#UAE #wearables - UAE Cyber Security Council has partnered with Meta and programme delivery partner Startupbootcamp to launch Wearables Studio UAE, the country’s first dedicated innovation and talent programme for AI-powered wearable technology. Unveiled at GISEC Global 2026, the initiative gives students, developers, entrepreneurs and startups hands-on access to Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses, alongside technical training and mentorship. It supports the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 and targets applications across tourism, healthcare, education, Arabic AI companions and smart retail, with the top three teams sharing a $10,000 prize pool.
SO WHAT? - Wearables are becoming the next interface for AI, sitting between phones and whatever comes after them, and most of the platforms driving that shift are built and owned outside the region. Now UAE developers get engineering access to build applications on top of Meta’s wearables technology, with cybersecurity built in from the design stage. Having the UAE Cyber Security Council embedded from day one signals that wearables, which sit on the body and collect constant data, are being treated as a security and privacy category in their own right.
KEY POINTS:
Meta, the UAE Cyber Security Council and programme delivery partner Startupbootcamp have collaborated to launch Wearables Studio UAE, the UAE’s first dedicated innovation, education and talent programme for AI-powered wearable technology.
The initiative was unveiled at GISEC Global 2026 and aims to equip UAE students, developers, entrepreneurs and startups with technical expertise, mentorship and practical experience to build AI-powered wearable applications.
Participants get hands-on access to Meta’s wearable platforms, Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses, alongside technical training and expert mentorship from Meta’s engineering teams.
The UAE Cyber Security Council, as national partner, is responsible for embedding cybersecurity, privacy and user trust into the programme’s innovation from the outset.
Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, said the initiative aims to help participants turn ideas into practical applications within an environment that promotes responsible innovation.
The programme supports the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, which prioritises AI adoption and building future-ready technology talent.
Startupbootcamp will run the programme on the ground, managing participant outreach, selection, workshops, mentorship and the final showcase.
The programme structure includes public ideation sessions, expert-led workshops, technical mentoring and an in-person build sprint, culminating in a pitchathon and final showcase at GITEX Global 2026.
Applications are open across five focus areas aligned with national innovation goals: Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Healthcare, Education, Arabic AI Companion and Smart Retail, with the top three teams sharing a $10,000 prize pool.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Meta