emirates7 - Microsoft today hosted the Dubai edition of its global AI Tour, bringing together leaders from government, education, and industry to explore how artificial intelligence can drive innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth across the UAE.
The event featured keynotes, developer experiences, and customer showcases that demonstrated how organizations are turning AI potential into real-world impact.
During the event, Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate UAE, an expansion of its global skilling initiative. Building on the company’s existing commitment in the region to skill one million people by the end of 2027, Microsoft Elevate UAE will equip more than 250,000 students, staff and faculty and more than 55,000 government employees with in demand AI skills through sustained programs and partnerships, and cutting-edge AI tools.
Microsoft will offer expanded programmes made available to all education institutions in the U.A.E. including 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students in GEMS private schools, embedding AI literacy and hands-on skills across all levels of learning.
“For more than three decades, Microsoft has partnered with the UAE to expand opportunity through technology,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President. “Today’s investment strengthens that partnership by building the talent that makes AI transformative, empowering people with skills to unlock possibilities and enabling industries to innovate and improve lives.”
At AI Tour Dubai, Brad Smith delivered the opening keynote and joined Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, and Samer Abu-Ltaif as the President of Microsoft EMEA for a fireside chat exploring the next phase of the companies’ partnership and Microsoft’s recently announced $15.2 billion investment in the UAE.
Smith highlighted how the investment brings together technology, talent, and trust to strengthen the nation’s AI infrastructure, develop local capability, and expand opportunities across every sector of the economy. He underscored Microsoft’s commitment to ensuring that its investments contribute directly to the UAE’s long-term vision for innovation, education, and inclusive growth.
The AI Tour is Microsoft’s global flagship series that brings the company’s latest AI innovations to life for key audiences across priority markets.
The Dubai edition served as a rallying point for the region’s AI ecosystem, combining customer stories, immersive product experiences, and live technology demonstrations that showcased AI’s impact. As a new feature this year, the Connection Hub highlighted startup success stories from local Emirati entrepreneurs, including Takalam, an AI-powered mental health platform; PRYPCO, a Dubai-based property technology startup; and Otera, an agentic automation platform delivering enterprise-grade AI solutions. Ahead of the event, Brad Smith met with these founders to recognize their contributions to the UAE’s growing innovation landscape and reinforce Microsoft’s commitment to empowering the local startup community.
Building on this momentum, Microsoft also announced the next phase of its collaboration with G42 and the JAHIZ platform to train and credential 55,000 UAE federal government employees in AI over the next 12 months. The programme combines foundational skills with practical applications to help public-sector professionals harness AI for improved service delivery and innovation. In addition, Microsoft continues to deliver leadership development programs focused on responsible AI adoption and digital transformation for senior government executives.
Commenting on the announcements, Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft UAE, said, “AI represents one of the most transformative opportunities of our time, and nowhere is that more evident than here in the UAE. We are proud to stand alongside visionary partners as we bring Microsoft Elevate UAE to life.
Together, we are helping to translate the country’s bold AI vision into meaningful progress, empowering educators with Copilot, equipping students with future-ready skills, and enabling government employees to harness AI responsibly and effectively. There is a remarkable sense of momentum and collaboration in the UAE, and we are excited to continue contributing to a future where innovation and opportunity are accessible to all.”
AI Tour Dubai also featured interactive sessions and product demonstrations across Copilot, Azure OpenAI Service, and the Microsoft Cloud, giving developers, IT professionals, and business leaders the opportunity to build practical skills and discover new ways to accelerate AI adoption. The event is part of Microsoft’s global AI Tour, which spans major cities around the world to help customers and partners unlock the benefits of AI responsibly and at scale.
The event featured keynotes, developer experiences, and customer showcases that demonstrated how organizations are turning AI potential into real-world impact.
During the event, Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate UAE, an expansion of its global skilling initiative. Building on the company’s existing commitment in the region to skill one million people by the end of 2027, Microsoft Elevate UAE will equip more than 250,000 students, staff and faculty and more than 55,000 government employees with in demand AI skills through sustained programs and partnerships, and cutting-edge AI tools.
Microsoft will offer expanded programmes made available to all education institutions in the U.A.E. including 10,000 teachers and 150,000 students in GEMS private schools, embedding AI literacy and hands-on skills across all levels of learning.
“For more than three decades, Microsoft has partnered with the UAE to expand opportunity through technology,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President. “Today’s investment strengthens that partnership by building the talent that makes AI transformative, empowering people with skills to unlock possibilities and enabling industries to innovate and improve lives.”
At AI Tour Dubai, Brad Smith delivered the opening keynote and joined Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, and Samer Abu-Ltaif as the President of Microsoft EMEA for a fireside chat exploring the next phase of the companies’ partnership and Microsoft’s recently announced $15.2 billion investment in the UAE.
Smith highlighted how the investment brings together technology, talent, and trust to strengthen the nation’s AI infrastructure, develop local capability, and expand opportunities across every sector of the economy. He underscored Microsoft’s commitment to ensuring that its investments contribute directly to the UAE’s long-term vision for innovation, education, and inclusive growth.
The AI Tour is Microsoft’s global flagship series that brings the company’s latest AI innovations to life for key audiences across priority markets.
The Dubai edition served as a rallying point for the region’s AI ecosystem, combining customer stories, immersive product experiences, and live technology demonstrations that showcased AI’s impact. As a new feature this year, the Connection Hub highlighted startup success stories from local Emirati entrepreneurs, including Takalam, an AI-powered mental health platform; PRYPCO, a Dubai-based property technology startup; and Otera, an agentic automation platform delivering enterprise-grade AI solutions. Ahead of the event, Brad Smith met with these founders to recognize their contributions to the UAE’s growing innovation landscape and reinforce Microsoft’s commitment to empowering the local startup community.
Building on this momentum, Microsoft also announced the next phase of its collaboration with G42 and the JAHIZ platform to train and credential 55,000 UAE federal government employees in AI over the next 12 months. The programme combines foundational skills with practical applications to help public-sector professionals harness AI for improved service delivery and innovation. In addition, Microsoft continues to deliver leadership development programs focused on responsible AI adoption and digital transformation for senior government executives.
Commenting on the announcements, Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft UAE, said, “AI represents one of the most transformative opportunities of our time, and nowhere is that more evident than here in the UAE. We are proud to stand alongside visionary partners as we bring Microsoft Elevate UAE to life.
Together, we are helping to translate the country’s bold AI vision into meaningful progress, empowering educators with Copilot, equipping students with future-ready skills, and enabling government employees to harness AI responsibly and effectively. There is a remarkable sense of momentum and collaboration in the UAE, and we are excited to continue contributing to a future where innovation and opportunity are accessible to all.”
AI Tour Dubai also featured interactive sessions and product demonstrations across Copilot, Azure OpenAI Service, and the Microsoft Cloud, giving developers, IT professionals, and business leaders the opportunity to build practical skills and discover new ways to accelerate AI adoption. The event is part of Microsoft’s global AI Tour, which spans major cities around the world to help customers and partners unlock the benefits of AI responsibly and at scale.