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 the Dubai Future Foundation, has launched the Dubai AI Academy, a new initiative to mainstream artificial intelligence education and advance its adoption across key economic sectors.
The launch took place during the inaugural Dubai AI Week 2025, held from April 21 to 25 across multiple Dubai locations including the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers.
The event was organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) said in a statement.
Dubai launches AI academy to train 10,000 leaders during AI week 2025
“Dubai will be the destination of choice for those who are seeking to lead the future of artificial intelligence. We will continue to support impactful initiatives that showcase the promising and diverse applications of AI, and the opportunities it offers to accelerate economic growth and advance progress across government, education, and society,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
The Dubai AI Academy forms part of the Dubai AI Campus, the region’s largest dedicated cluster of AI and advanced technology companies, located within the DIFC Innovation Hub.
To be developed with support from the DIFC Academy, the initiative aims to position itself as a leading provider of AI training and certification programmes.
The Academy will collaborate with global academic institutions including Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, Udacity, and the Minerva Project.
It will offer tailored programmes to equip participants with skills needed to lead in an AI-enabled world.
Initial offerings will include ‘AI for Civil Service’, targeting government employees, and ‘Leadership in the Age of AI’, focused on strategic decision-making, ethics, and adaptability in tech-driven environments.
By expanding AI education at scale, the Academy will support Dubai’s ambition to double the impact of AI on its GDP and advance its global competitiveness.
Training modules will address capabilities such as identifying AI use cases, integrating AI into business strategies, and applying ethical frameworks for responsible adoption.
This initiative aligns with the goals of the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI) and reinforces the emirate’s vision to become a global centre for AI, innovation, and technology.
The Dubai AI Campus, launched under Sheikh Hamdan’s directives in 2023, supports this transformation by providing computing power, business acceleration programmes, and a bespoke AI business licensing model.
The Academy also contributes to DIFC’s 2030 Strategy by enhancing talent development within Dubai’s AI, FinTech, and innovation ecosystem.
Its establishment is expected to boost productivity within the local workforce and serve as a key enabler for AI integration in both public and private sectors.
