Dubai just wrapped up its highly anticipated AI Week, and it definitely lived up to the hype. As the week came to a close on Friday, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that the next edition of Dubai AI Week will return in April 2026 — and it’s going to be even bigger.

He revealed that the upcoming edition will double its targets and expand to 20 city-wide events, with the goal of positioning Dubai as the annual global meeting point for AI leaders.

One of the biggest highlights was the launch of the Dubai AI Academy, a new initiative aimed at training 10,000 future leaders and entrepreneurs in the most in-demand AI skills. This move underlines Dubai’s serious commitment to building local talent and shaping the future of AI.

This year’s AI Week attracted over 30,000 attendees, making it a truly landmark gathering. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Sheikh Hamdan shared that he personally witnessed the signing of several key partnerships between Dubai Future Foundation, du, Dtec, in5, and Ignyte.

These partnerships — driven by DIFC — are designed to strengthen AI education, empower startups, and provide entrepreneurs with infrastructure, investment, and support to scale their businesses from Dubai.

In total, more than 30 new initiatives and strategic collaborations were launched throughout the week, bridging the gap between public and private sectors in the AI space. It’s safe to say: Dubai is not just talking about the future — it’s building it.