Dubai has set a target for its artificial intelligence campus to attract more than 1,000 AI companies and create over 5,000 specialized jobs by 2030.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, approved the new goal on Monday at the opening of the Dubai AI Festival, the Dubai Media Office said.
The Dubai AI Campus, based at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), has already attracted more than 500 specialized companies. Those firms have secured more than AED1 billion in private equity and venture capital investment, Khaleej Times reported.
The campus was launched in May 2024. It reached its 2028 target of 500 AI companies two years ahead of schedule, and has helped create more than 2,000 specialized technology jobs, according to DIFC.
“Dubai AI Campus has already achieved its 2028 target of attracting 500 AI companies two years ahead of schedule, and we are now raising our ambition to more than 1,000 companies and over 5,000 jobs by 2030,” said Arif Amiri, chief executive officer of DIFC Authority.
Sheikh Hamdan also reviewed plans for a new Dubai AI Campus building in DIFC’s Zabeel District expansion. The 100,000-square-foot facility is designed to support the development, testing and commercialization of AI technologies.
The building will house AI laboratories where government entities and private companies can test solutions before wider deployment. It will also include secure development zones, computing infrastructure and digital twin environments.
An AI Experience Center in the building will display applications developed by campus companies and projects being tested across Dubai. It will be open to residents, students, visitors and investors.
“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,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
The third Dubai AI Festival runs at Dubai World Trade Centre on October 26 and 27. Organizers expect more than 20,000 attendees from over 100 countries, along with more than 150 speakers, 500 investors and 200 exhibitors.
