Dubai Municipality has launched the world’s first AI-powered park design challenge under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. The initiative invites participants to reimagine Al Safa 2 Park using artificial intelligence.

The challenge is part of Dubai Municipality’s broader efforts to leverage advanced technologies, urban design, and community participation to shape the future of parks and public spaces. It explores how an integrated ecosystem of AI tools can support the entire design process, from site analysis and user insights to concept generation, scenario testing, design optimisation, and visualisation. However, final design decisions will remain human-led.

The initiative seeks visionary yet practical design concepts for Al Safa 2 Park. Proposed designs should enhance sustainability, accessibility, wellbeing, social interaction, and overall quality of life. Participants are required to submit a fully integrated master plan supported by data analysis, visualisations, detailed plans, drawings, and a clear explanation of how AI tools informed the design process.

Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said the launch reflects Dubai’s ambition to lead the future of urban innovation by combining advanced technologies with human-centred design.

He added that, under the leadership’s vision, Dubai Municipality continues to introduce transformative initiatives that improve quality of life, strengthen community participation, and reimagine public spaces as integrated destinations designed around people’s daily needs.

Bin Ghalita also emphasised that artificial intelligence is not intended to replace human creativity. Instead, it serves as a tool to expand possibilities, deepen understanding, and support better design decisions. He said the challenge aims to attract designers, researchers, students, startups, and technology innovators while reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global model for smart, sustainable, and liveable future cities.

The competition is open to professionals in urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and public space design. Undergraduate students, master’s and PhD candidates, researchers, startups, AI specialists, and technology innovators are also eligible to participate.

Participants must demonstrate how AI tools were integrated throughout their design process. This includes concept exploration, spatial planning, environmental response, shade and microclimate optimisation, user experience insights, performance improvement, data-driven decision making, and AI-assisted visualisation.

Meanwhile, Dubai Municipality said submissions will be evaluated based on the strength of their AI-integrated design approach, spatial intelligence, feasibility, human-centred experience, inclusivity, sustainability, design narrative, and the ability to transform data analysis into practical spatial solutions.

Bader Anwahi, CEO of the Public Facilities Agency at Dubai Municipality, said parks play a direct role in improving community wellbeing, strengthening social connections, and enhancing everyday quality of life.

He added that the challenge explores a new approach to public space design, where artificial intelligence generates deeper insights into people, places, climate, and usage patterns while ensuring practical, inclusive, and human-centred outcomes.

According to Anwahi, Al Safa 2 Park offers an opportunity to test how AI can help create more responsive, comfortable, and sustainable public spaces. He said the focus is on developing a park that is accessible, engaging, and meaningful for people of all ages and abilities while reflecting community needs and Dubai’s identity as a city of innovation.

The challenge offers a total prize pool of AED200,000. The first-place winner will receive AED100,000, followed by AED65,000 for second place and AED35,000 for third place. The awards recognise innovative ideas with the potential to contribute to real-world urban development.

The judging panel includes executive leaders from the Government of Dubai alongside local and international experts in design, architecture, artificial intelligence, and future city planning. After evaluating submissions and shortlisting the proposed designs, the community will be invited to help select the winning entries.

This approach reflects the commitment to involving residents directly in the design of parks, ensuring future public spaces align with community aspirations while enhancing quality of life.

Applications are open until 15 August 2026 through https://aipark.dm.gov.ae/ai-competition. Through this global initiative, Dubai Municipality aims to establish a new model for designing public spaces by combining artificial intelligence, creativity, sustainability, local identity, human experience, and participatory design, further strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for urban innovation.

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