DAY 1: Dubai AI Week 2025
A LIVE blog of key events and announcements at Dubai AI Week 2025
Dubai AI Week 2025 begins today!
Welcome to the Dubai AI Week live blog, where we’ll be sharing the latest news and events for the week’s programme.
The week-long programme is organised by Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence and overseen by Dubai Future Foundation, under the direction of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE. Dubai AI Week begins this morning Monday April 21st and continues through to Friday 25th April, 2025.
Dubai AI Week takes place across a number of prestigious venues across Dubai (all Google Maps links):
Dubai Future Accelerators and Government Accelerators
The main Dubai AI Week exhibit area is in the Emirates Towers, specifically the Emirates Towers Boulevard, also known as AREA 2071.
See our Dubai AI Week article for all the main events and links.
LIVE BLOG — DAY ONE
REFRESH PAGE FOR LATEST UPDATES
13:40 - 325 companies apply for Dubai AI Seal, says UAE AI Minister
Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) has received applications from more than 325 companies for the official Dubai AI Seal, according to remarks made by H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama the UAE AI Minister (who is also Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation) in his keynote at Dubai AI Retreat today. Full story here. Updated 22-Apr-25.
“Every single company that’s going to be in our digital economy, moving forward, needs to be an AI-first company.”
H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications speaking at the Dubai AI Retreat.
12:40 — More speaker and panel sessions to come in AI Arena
Lots more coming up at the Dubai Assembly for AI at the 'AI Arena' in Area71, Emirate Towers!
01:00 - 01:25 PM - AI Wearables & the Future of Connectivity - Meta
01:30 - 01:55 PM - Unlocking the Power of Multimodal AI - Google Cloud
01:00 - 02:40 PM - Global CAIOs: Early Study Findings - IBM, Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale, Dubai RTA, Dubai Customs
02:45 - 03:15 PM - Generative AI Nexus; Commercial Scale Meets Human-Centered Design
See the Dubai AI Week workshops and sessions agenda for Day On
11:05 — Arabic AI media initiative announced!
Dubai Media Academy has announced Artificial Intelligence Initiative in Arab Media, an initiative to empower Arab media professionals with the latest Arabic language AI tools. Read the full story here.
10:25 — Downloaded the Dubai AI Week app?
If you have a confirmation code from Dubai AI Week registration you can download the Dubai AI Week App! Click the links or scan the QR code!
09:45 — Getting busy at the AI Arena
09:10 — AI Arena sessions begin!
08:35 — What's happening at the AI Assembly?
The Dubai Assembly for AI starts this morning from 9am at the 'AI Arena' in Area71, Emirate Towers.
09:00 - 09:25 AM - Future Forward: Unpacking the Trends Shaping AI - Gartner
09:30 - 10:00 AM - Dubai as a Launchpad: Competing on the Global Stage - Huspy, Builder.ai, Leap71.
10:00 - 10:30 AM - AI in Arab Media Initiative - Dubai Media Academy
10:40 - 11:10 AM - Agents Amongst Us: Rethinking Work with Agentic AI - Microsoft
See the Dubai AI Week workshops and sessions agenda for Day On
06:00 — Dubai Assembly for AI, Emirates Towers (various venues)
Meanwhile, the Dubai Assembly for AI - which consists of exhibition areas, workshops and presentations - takes place in AREA 2071, Emirates Towers A. The even expects to welcome 2,500 global AI leaders, policymakers, and executives, including 25 country delegations.
“Those who do not embrace AI today will fall behind. See you at Dubai AI Week.”
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai & Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence.
05:55 — Dubai AI Retreat, Museum of the Future (Level 7)
Dubai AI Week begins with the public Dubai Assembly for AI and the invitation-only Dubai AI Retreat, a closed-door gathering of 1,000+ decision-makers and AI leaders with four core themes:
AI Driven Economic Growth
Governance, Policy and Data Frameworks
Digital Infrastructure for AI
Education, Talent & Cultural Identity