Over 1,000 apply for new UAE AI leadership programme
Strong demand for NEP-AI track signals strong Emirati interest in AI careers
#UAE #education– The AI track of the UAE National Experts Programme (NEP-AI) received more than 1,000 applications in under two months. The programme was opened for applications on 29 January and closed on 24 March 2026. The figure reflects broad interest among Emirati professionals across AI disciplines ranging from core technology development to applied sector use cases. The eight-month programme, which runs from May to December 2026, is structured around six tracks spanning 25 national priority sectors. It is designed to develop a new generation of Emirati AI leaders aligned with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. Final selections are expected to be announced in May.
SO WHAT? – One thousand applications for a highly selective, rigorous leadership programme is a meaningful response. For a national AI strategy to move from policy to execution, it needs people who can lead implementation inside government departments and enterprises. NEP-AI is one of the latest national education programmes designed to build capacity within the UAE national workforce. The immediate response to the launch of the new programme suggests that Emirati professionals are not only aware of the UAE’s AI ambitions, they want to be active participants in delivering them.
Here are some key points about the NEP-AI:
Launched in January 20265, the new AI track of the UAE National Experts Programme (NEP-AI) has received more than 1,000 applications from Emirati professionals working across a range of AI disciplines including core technologies, product development and applied sector applications.
Since the NEP-AI application window opened on 29 January 2026 and closed on 24 March 2026, all the applications were received in less than two months.
The inaugural NEP-AI cohort launches in May 2026 and runs through December 2026, delivered across seven modules in a format requiring one week of in-person participation per month, combining interactive workshops, panel discussions, site visits and international study visits.
The programme is structured around six core tracks:
AI Infrastructure and Hardware;
AI Models and Application;
AI Productisation and Entrepreneurship;
Sovereign AI and National Capability;
Human-AI Leadership and Foresight; and
Applied AI Domains.
Participants receive two levels of mentorship. Senior mentors, drawn from ministers, chief executives and senior government and private sector leaders, provide strategic guidance and national-level perspective. Meanwhile, AI technical leaders serve as dedicated advisors to each participant’s capstone project, providing applied technical direction.
Each participant develops a capstone project connected to their own organisation or sector, targeting scientific solutions with tangible and sustainable impact on institutional and national challenges, moving the programme beyond theoretical knowledge to practical delivery.
International study visits form a structured part of the curriculum, exposing participants to world-leading AI institutions, applied deployment models and governance approaches directly relevant to their sector specialisation — connecting UAE talent to global centres of excellence.
Candidate selection is based on academic and professional excellence, leadership potential and demonstrated ability to translate expertise into practical impact across national sectors, with final selections expected to be announced in May 2026.
NEP-AI builds on the UAE National Experts Programme, which has been developing Emirati specialists across priority sectors since its launch in 2019. The AI track was formally introduced during the graduation of NEP Cohorts 2.0 and 3.0 in October 2025, making the current intake its inaugural cohort.
ZOOM OUT - The UAE’s early investment in national AI education is setting a global benchmark for government-led AI talent development. While many countries focus on regulating AI, the UAE prioritised building domestic expertise at the beginning of its National AI Strategy. Programmes like the Artificial Intelligence Programme support digital sovereignty and ensure long-term leadership in emerging technologies. As global competition intensifies for AI talent, the UAE is one of the leading nations in building that capability from within.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Read more about AI executive education in the UAE:
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UAE AI Office launches AI leadership guide (Middle East AI News)
UAE AI Academy launches CAIO programme (Middle East AI News)
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