Editor’s note: The Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025 has concluded after two days of discussions, showcases, and high-level engagement focused on the practical adoption of artificial intelligence across government and industry. Hosted in Abu Dhabi, the event brought together policymakers, enterprise leaders, investors, and technologists to examine how AI is moving from experimentation to large-scale deployment. With strong alignment to the UAE’s AI Strategy 2031, the show highlighted regulation, responsible AI, and real-world use cases across sectors including finance, healthcare, cybersecurity, and smart infrastructure.
Key points
- The event hosted over 5,000 attendees and more than 100 speakers from government, enterprise, and the startup ecosystem.
- Discussions focused on enterprise AI adoption, regulation, ethics, and sector-specific implementation.
- Strong participation from public institutions underscored the UAE’s policy-led approach to AI development.
- The exhibition featured solutions spanning fintech, Web3, healthcare, smart cities, and decentralized AI tools.
Why this matters
The Global AI Show reinforces Abu Dhabi’s role as a regional hub for AI governance and deployment, not just research. For builders, investors, and enterprises, the event reflects how AI is being integrated into regulated environments, particularly in finance, public services, and infrastructure. For the wider MENA tech ecosystem, it signals a coordinated push toward scalable and responsible AI, supported by policy alignment and cross-border collaboration.
What to watch next
- Follow-up partnerships, pilot projects, and enterprise deployments announced after the event.
- How government-led AI frameworks discussed at the show translate into regulation and standards.
- Developments ahead of the next Global AI Show scheduled in Riyadh in June 2026.
Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.
Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025, which was held on December 8-9th, 2025, at the Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi and organized by the VAP Group and powered by the Times of AI, has ended and continues to elevate Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a center for innovation, policy leadership, and corporate adoption of artificial intelligence.
The 2-day exhibition welcomed 5,000+ attendees, 100+ speakers from all around the world, and a powerful group of policymakers, enterprise leaders, technologists, investors, researchers, and start-ups. It cemented its position as a landmark event on the global AI calendar, aligning with the UAE’s AI Strategy 2031 and Abu Dhabi’s goal of making the UAE the leader in the Intelligent World.
As a forward-looking platform, the Global AI Show served as an example of how to create an environment for collaboration, constructive dialogue, and ultimately action connecting the newest technologies with large-scale, real-world applications across multiple sectors and government entities.
“We were very excited at BigBear.ai to be the title sponsor of the Global AI Show. It is a tremendous opportunity to engage with companies innovating in AI, as well as governments & commercial organizations actively adopting AI into their operations.” Said Kevin McAleenan, Chief Executive Officer, BigBear.ai
A Global Convergence of AI Leaders and Innovators
Attendees from all over the world, representing various government entities and business sectors, including enterprise, startup, research institution, venture capital, and technology provider, gathered together for the Global AI Show 2025: Abu Dhabi event. A vast array of attendee types demonstrated that AI has moved beyond being an experimental tool and now represents a major technology driving the next generation of digital economies and societal transformation.
“The way emerging developments across fintech, aviation, healthcare & other sectors were explained was impressive. The level of collaboration with government agencies in the UAE & globally made the event even more impactful. I truly enjoyed it.” said Techmetron, UK
Participants on both the Vision stage and Impact stage had the opportunity to participate in multi-faceted discussions across the sectors mentioned above, but also included financial services (banking/credit), healthcare, the public sector (government), cybersecurity, smart cities, sustainable development, and supporting industries.
Visionary Thought Leadership and Actionable Insights
The agenda included keynote speeches, lively panels, informal discussions, startup pitch contests, and industry-relevant sessions, uniting visions of the future with actionable insights to assist with implementing new technologies. The agenda included practical examples and opportunities to discuss how companies deployed their products.
Speakers addressed how industry-specific policies impacted Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies currently being developed.
