Family Business Leaders Embrace Agentic AI Through Dubai Chambers and University of Toronto Initiative

A new executive education programme brings cutting-edge artificial intelligence expertise to Dubai's family business community, equipping leaders with strategies to harness emerging technologies while preserving the values that define generational success.

The transfer of knowledge across generations represents one of the most delicate challenges facing family enterprises. How to modernise without losing identity, how to adopt transformative technologies whilst safeguarding the institutional culture that has sustained a business through decades: these questions sit at the heart of contemporary family business leadership. Now, Dubai Chambers and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management have partnered to address precisely this tension through a specialised executive education programme focused on agentic artificial intelligence.

The collaboration, formalised during a visit to Canada by a Dubai Chambers delegation led by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, reflects a deeper recognition within Dubai’s business community. Agentic AI, which enables autonomous systems to make decisions and take action with minimal human intervention, offers family businesses a pathway to enhance productivity, strengthen operational efficiency and unlock new growth opportunities without requiring abandonment of the principles that define their character.

The ‘Agentic AI for Family Business Leaders’ programme is designed specifically for family business leaders and the next generation preparing to assume leadership roles. Delivered through the Dubai Centre for Family Businesses, which operates under Dubai Chambers, the curriculum unfolds in two carefully structured parts. The first consists of in-person learning in Dubai, combining interactive discussion, case studies and practical workshops. Participants then undertake three days of experiential learning in Toronto, gaining first-hand observation of how organisations develop, deploy and govern agentic AI solutions.

The programme encompasses five core modules: AI Strategy and Organisational Transformation; Understanding Agentic AI and Unlocking Business Value; Designing High-Value Agentic AI Use Cases; From Use Case to Action: Implementing Agentic AI; and Company Visits and Experiential Learning. Throughout, particular emphasis falls upon the distinctive characteristics of family businesses and how emerging technologies can strengthen governance, facilitate the transfer of institutional knowledge across generations and support long-term business continuity whilst preserving the family values and organisational culture upon which success has been built.

Participants will develop practical implementation roadmaps tailored to real challenges and opportunities within their own enterprises, assessing potential agentic AI applications based on expected business impact, feasibility, scalability and associated risks. They will learn to safeguard data confidentiality, strengthen trust within their organisations and establish governance frameworks that protect the integrity of their family enterprises as they embrace technological transformation.

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah emphasised the strategic significance of the initiative, noting that agentic AI presents family businesses in Dubai with opportunities to develop their business models, enhance decision-making capabilities and unlock new avenues for growth. The partnership reflects Dubai Chambers’ commitment to equipping business leaders with the knowledge and practical skills needed to drive technological transformation in alignment with their companies’ long-term priorities. As we reported in our coverage of Dubai Chambers’ recognition of Agentic AI excellence, the emirate’s business community is increasingly embracing autonomous technology as a vehicle for responsible and transformative change.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

This partnership extends the reach of world-class artificial intelligence expertise directly to Dubai’s family business sector, which represents a significant cornerstone of the emirate’s economic fabric. By providing structured access to University of Toronto’s leading research and teaching in agentic AI, the programme strengthens Dubai’s position as a hub for technological innovation and business transformation, whilst ensuring that family enterprises—many of which have contributed substantially to the region’s development across generations—remain competitive and resilient in an increasingly digital economy.

The emphasis on preserving family values and organisational culture during technological transition addresses a critical concern for Dubai’s business leaders. The programme’s dual focus on innovation and continuity reflects an understanding that the most successful family businesses do not simply adopt new technologies, but integrate them thoughtfully into their existing frameworks. This approach positions Dubai’s enterprises to lead not merely in technological adoption, but in demonstrating how emerging AI can enhance rather than disrupt the institutional knowledge and family principles that have sustained their success.

Source: WAM