Brief
Dubai Crown Prince sets target to draw 1,000 AI firms and create 5,000 jobs by 2030
The plan was unveiled during the third Dubai AI Festival, with the campus already hosting 500 firms and 2,000 tech jobs.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown Prince, approved a new strategic target for the Dubai AI Campus on 26 October 2026, aiming to attract more than 1,000 artificial‑intelligence companies and create over 5,000 highly skilled jobs by 2030.
What happened
The announcement came at the opening of the third edition of the Dubai AI Festival, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre and running until 27 October. The festival gathered more than 20,000 participants from over 100 countries, including policymakers, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, 150 speakers, 500 investors and 200 exhibitors.
What the report adds
Gulf News notes that the Crown Prince highlighted Dubai’s proactive investment in advanced technologies, citing artificial intelligence as a major driver of economic growth. He said the city will provide "state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, a flexible regulatory environment and access to the world’s best talent and expertise" to enable firms to turn AI research into sustainable value.
What was said
Sheikh Hamdan told Gulf News, "Our priority is to position Dubai at the forefront of adopting advanced technologies by providing state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, a flexible regulatory environment and access to the world’s best talent and expertise. This will enable companies and innovators to develop AI technologies and translate their potential into sustainable economic value." He also praised the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) for its role in building an integrated ecosystem for technology firms.
How it came about
The Dubai AI Campus, launched in May 2024, has already exceeded its original five‑year target, attracting more than 500 AI companies and securing over AED 1 billion in private‑equity and venture‑capital investment. The campus has also generated more than 2,000 specialised technology jobs. The Crown Prince was briefed by Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, on these achievements before the festival launch.
Key facts
- Dubai AI Campus aims to attract over 1,000 AI companies by 2030 (gulfnews.com)
- Target includes creation of more than 5,000 skilled AI jobs by 2030 (gulfnews.com)
- Since May 2024 the campus has drawn 500+ AI firms and secured AED 1 billion in investment (gulfnews.com)
- The third Dubai AI Festival runs until 27 October 2026 with 20,000+ attendees (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Dubai Crown Prince unveils ambitious AI Campus Plan to attract 1,000 companies and create 5,000 jobs by 2030”
