Dubai, UAE — The world’s brightest minds will converge once again in the UAE for the Dubai AI Festival 2026, set to take place on 7–8 April 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, this year’s Festival — themed “Intelligence Ignited: From Vision to Impact” — is not just an event, but a global call to action for a future where AI serves humanity, drives innovation, and powers equitable growth.
Organized by Dubai AI Campus in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation, DIFC, and the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications Office, the Festival stands as a beacon of collaboration, creativity, and purpose-driven progress.
🔹 A Convergence of Visionaries — Featured Speakers
The Dubai AI Festival 2026 will feature more than 100 global voices, spanning the spectrum of technology, governance, finance, healthcare, design, and infrastructure. Among the confirmed luminaries:
- H.E. Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC — Opening Plenary on Dubai’s Role in the Global Digital Economy
- Dr. Werner Vogels, CTO, Amazon — Keynote: Scaling AI with Cloud Intelligence
- Parminder Bhatia, Chief AI Officer, GE HealthCare — Panel: AI for Good – Saving Lives through Data
- Nigel Toon, CEO & Co-Founder, Graphcore — Session: Building the Hardware of Thinking Machines
- Joseph Bradley, CEO, TONOMUS — Keynote: The Future of Spatial AI and Smart Nations
- Ali Hussain Sajwani, Managing Director, DAMAC Properties — Talk: The Intelligent City – AI in Real Estate Transformation
- Muhammad Binghatti, Chairman, Binghatti — Fireside: Design Meets Intelligence
- Dr. Amr Awadallah, CEO, Vectara — Deep Dive: Generative AI and the Next Search Paradigm
- H.E. Younus Al Nasser, CEO, Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment — Panel: Trust, Transparency, and Data Ethics
- H.E. Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation — Fireside: Governing Innovation in the Age of AI
“The Dubai AI Festival isn’t just where we discuss the future — it’s where we build it,” said H.E. Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. “This is where intelligence ignites opportunity, and Dubai serves as its launchpad.”
💠 Sponsors & Partners — Powering the Movement
Behind the brilliance of the Festival lies a robust ecosystem of global sponsors, industry backers, and strategic partners united by purpose:
Founding & Host Partners
- Dubai AI Campus – Official Organizer and Institutional Anchor
- Dubai Future Foundation – Strategic Host Partner
- DAMAC – Co-Host and Innovation Enabler
Principal Sponsors
- Al Fardan Exchange – Founding Partner, driving AI-enabled financial transformation
- Presight – Industry Leader Sponsor, powering next-gen analytics and intelligence platforms
- SENEN Group – “Powered By” Partner, linking enterprises and AI ecosystems
- Willbanah – Diamond Sponsor, enabling cross-sector AI adoption
- AtkinsRealis – Silver Sponsor, advancing infrastructure & design innovation
Association & Strategic Partners
- Decoding Data Science – Content & Technical Partner
- AMCHAM Dubai – Global Business Liaison Partner
- Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF) – Strategic China Partner, bridging East–West collaboration
“AI transformation is no longer optional — it’s existential,” said Joseph Bradley, CEO of TONOMUS.
“Dubai AI Festival provides the global platform where innovation, investment, and regulation finally converge.”
🚀 Festival Highlights
- FutureTech World Cup — Global startup competition connecting innovators to global investors and policymakers.
- Launchpad & Challenge Tracks — Mentorship and incubation programs for early-stage ventures.
- AI Ethics & Policy Labs — Global policymakers co-designing responsible frameworks for the future of AI.
- The Exhibition Arena — 500+ AI and deep-tech firms, 8,000+ sqm of innovation, and live demos from the world’s top AI builders.
- Investment Pavilion — Curated sessions bridging capital and innovation.
🌏 Why It Matters — A Global Movement Rooted in Purpose
In a world accelerating toward automation, Dubai AI Festival 2026 stands for inclusivity, ethics, and empowerment.
Its mission extends beyond innovation — it aims to democratize access to intelligence, shape AI governance, and create sustainable economies of the future.
“AI should not replace human intelligence — it should elevate it,” said Dr. Amr Awadallah, CEO of Vectara. “Dubai AI Festival is where we shape that future responsibly.”
🗓️ Join the Movement
- 🌐 Register now at www.dubaiaifestival.com
- 🚀 Startups — Apply for the FutureTech World Cup or AI Challenge tracks.
- 🤝 Sponsors & Partners — Secure visibility in the world’s most future-focused AI ecosystem.
- 📰 Media & Analysts — Request accreditation for keynotes, exclusive roundtables, and backstage access.
⚙️ About Dubai AI Festival
The Dubai AI Festival is a flagship platform uniting global leaders, policymakers, and innovators to accelerate the future of artificial intelligence.
Hosted under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it advances Dubai’s vision to be a world capital of technology, innovation, and human progress.
The Festival drives ethical AI, startup acceleration, and global dialogue for a smarter, more sustainable world.
