United Arab Emirates

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan has launched the Create AI Agents Championship, a global competition offering prizes worth more than Dh2.5 million for innovators developing artificial intelligence-based assistant systems.

The challenge is open to individuals, teams, entrepreneurs, students and technology developers worldwide. It welcomes both technical specialists and people without a technical background, and has no minimum age requirement.

Entrants may submit an original concept, a prototype or an early-stage product. Existing companies are also eligible to put forward new AI-assistance solutions or capabilities. However, solutions that have already been fully launched and commercially marketed cannot enter.

The competition asks participants to identify priority challenges, build AI-supported systems that respond to those needs, assess the effect of their proposed solutions and consider how they could become scalable commercial products, services or projects.

Its format moves beyond conventional digital-application competitions by focusing on independent assistive AI systems intended for real users and market needs.

Four competition categories

Participants will compete in four categories: Best Societal AI Agent, Best Personal AI Agent, Best Business AI Agent and Best Youth AI Agent.

The societal category is aimed at projects that can contribute to social cohesion and inclusion, education, sustainability or social resilience. The personal category covers AI applications designed to support everyday life, productivity, health, wellbeing and personal decision-making.

The business category is intended for systems that can help public- and private-sector organisations improve workflows, services, decision-making and customer experience.

For the youth category, the main applicant must be 21 or younger at the time of registration. A team entry must be led by a young man or woman who meets that age requirement.

Funding, training and deadlines

Each category winner will receive a Dh550,000 grant to continue developing their AI assistant and expand the project. One of the four category winners will additionally be named AI Agent of the Year and receive Dh1 million, taking the total prize value to more than Dh2.5 million.

Registration has opened for applicants around the world. The programme will include three introductory workshops on AI assistance. In November, the Digital Academy is set to open with four advanced training courses, four applied workshops and mentoring sessions.

Participants will also be able to use self-learning material, specialist sessions and mentoring programmes intended to help them understand assistive AI, refine and assess their ideas, and prepare their presentations.

Entries close in December 2026. By then, participants must complete the required submission materials, including a prototype, a presentation and a demonstration video.