would include the establishment of more AI companies in Dubai, heightened engagement with global AI experts, and new directives issued to government leaders for comprehensive AI adoption strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of life and societal development.
Dubai AI Week 2026
Meanwhile, looking ahead to 2026, Dubai is preparing to host the world’s greatest AI thinkers in an extraordinary global event celebrating the 70th anniversary of artificial intelligence.
Scheduled as part of Dubai AI Week 2026, the event titled ‘AI@70: Towards a Global Humanity’ will bring together leading minds from academia, business, technology, philosophy, art, and science.
Timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Dartmouth Workshop – the seminal event that established AI as a field of study in 1956 – the event will be officially supported by Dartmouth College.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "Dubai believes in the power of knowledge sharing, global cooperation, and meaningful partnerships to anticipate the future of artificial intelligence and harness it to improve lives and advance societies."
He highlighted that AI is poised to redefine human understanding, work structures, and the infrastructure of humanity itself.
The eight-week ‘Humanity Lab’ incubator will form a core part of this initiative, hosted at the Dubai AI Campus. Inspired by the original Dartmouth Conference’s duration, the incubator will fuse art, philosophy, and technology to create AI products that reflect the profound impact of AI on humanity.
Top minds will develop a radical research agenda focusing on forward-looking scientific, philosophical, ethical, and societal questions around AI, aiming to match global technological breakthroughs with new philosophical frameworks.
Organised by DIFC in collaboration with advisory firm APCO, with steering committee members from DIFC, APCO, and leading AI experts, AI@70 is expected to mark another historic milestone, placing Dubai at the heart of global AI conversations.