A number of primary themes were highlighted during the event, including
- The role of government leadership as innovating enablers for AI and other technologies
- Creating responsible artificial intelligence (AI), including issues of ethics and regulation
- Best practices for implementing an enterprise-scale AI strategy within organizations
- The potential impact of GenAI and LLMs on the future of work and human-AI collaboration
- Impact of AI on health care, finance, cyber security and smart infrastructure
- The role of data in enabling the scaling up of AI capabilities in the Cloud
Notable speakers included:
- H.E. Eng. Amal Abdulrahim, Assistant Undersecretary for The Support Services Sector, Chief AI & Innovation Officer, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
- H. E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security, United Arab Emirates Government
- Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, CEO – AI, Dubai Economy and Tourism
- H.E. Renat Bekturov, Governor, Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), Republic of Kazakhstan
- Mohammad Almansoori, Chief AI Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Andy Tang, Partner, Draper Associates, Founding partner, Draper Dragon
- H. E. Mubaraka Ibrahim, Chief AI Officer, Emirates Health Services
- Joseph Bradley, CEO, JMB X & Ex-CEO, TONOMUS (NEOM subsidiary)
- Sandeep Nailwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Polygon Foundation
- Kevin McAleenan, Chief Executive Officer, BigBear.ai
Strong Government, Policy, and Institutional Engagement
A key strength of the Global AI Show Abu Dhabi was the extensive engagement with relevant government, regulatory, and institutional organizations that confirmed the need for developing responsible innovation and governance capabilities.
The event was supported by:
- Supporting Partner: National Program for Artificial Intelligence (UAE)
- Destination Partner: Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau
- Strategic Partner: UAE Cyber Security Council
The spanning of these partnerships demonstrated the UAE’s commitment to the ethical, trustworthy, and value-centric path of AI development while supporting the economic success of the UAE.
Innovation Showcase and Startup Ecosystem Spotlight
The exhibition space featured numerous innovative solutions, including
- Platforms for enterprise AI
- Digital Health & Intelligent Medicine Solutions
- Robots and Automation Solutions
- Smart City/Infrastructure Solutions
- Financial Technology (Fintech) and AI in Financial Services and Banking
- Sustainable Innovation / Climate Innovation
- Web3 and Decentralised AI Tools
The startup pitch and AI Ventures segments of the Global AI Show showcased new brands developing artificial intelligence, such as Ravan AI and Atelic AI, whereas, on the venture side, panels were held that highlighted some of the best minds working with investors, including Draper Associates, SteelSky Ventures, Shorooq, MFV Partners, Novo Capital, Atlas Ventures, and NYU Abu Dhabi.
High-Value Networking and Strategic Collaboration
True to its stated mission, the Global AI Show was committed to facilitating high-intensity, outcome-driven networking. Thousands of meetings were held in publicly accessible, customized networking zones, VIP meetings, and ecosystem roundtables, creating opportunities for partnerships, pilot project development, investment discussions, and cross-border collaboration.
“I spent a lot of time in Saudi Arabia & some time in Dubai, & it is encouraging to see the entire GCC coming together around Al. This being the third edition, the growth in participation & engagement is clearly visible.” Joseph Bradley, CEO, JMB X & Ex-CEO, TONOMUS (NEOM subsidiary)
Due to the level of senior decision-maker present, the audience made for a uniquely effective platform to allow for real business success beyond just this event.
Shaping the Responsible and Scalable AI Future
It is particularly noteworthy that the Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025 conveyed a clear message: AI is already affecting tomorrow’s world. However, success lies in responsible innovation, collaboration, and scaling of systems.
As noted, the Global AI Show brought together policymakers, large enterprises, academic researchers, startup companies, and investors around one common purpose of defining and developing the AI of the future.
As a result of the Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025, momentum continues to build toward the next step in the journey with the Global AI Show Riyadh on 29-30 June 2026, coinciding with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the investment from Saudi Arabia into developing AI, and the largest digital transformation project in history.
About the Global AI Show
The Global AI Show serves as a premier international platform convening government leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and innovators to advance global collaboration in artificial intelligence.
Powered by VAP Group, the event reinforces the UAE’s position as a leading international hub for emerging technologies, digital transformation, and forward-looking governance.
About VAP Group
VAP Group is a leading AI, blockchain, and gaming consulting powerhouse, delivering advanced AI & Web3 solutions for 12+ years through flagship global events such as the Global AI Show, Global Games Show, and Global Blockchain Show. With a strong presence in the UAE, UK, India, and Hong Kong, our 170+ experts keep clients ahead of innovation through strategic PR, marketing, bounty campaigns, and premier global conferences. We also provide advertising, media, and staffing services.
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