Dubai has approved a major initiative to accelerate the adoption of Agentic Artificial Intelligence across the private sector, targeting 295,000 companies as part of broader efforts to strengthen the emirate’s position as a global center for technology, innovation and the digital economy.

The initiative was approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Future Technology Development and the Digital Economy, during a meeting of the committee.

The Agentic AI transformation program aims to support the adoption of next-generation AI systems capable of executing tasks, making decisions and managing operations with greater autonomy.

The initiative includes plans to empower 295,000 companies, develop 100 specialized AI assistants over the next two years and support the establishment of 50 Agentic AI companies.

Sheikh Hamdan said the initiative forms part of Dubai’s ambition to become a leading global hub for advanced AI solutions.

“Our goal is for Dubai to become the world’s leading hub for developing and deploying advanced AI solutions, with the private sector playing a central role in driving this transformation,” he said.

He added that AI is creating new economic opportunities and strengthening business competitiveness, noting that the next phase of adoption will require a shift from traditional AI tools to more advanced systems capable of performing complex functions independently.

During the meeting, Sheikh Hamdan also approved Dubai’s hosting of the 50th edition of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals.

The event, regarded as the world’s largest student programming competition, will bring together 140 teams from more than 70 countries between November 16 and 20, 2026.

The committee also approved several strategic initiatives designed to support Dubai’s digital economy ambitions.

Among them was the Dubai Global Talent Network, a platform intended to connect international talent with links to Dubai and facilitate collaboration on future projects across multiple sectors.

Another approved project was the Digital Twin System for Dubai Police, which will use advanced digital technologies to support smart surveillance, operational monitoring and real-time decision-making. The pilot phase will cover 150 cameras across the emirate.

The meeting also reviewed progress across a number of existing digital economy initiatives.

The SME Digital Trade initiative, delivered in partnership with Amazon, has expanded to more than 105,000 companies as of May 2026, exceeding its target of 100,000 businesses. Meanwhile, the Ignyte platform has grown to more than 36,000 users and facilitated over 3,000 mentoring sessions for entrepreneurs and startups.

Dubai AI Campus now hosts more than 400 specialized companies and has trained over 1,500 participants through its AI Academy, while the Dubai PropTech Hub recorded 118% growth in participating companies over the past year.

Officials also highlighted progress at the AI Infrastructure Empowerment Platform, which has been adopted by 27 government entities since its launch, and the Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence, which has delivered more than 108,000 hours of support to government organizations developing AI applications.

Dubai Founders HQ has attracted more than 1,100 members and 500 startups within nine months of launch, with companies operating through the platform raising over $54.5 million in funding.