Dubai to Host Fourth Arab AI Researchers Initiative This November
A prestigious gathering of Arab universities convenes in Dubai to advance the application of Agentic AI technologies in academic research and international scholarly publishing.
Dubai will welcome the fourth edition of the Arab AI Researchers initiative this November, a distinctive programme designed to elevate the research capabilities of academics and scholars across the Arab world. Scheduled for 5th to 7th November 2026, the initiative brings together four distinguished universities: the University of Dubai, the University of Khorfakkan, Badr University in Cairo, and Al Qasimia University, united in their commitment to advancing artificial intelligence applications within academic research.
The programme, orchestrated by the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting in collaboration with the Arab AI Index in Universities, unfolds under the refined theme of “Arab AI Researchers: From Generative AI to Intelligent Academic Agents in Academic Research.” Over three immersive days, participants will engage with fifteen hours of comprehensive hands-on training, exploring more than fifteen sophisticated AI tools and applications designed specifically for the research environment.
This edition represents a meaningful evolution in the initiative’s pedagogical approach, transitioning participants from the standalone application of generative AI towards the development of intelligent academic agents capable of executing interconnected research tasks whilst maintaining rigorous academic integrity and governance standards. Dr. Mohamed Abdulzaher, Chief Executive of the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting, articulated this advancement, explaining that the fourth edition focuses on cultivating AI agents that substantially support scientific publishing in journals indexed within Scopus and Web of Science.
The curriculum comprises three principal modules, each addressing a distinct dimension of AI agent development. The first module concentrates on designing and developing an AI agent that supports scientific research and international publication in Scopus-indexed journals, encompassing academic literature searches, reference analysis, journal identification within specific disciplines, and manuscript preparation guidance. The second module addresses specialised AI agents for Web of Science-indexed publishing, examining publishing trends, manuscript quality enhancement, and alignment with editorial policies. The third module, perhaps most ambitiously, guides participants in constructing an integrated Academic Multi-Agent Team, wherein each intelligent agent assumes specific research responsibilities including literature reviews, data processing, survey management, and interview analysis.
Dr. Abdulzaher emphasised a crucial distinction: Agentic AI will neither supplant the intellectual creativity nor diminish the scientific contributions of researchers. Rather, it fundamentally recalibrates the essential skills required within contemporary research. The capacity to design, manage, and evaluate academic AI agents whilst verifying their outputs emerges as an indispensable competency for contemporary researchers and faculty members. Those who cultivate proficiency in prompt engineering and AI agent management position themselves advantageously to manage academic and educational content with heightened efficiency.
The programme deliberately targets university faculty members, researchers, postgraduate students, professionals within research and innovation centres, and specialists in higher education AI applications. Participants will conclude the initiative by developing practical projects involving specialised academic AI agents applicable within their respective research disciplines. Upon successful completion of programme requirements, participants shall receive a certificate of training completion according to the initiative’s established guidelines.
This gathering reflects the expanding network of academic partnerships and the initiative’s steadfast commitment to fostering knowledge exchange amongst Arab higher education institutions. The overarching vision seeks to establish a flourishing Arab research community capable of leveraging global advances in artificial intelligence, encouraging collaborative research projects amongst universities, supporting Arabic-language scientific knowledge production, and strengthening the international academic publishing presence of Arab scholars and researchers.
Source: WAM