Hamdan bin Mohammed visits the Dubai AI Festival

Second edition of the Dubai AI Festival runs from 23 - 24 April as part of Dubai AI Week

His Highness: The Festival reflects our commitment to fostering an environment where creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge technology converge to shape a brighter future for all

- Event brings together over 10,000 industry experts, over 500 investors, decision-makers, and innovators from more than 100 countries
- Over 100 speakers from leading global organisations explore key themes of AI governance, ethics, investment, and real-world applications

Showcasing Dubai’s vision for the future of AI, the second edition of the Dubai AI Festival, a key 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, Minister of Defence, 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. The 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."

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s visit to the festival commenced with a tour of the exhibition area. His first stop was 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 Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office, attracted over 10,000 industry experts, over 500 investors, decision-makers, and innovators from more than 100 countries.

The event, which concludes on 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.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed was accompanied on the tour by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation; His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC; and Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority.

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 over 40 sessions, more than 30 roundtables, and workshops.

Prominent speakers at the event included; 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; His Excellency Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre; 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.