Dubai launches global push to turn AI agents into real-world products

Dubai has launched a global competition to develop AI agents, offering more than $680,000 in prizes as the emirate seeks to accelerate the commercial adoption of artificial intelligence.

Known as the ‘Create AI Agents Championship,’ the competition challenges participants to identify real-world problems, develop and test autonomous AI systems to address them, and turn promising solutions into commercially viable products and services.

Announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, the initiative marks a shift from the emirate’s existing Create Apps Championship, moving beyond traditional app development toward AI systems capable of performing tasks and improving services across sectors.

“Through this initiative, we will move into a new phase of harnessing these technologies, with the aim of making Dubai the first city to lead innovation in this field,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

“This will contribute to shaping future approaches to service delivery, making services more efficient, faster, easier, and more closely centered on people,” he added.

The competition is open to individuals and teams worldwide, regardless of technical background, with no minimum age requirement. Applicants can enter with an idea, prototype, or early-stage product, while existing businesses can submit new AI-agent solutions that have not yet been fully commercialized.

Participants will compete across four categories covering social impact, personal productivity, business applications, and youth innovation.

The Best Societal AI Agent category will recognize solutions addressing education, sustainability and social inclusion, while the Best Personal AI Agent category will focus on productivity, health and everyday decision-making.

The Best Business AI Agent category will target improvements in organizational workflows, services and customer experience. A fourth category, Best Youth AI Agent, will be open to participants under 21.

Each category winner will receive $150,000 to develop their solution, while one of the four winners will receive an additional $272,000 and the title of AI Agent of the Year.

Beyond the prize money, participants will have access to training and mentorship programs, beginning with three introductory workshops on agentic AI.

A Digital Academy will launch in November, offering four advanced training courses, four practical workshops and mentorship sessions to help participants develop their ideas and prepare their pitches.

Registration closes in December 2026, when participants must submit an AI-agent prototype, pitch deck and demonstration video.

The new competition builds on the Create Apps Championship, launched in 2023 as part of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s efforts to support digital entrepreneurship.

Across three editions, the program has attracted 15,564 applications from 153 countries, contributed to the development of 1,700 prototypes, and supported the launch of more than 140 apps.