Abu Dhabi gathers tech leaders, investors at AI summit
15:40, 02/10/2026, FridayU: Update: 15:40, 02/10/2026, Friday
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The Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement announced Friday that the capital will host the sold-out AI Everything summit on October 6, gathering global tech leaders and investors managing $91 billion in assets as the emirate pursues its bid to become an AI-native government.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement announced on Friday that the Emirati capital will host the sold-out AI Everything summit on October 6, gathering 400 global tech leaders, model developers, and investors managing $91 billion in combined assets as the city accelerates its transformation into an AI-native government.
Global Tech Leaders Convene
The two-day event, organized by inD, will feature more than 180 speakers including Mistral AI co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch and Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert, who is expected to make his first appearance in the United Arab Emirates. Global technology giants including Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, and Intel have confirmed their participation alongside startups and infrastructure builders. The summit arrives as businesses and governments worldwide are projected to spend $2.59 trillion on AI this year, marking a 47% surge from last year according to Gartner data cited by organizers.
AI-Native Government Initiative
The Department of Government Enablement stated it plans to invest $3.54 billion to realize Abu Dhabi's goal of becoming "a model of AI-native government," which officials describe as a world-first initiative. The department has already integrated over 40 government entities into an AI ecosystem, with 100 AI use cases currently employed across public services in the emirate. The event will demonstrate how massive AI investments translate into tangible business returns and economic value through live industry demonstrations.
Research and Model Demonstrations
The UAE's Technology Innovation Institute will present some 23 demonstrations from its nine applied research centers, showcasing innovations in energy, marine infrastructure, aerospace, and autonomous systems. The Falcon family of large language models, particularly the Falcon-H1 Arabic model, will serve as a key highlight of the summit's technical exhibitions. Sessions will also address questions of AI governance, autonomous agents, and speculative policy frameworks as the technology advances.