Those who don’t embrace AI today will fall behind, says Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan

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 Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), reaffirmed that AI will serve as the foundation of Dubai’s future.

He noted that the city is not only equipped to embrace upcoming transformations across sectors, but is actively shaping them – leveraging AI to enhance quality of life and unlock opportunities.

Speaking on the occasion of the inaugural Dubai AI Week, officially opening on Monday, Hamdan noted that Dubai is equipped with the vision, infrastructure, and capabilities needed to lead the next wave of global AI development. The event is organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) and overseen by DFF.

He said: “More than 10 years ago, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, envisioned a future where every government service would be at our fingertips. Today, we are taking the next bold step into that future."

“AI is no longer just a tool – it is the infrastructure for cities that think, services that adapt, and governments that anticipate. In this new era of progress, AI will shape Dubai’s future.”

He emphasised that the future will be defined by how well governments, institutions, and societies integrate AI into their core strategies – particularly across public services, education, and the economy.

He added: “We will begin by assessing government entities based on their AI integration and measuring the academic sector by its contributions to AI research and teaching. We will also celebrate the companies advancing Dubai’s AI economy. This is Dubai’s new standard – those who do not embrace AI today will fall behind. See you at Dubai AI Week.”

Day 1 of Dubai AI Week features the AI Retreat – a high level gathering of policymakers and industry experts discussing AI adoption and regulation – and the start of the Dubai AI Assembly, which will host country delegations, AI-specific activations and a series of sessions and workshops on the future of AI implementation across a variety of sectors.

Dubai AI Week will feature a wide range of high-impact activations across five days, beginning with the AI Retreat on April 21 at the Museum of the Future. The AI Retreat will convene 150 government officials and global AI experts and host four closed-door roundtable discussions exploring the themes of data and governance, infrastructure, economy and investment, and talent development.

The retreat will open with a welcome address from Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, followed by keynote remarks from Michael Spranger, Chief Operating Officer of Sony AI Inc., and Yossi Matias, Vice President and Head of Google Research.

Running concurrently throughout the week, the Dubai Assembly for AI will take place at AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers from April 21–25. The Assembly will bring together delegations from 15 countries — including South Korea, Canada, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom — as well as 25 global tech companies, 18 government entities, 20 universities and research centres, and 60 AI startups showcasing cutting-edge innovations.

Over 50 sessions will be hosted across the assembly, featuring topics such as: “Future Forward: Unpacking the Trends Shaping AI” by Gartner, “Agents Amongst Us: Rethinking Work with Agentic AI” by Microsoft, “AI Wearables and the Future of Connectivity” by Meta, “Generative AI Nexus: Commercial Scale Meets Human-Centered Design” by Yango, and “Revolutionising Education Through Metaverse and AI” by Animoca Brands.

Taking place from April 21-25, 2025, Dubai AI Week will bring together over 10,000 participants from more than 100 nationalities, with attendees including global experts, entrepreneurs, policymakers, regulators, investors and tech innovators. The event aims to accelerate AI adoption across sectors, while enhancing quality of life, boosting economic growth, and enabling future-ready societies.