MBZUAI's Incubation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) hosted an Open Day for over 200 community members, including the university's first undergraduate students, to promote building AI startups in Abu Dhabi. The IEC highlighted its progress with 14 Abu Dhabi-based AI startups and announced a new demo day called "Build It" to showcase working demos from students, researchers, and founders. The "Build It" demo day aims to accelerate prototype development into real products, prioritizing submissions from within MBZUAI but also open to external teams. Why it matters: This initiative reinforces Abu Dhabi's growing ecosystem for AI entrepreneurship by providing resources, capital, and community support to foster innovation and product development.
MBZUAI's Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is launching "Build It Demo Day" in Abu Dhabi, an event for showcasing early-stage AI solutions and prototypes. The first demo day will be held on October 30, 2025, and applications are open to students, founders, and professionals. Participating AI builders will gain exposure to a network of organizations and access over $200,000 in technology credits from NVIDIA, Microsoft, AWS, and others. Why it matters: This event provides a crucial platform for early-stage AI innovation in the UAE, fostering entrepreneurship and attracting investment in the region's growing AI ecosystem.
MBZUAI launched the Institute of Foundation Models, the MBZUAI Metaverse Center (MMC), and the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) at GITEX 2023. The university also signed MoUs with Abu Dhabi Customs and the Department of Municipalities and Transport to collaborate on AI applications. MBZUAI faculty participated in panel discussions on generative AI and large language models, including the Jais Arabic LLM. Why it matters: These initiatives and partnerships signal MBZUAI's central role in advancing AI research, development, and adoption across key sectors in the UAE.
MBZUAI Executive Program participants gathered for community-building activities on Jubail Island, including a mangrove walk and dinner. MBZUAI President Eric Xing emphasized the opportunity to build partnerships and an AI community. The event aimed to foster collaboration and understanding among participants to drive positive AI progress. Why it matters: Such initiatives can help bridge divides between organizations and facilitate the responsible development of AI in the UAE.
MBZUAI showcased its AI research and innovation at GITEX Global 2022 in Dubai, featuring an interactive exhibit. The university highlighted faculty research, student innovations, and presentations, including a keynote by President Eric Xing. A key focus was on AI technologies for the metaverse, led by Hao Li, and innovations like a communication aid for speech-impaired individuals. Why it matters: MBZUAI's presence at GITEX underscores its commitment to advancing AI literacy and demonstrating practical AI applications across diverse sectors in the UAE.