The UAE is leading a bold shift in artificial intelligence adoption, with a clear focus on accelerating AI deployment across sectors without compromising on regulation.
Speaking at the opening of the AI Retreat at the Museum of the Future, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, underscored the UAE’s commitment to transforming AI potential into tangible progress.
Held as part of Dubai Artificial Intelligence Week under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the retreat gathered over 150 government officials and AI experts. It is one of several major events during the week, which draws more than 10,000 global participants from 100+ countries.
Delivering the keynote address titled ‘The Next 5-10 Years - A Force Multiplier of a Nation's Potential’, Al Olama highlighted the UAE’s AI ethos: acceleration.
“Every conversation about AI revolves around innovation and regulation,”
he said,
“but we’ve added a third: acceleration — not just developing AI, but fast-tracking its use for real-world impact.”
Closed-door roundtable discussions tackled key themes including data governance, digital infrastructure, talent development, and investment strategies. The retreat also explored AI’s role in boosting economic growth, policymaking, and education.
Al Olama emphasized the UAE’s AI-first approach to entrepreneurship.
“Every unicorn born in the UAE has been an AI-first company. That’s the model for the future,”
he said.
Dubai AI Week features a packed agenda, including the Dubai Assembly for AI, Global Prompt Engineering Championship, Hackathon: Agentic AI, and the HIMSS Executive Summit, further cementing the city’s position as a global AI hub.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
