UAE Capacity Building Week Charts Course from Connectivity to Artificial Intelligence Leadership
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority and the International Telecommunication Union convene a transformative initiative to elevate national capabilities in artificial intelligence and foster the development of innovative solutions across vital sectors.
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union, is orchestrating UAE Capacity Building Week: From Connectivity to Intelligence, a comprehensive gathering scheduled from 19 to 22 October 2026. This distinguished initiative represents a strategic endeavour to strengthen national competencies in artificial intelligence whilst facilitating the sophisticated transition from theoretical knowledge acquisition to the creation of deployable, practical solutions across essential sectors of the economy and society.
The week convenes an assembly of senior leaders, decision makers, expert practitioners and specialists, drawing together representatives from government entities, academic institutions and innovative startups. The carefully curated programme seamlessly integrates knowledge development, experiential learning and substantive dialogue concerning the policies, governance frameworks and international standards that guide the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
The event forms a pivotal component of TDRA’s collaborative partnership with the ITU to champion the AI for Good Sandbox initiative within the UAE. This collaborative platform has been ingeniously designed to facilitate innovation and experimentation, enabling artificial intelligence solutions to be meticulously developed, rigorously tested and comprehensively evaluated within a practical environment grounded in international standards and established best practices. The Sandbox transforms emergent ideas and prototypes into scalable, deployment ready solutions.
Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of TDRA, articulated that the forthcoming phase of digital transformation necessitates a deliberate evolution beyond the mere adoption of artificial intelligence towards cultivating robust national capacity to develop, deploy and govern these transformative technologies with responsibility and wisdom. He emphasised that artificial intelligence capacity building has transcended conventional training frameworks to become a cornerstone of future readiness for governments and sectors vital to national prosperity. The strategic priority has shifted decisively from comprehension to the cultivation of capability for developing, testing and deploying solutions addressing authentic challenges and delivering measurable impact.
The collaborative partnership with the International Telecommunication Union establishes an integrated ecosystem uniting knowledge, skills, experimentation, standards and governance structures. This framework empowers national talent to progress from learning to practical application whilst supporting the development of trustworthy, responsible and scalable artificial intelligence solutions that reinforce the UAE’s competitive advantage and leadership within the digital economy and artificial intelligence sectors.
The week encompasses specialised programmes combining knowledge exchange, practical application and comprehensive discussions on artificial intelligence policy and governance. Participants will examine how artificial intelligence technologies can enhance services and address multifaceted challenges across healthcare, education, telecommunications and government services. The initiative will witness the formal launch of the AI for Good Global Hackathon, providing an exceptional platform for developing innovative artificial intelligence powered solutions to real world challenges. The hackathon endeavours to transform concepts into functional prototypes and solutions capable of delivering substantive impact.
Additional elements include announcements of targeted initiatives focused on developing Arabic language models and open knowledge bases, whilst fostering enriching regional and international collaboration in artificial intelligence to broaden innovation opportunities and facilitate the flourishing exchange of knowledge and expertise across borders.
Source: WAM