Under the esteemed directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the Dubai AI and Web3 Festival, hosted by the Dubai AI Campus in collaboration with DIFC and the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, concluded successfully.
The two-day event drew over 6,800 delegates from more than 100 countries, spotlighting the latest advancements in AI and Web3 technologies. The festival featured high-profile government officials, heads of state, academics, business leaders, and representatives from leading AI and Web3 firms. Over 100 exhibitors showcased groundbreaking technologies shaping the future.
Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, highlighted the festival’s impact during his keynote speech. He reflected on DIFC’s evolution over the past 20 years as a cornerstone of Dubai’s economic diversification, emphasizing the Center’s role in fostering innovation. Amiri also unveiled the Dubai AI Licence, a new initiative designed to attract more companies to Dubai, building on the success of the DIFC Innovation licence. This move aims to enhance the AI ecosystem by drawing additional firms and investment to the city.
Additionally, DIFC introduced the ‘AI as a Service’ concept, a program to help businesses evaluate their AI readiness, identify opportunities, and develop strategies for AI implementation.
The Festival also featured the inaugural Future Tech World Cup, with companies competing for top honors. Each finalist delivered presentations showcasing how their innovations could transform industries and address global challenges.
Key discussions on the second day covered a range of topics, including inclusion and diversity, decentralized intelligence, risk resilience in AI vendor management, and regulations surrounding AI. Themes explored included interoperability, predictive modeling, AI applications, data visualization, and the ethics and governance of Generative AI.
Several strategic agreements were signed during the Festival, with partners including Dubai Civil Defence, Holon, Kearney, NayaOne, SIEF, Visa, Warba Bank, and Zurich.
Sponsored by 30 companies and powered by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Holon, Al Fardan Exchange, and Hyperfusion, the inaugural Dubai AI & Web3 Festival set a high bar for future events. The second edition is scheduled for November next year, with ambitions to become one of the world’s leading AI events by 2027.