6,800 Visitors from 100 Countries Attend Dubai AI & Web3 Festival

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy, the Dubai AI & Web3 Festival recently concluded with resounding success.

Organized by the Dubai AI Campus in strategic partnership with DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) and the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, the two-day festival brought together more than 6,800 delegates from over 100 countries. The event was a platform for exploring and expanding the commercial opportunities in AI and Web3 technologies, with participation from a broad range of sectors, including government officials, heads of state, academics, and business leaders from forward-looking industries. Representatives from AI and Web3 firms were also present, and over 100 exhibitors showcased cutting-edge technologies.

During the opening remarks on the second day, Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Authority, reflected on the pivotal role that DIFC has played over the past two decades in supporting Dubai's economic diversification. He highlighted the organization's commitment to fostering innovation, which has contributed to the growth of Dubai as a regional hub for business, finance, and emerging technologies. The Dubai AI Campus, Amiri noted, has already surpassed its first-year target of attracting 75 companies by welcoming over 120 firms. Looking ahead to 2028, DIFC aims to attract more than 500 companies, create over 3,000 jobs, expand the AI Campus to over 100,000 square feet, and secure $300 million in investments.

Amiri also announced the launch of the first-of-its-kind Dubai AI Licence, designed to attract more companies to the city. This initiative builds on the success of the DIFC Innovation Licence, which has already brought over 1,100 businesses to the Centre. Additionally, DIFC introduced the 'AI as a Service' concept, which aims to help companies evaluate their readiness for AI, identify opportunities, make strategic recommendations, and assist with implementing AI-driven solutions.

One of the festival's highlights was the inaugural Future Tech World Cup, where AI and Web3 companies competed for top honors. During the grand finale, finalists presented their innovations, each aiming to revolutionize industries and tackle significant global challenges. The winner will be announced imminently.

Throughout the festival, attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on a range of critical topics, including inclusion and diversity, decentralized intelligence, building risk resilience in vendor management, and the implementation of AI in business. Legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding AI were also explored, along with interoperability, predictive modeling, AI applications, data visualization, big data processing, data mining, Web3 migration, and governance related to Generative AI, ethics, and compliance.

To further promote the adoption of AI and Web3 technologies, the Dubai AI Campus signed several key agreements during the event with partners such as Dubai Civil Defence, Holon, Kearney, NayaOne, SIEF, Visa, Warba Bank, and Zurich.

The first edition of the Dubai AI & Web3 Festival was supported by 30 sponsors, with founding and key partners including Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Holon, Al Fardan Exchange, and Hyperfusion. Looking ahead, the second edition of the festival is scheduled for November next year, and by 2027, the event is expected to become one of the world’s largest AI gatherings, cementing Dubai’s position as a global leader in AI and Web3 technology.