Hamdan bin Mohammed inaugurates Dubai AI Campus at DIFC Innovation Hub

Post by : Elena Malik

Photo : Dubai Government Media Office

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy, inaugurated the Dubai AI Campus cluster at the Innovation Hub in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This event marks a significant step in the first phase of the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI), a program recently launched to accelerate AI adoption across various sectors and create an optimal ecosystem for AI businesses and talent to drive innovation.

Sheikh Hamdan emphasized that Dubai’s strategic plans and initiatives aim to boost AI integration in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The ultimate goal is to establish Dubai as a global hub for the digital economy, attracting major AI businesses and top talent worldwide. He highlighted the importance of enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness as a leader in the digital economy through various projects and programs, aligning with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

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The Dubai AI Campus, announced in 2023, is the largest AI and advanced tech cluster in the MENA region. The campus aims to contribute significantly to the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), generating an average of AED 100 billion annually through digital transformation. The launch of this campus is another step towards realizing Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision of Dubai as a global digital economy hub.

The Dubai AI Campus has already attracted over 75 businesses in its first phase, which covers 10,000 square feet. Phase two will expand to over 100,000 square feet, aiming to attract more than 500 companies and create over 3,000 jobs by 2028. This initiative is crucial for Dubai’s efforts to become a preferred destination for tech businesses, significantly contributing to innovation and technology integration across all sectors. AI is expected to add $230 billion to the Middle East’s economy by 2030, making up 14% of the UAE’s GDP.

The inaugural ceremony saw the presence of His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Issa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre; and Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority. His Excellency Essa Kazim welcomed Sheikh Hamdan, stating that the Dubai AI Campus will accelerate the realization of the Dubai Economic Agenda’s goals while supporting the emirate's future technology and digital economy strategies.

Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, noted that the Dubai AI Campus helps accelerate the objectives of DIFC’s 2030 Strategy, which aims to empower the growing fintech and innovation ecosystem. The campus will further cement DIFC’s position as the largest incubator of the financial sector across the MEASA region, collaborating with regional players to simplify and expand their business through AI.

The Dubai AI Campus will facilitate multinational tech partnerships with leading companies such as Amazon Web Services, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, and Nvidia. These partnerships highlight the campus's role as a hub for AI innovation, providing high computing capabilities, including DGX platforms, and state-of-the-art business accelerator programs to advance AI applications in the private sector. The campus will also offer a unique AI license tailored to the needs of next-generation AI-dependent businesses, utilizing DIFC’s independent legal framework. Additionally, businesses within the cluster will benefit from DIFC’s Digital Assets Law, the first of its kind globally, offering legal certainty to investors and users of digital assets.

Dubai is set to host the premier Dubai AI and Web3 Festival, organized by the Dubai AI Campus in collaboration with the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, and DIFC, on 11 and 12 September 2024 at Madinat Jumeirah. The event will showcase Dubai’s commitment to promoting future technology and is expected to attract over 5,000 visitors and participants, more than 500 investors, and 100 exhibitors.

Since its launch in 2021, DIFC’s Innovation Hub has continued to grow, forging milestone partnerships and driving innovation. It is now home to over 1,000 startups. As part of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, the Innovation Hub launched the Metaverse Accelerator Program, which enrolled more than 150 students in its first cohort.

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