All companies & institutions are invited
to build with AI
to build with AI
Build real solutions for your specific needs while developing internal capability to implement AI confidently.
- Build a solution for your priority challengeYour team selects a real workflow or pain point your organization is facing now and builds a practical AI prototype tailored to your requirements.
- Develop an AI implementation force inside your organizationUpskill business leaders, tech leads, team leads, project managers, and transformation owners to work together as an internal AI implementation unit that can drive projects beyond the Buildathon.
- Save time and budget with best practice guidance and clear ROITeams get guidance on AI integration and implementation best practices, including governance and risk considerations, and build a measurable business case with ROI and unit economics, helping you avoid costly trial and error and accelerate automation at scale.
Tracks for Real-World Impact
UAE AI Buildathon is specifically designed for cross functional innovation and implementation teams from enterprises, gov. entities, and institutions.
Corporate track
customer service, HR automation, sales enablement, operations
Education track
lesson planning, assessment, student advising, admissions, admin efficiency
Government track
public services, document processing, policy workflows, public admin improvements
Roadmap
-
Week 1onboarding, AI ethics, responsible implementation, governance and risk -
Week 2problem definition, capability mapping, AI platform selection, success metrics, ROI, unit economics -
Week 3prototyping and testing, mentor check-ins, on-demand AI platform support -
Week 4iteration, implementation roadmap, mentor check-ins, on-demand AI platform support, pitch package, ROI
Dubai Demo Day
AI Summit and Demo Day featuring 15 finalists
Experiment with leading no-code and low-code AI platforms
Teams will receive guided workshops and hands-on demos through technology partners, with support during the build phase.
Alignment with UAE National AI priorities
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Moving organizations from AI literacy to practical implementation through real prototypes and pilot plans - Building AI-capable talent across government, private sector, and education via cross-functional teams
- Generating a portfolio of responsible AI use cases across sectors for visibility and potential scaling
Trusted by the government & corporate partners across sectors
Recognized by UAE AI Office, in5 Innovation Hub Dubai and Dubai Future Foundation.
Become a sponsor or exhibitor
If you would like to support the UAE AI Buildathon as a strategic partner or sponsor, we would love to hear from you.
We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities delivering strong visibility and multiple activation touchpoints throughout the Buildathon and Demo Day. Sponsors benefit from premium branding assets and gain the opportunity to showcase innovation capabilities, technology solutions, and real world use cases to a highly relevant audience.
We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities delivering strong visibility and multiple activation touchpoints throughout the Buildathon and Demo Day. Sponsors benefit from premium branding assets and gain the opportunity to showcase innovation capabilities, technology solutions, and real world use cases to a highly relevant audience.
Our Team
More products
FAQ
Government entities, private companies, and universities can apply with cross functional teams. No coding is required, but teams should be working on a real challenge their organization cares about.
Recommended roles in each team
Team size
Strongly recommended
Government track
Recommended roles in each team
- Business leader or department owner (problem owner and decision maker)
- Project manager or product owner (delivery and coordination)
- Transformation, innovation, digital, or operations lead (implementation readiness)
- Tech lead, IT developer, automation specialist, or data lead (build support)
Team size
- 5 to 7 people per team
Strongly recommended
- 1 to 2 IT or AI champions in each team to support implementation planning and integration readiness
Government track
- Service owner or department head (problem owner)
- PM or transformation lead (delivery and stakeholder alignment)
- Operations lead (process knowledge)
- IT or digital lead (integration)
- Data or analytics lead (measurement)
- Business unit owner (problem owner)
- PM or product owner (delivery)
- Operations lead (process knowledge)
- IT, automation, or tech lead (integration)
- Data, finance, or performance lead (ROI and metrics)
- Faculty lead or program director (problem owner)
- Academic or learning designer (use case and adoption design)
- EdTech or IT lead (systems and integration)
- Data or analytics lead (measurement and evaluation)
- Student services or admin lead (process ownership) Optional: 1 to 2 student contributors for testing and feedback
Open registration with selection based on problem relevance, team composition, feasibility, and potential impact.
Yes, a small participation fee will apply. Pricing and Eligibility details will be shared during the application process.
Yes, we encourage teams to use internal data where helpful, but avoid critical or highly sensitive data. Use anonymized or low-risk samples where possible.
4 to 5 hours per week of core sessions plus 4 to 5 hours per week of teamwork, with deliverables each week including prototype and implementation roadmap.
- January 2026: Registration opens for institutional teams based in the UAE
- March to April 2026: Four week solution development period
- Early April 2026: Selection of top solutions
- Late April 2026: Demo Day grand finale in Dubai 100 teams to be selected, and 15 finalist teams invited to Demo Day
Register your team
Share a few details about your team and what you are looking for.
Become a sponsor or exhibitor
Share a few details about your company and what you are looking for.