Dubai's Crown Prince launches AI agents contest

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has announced the launch of the Create AI Agents Championship, a restructured successor to the emirate’s Create Apps Championship. The announcement signals a deliberate shift in how the government intends to steer technology development toward public service delivery. It came as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured winners of the third edition of the Create Apps Championship at Emirates Towers Boulevard.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikh Hamdan framed the new championship as an instrument of policy rather than a standalone competition. He said the initiative marks a new phase in harnessing artificial intelligence, with the stated aim of making Dubai the first city to lead innovation in the field, and of shaping future approaches to service delivery so that services become more efficient, faster, easier, and more closely centred on people.

The championship sits within the Create Apps in Dubai initiative, which is led by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, placing it squarely within the institutional machinery the emirate uses to advance its digital economy agenda. Across its three editions, the championship has attracted 15,564 applications from 153 countries, contributed to the development of 1,700 prototypes, and supported the launch of more than 140 applications. The third edition alone drew 9,754 entries from around the world.

What changed is the competition model itself. Where the previous championship focused on developing digital applications, the Create AI Agents Championship shifts attention to creating autonomous AI-agent systems integrated into practical applications designed to meet real user needs and market requirements. The launch forms part of Dubai’s broader efforts to accelerate the adoption of Agentic AI and to enhance the readiness of the business ecosystem to harness its capabilities, in support of the emirate’s ambition to reinforce its global leadership in the economic and commercial application of these technologies.

The rules of entry have been structured to widen participation. The championship is open to innovators from around the world, from both technical and non-technical backgrounds, with no minimum age requirement. Individuals and teams may enter with an innovative idea, prototype, or early-stage MVP, while existing businesses may submit a new AI-agent solution or capability. Fully commercialised solutions are not eligible, a restriction designed to encourage a wider range of high-potential ideas.

Participants will compete across four main categories, each carrying a grant of AED550,000 to support continued development of their solutions and the growth of their ventures. The Best Societal AI Agent category recognises solutions that create positive social impact by strengthening social cohesion and inclusion and supporting education, sustainability, and social resilience. The Best Personal AI Agent category covers agents that enhance daily life, productivity, health, wellbeing, and personal decision-making. The Best Business AI Agent category recognises agents that enable public- and private-sector organisations to improve workflows, services, decision-making, and customer experience. The Best Youth AI Agent category is open to participants under 21 years of age at the time of registration, with team entries required to be led by a participant who meets the same requirement. One of the four category winners will receive the title of AI Agent of the Year and AED 1 million, from a total prize pool exceeding AED2.5 million.

The state’s role extends beyond prize money into structured capacity building. Three introductory workshops on Agentic AI will follow the launch, and in November the Digital Academy will open, offering four advanced training courses, four practical workshops, and mentorship sessions. Participants will also have access to self-paced learning content, specialised sessions, and mentorship programmes. Registration will close in December 2026, with participants required to submit an AI-agent prototype, pitch deck, and demo video. Applications may be submitted via www.dubaichamberdigital.com/en/create-ai-agents.

The ceremony itself underscored the continuity of the programme’s institutional backing. Among those attending were His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy; HE Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; and Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

Winners of the third edition were honoured across four categories. The Best Youth-made App award went to Ettan Ehsan, a gamified learning platform that transforms school subjects into short, visual challenges. The Most Impactful App award went to RUSH, a marketplace offering curated group travel experiences. The Most Innovative App award went to LiaPay, an AI-powered financial wellness assistant, while the Longevity App of the Year award went to POP by Kwelio, a smart medication-adherence app. POP by Kwelio was also named Dubai’s App of the Year.

Meanwhile, finalists and semi-finalists will be offered direct entry to Oraseya Capital’s Launchpad, a six-month in-person programme supporting early-stage startups before they are investment-ready. Oraseya Capital is the Venture Capital arm of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, investing in startups from pre-Seed to Series-B.

Sheikh Hamdan congratulated the winners and stressed the importance of transforming promising ideas into practical achievements, saying Dubai is strengthening its position as an incubator for talent, expertise, and capabilities. Since its launch in 2023, the championship has evolved from an app development competition into a global platform supporting founders and innovators in the digital economy. The government now presents its AI-agent successor as the next stage in that pathway, and the question ahead is whether the new format can deliver the same scale of participation that made its predecessor a global draw.