Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy, attended the opening of the third Dubai AI Festival at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Monday.
The event runs until October 27, 2026 and has drawn more than 20,000 attendees from over 100 countries, including more than 150 speakers, 500 investors and 200 exhibitors.
At the festival, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed by DIFC Authority CEO Arif Amiri on the performance of Dubai AI Campus, which launched in May 2024 and has already surpassed its original five-year targets. The campus has attracted more than 500 AI companies, which together have raised over AED 1 billion from private equity and venture capital funds and created more than 2,000 specialist technology jobs.
Sheikh Hamdan approved a new target for the campus: more than 1,000 AI companies and over 5,000 highly skilled jobs by 2030.
“Our priority is to position Dubai at the forefront of adopting advanced technologies by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, a flexible regulatory environment and access to the world’s best talent and expertise. This will enable companies and innovators to develop AI technologies and translate their potential into sustainable economic value,” Sheikh Hamdan said in a statement.
Sheikh Hamdan also reviewed plans for a new purpose-built Dubai AI Campus facility within the DIFC Zabeel District. Spanning 100,000 square feet, it will include GPU-ready systems, secure AI development zones, digital twin environments and modular lab-ready floors where government entities and private organisations can develop and test AI solutions. An AI Experience Centre will open to residents, students, visitors and investors.
“Dubai has long pursued a clear vision of becoming a global hub for technology and innovation, creating an environment where new ideas, industries and businesses can thrive. Artificial intelligence represents the next defining chapter in this ambition. DIFC is helping translate this vision into tangible outcomes by bringing together the companies, talent, capital and infrastructure needed to accelerate AI innovation and adoption. The continued growth of Dubai AI Campus and the development of its new purpose-built facility in DIFC Zabeel District will further strengthen Dubai’s position as a global leader in AI and the technology economy,” Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC added.
“AI is becoming an integral part of the global economy, transforming how companies operate, capital is deployed and financial services are delivered. Our ambition is not simply to integrate AI into DIFC, but to reimagine how a financial centre operates in the age of AI, with responsibility, security and trust as its foundations. Dubai AI Campus has already achieved its 2028 target of attracting 500 AI companies two years ahead of schedule, and we are now raising our ambition to more than 1,000 companies and over 5,000 jobs by 2030. By bringing together talent, capital, technology and ideas, we are creating an environment where innovation can scale, human potential can be enhanced and Dubai can help shape the next chapter of the AI economy,” Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority further explained.
During his tour of the exhibition, Sheikh Hamdan visited stands from Dubai Medical University, Amazon Web Services, Alibaba Cloud, ElevenLabs and robotics company Linkerbot.
He was accompanied by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
The two-day festival, organised by Dubai AI Campus in collaboration with the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, is held under the theme ‘Where Intelligence Meets Opportunity’ and covers topics including AI governance, the future of work, ethics, investment and infrastructure.
