7 October 2026
Dubai has launched the Create AI Agents Championship, a global competition for AI-agent systems with a prize pool of more than AED 2.5 million. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced it on 7 October 2026. Individuals, teams and existing companies from any country can enter with an idea, a prototype or an early-stage product, with no minimum age and no technical background required. Each of the four category winners receives a grant of AED 550,000, and one of them also takes the AI Agent of the Year title with an additional AED 1 million. Registration is open through the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy website and closes in December 2026.
What was announced
The championship was announced at the awards ceremony of the third Create Apps Championship, where Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured the winners. The new competition opens the next phase of Create Apps, which belongs to the Create Apps in Dubai initiative led by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.
The organisers describe the change as a move from building mobile apps to building autonomous AI-agent systems that sit inside practical solutions for real users and real markets. Participants are asked to identify a priority problem, design an AI-agent solution for it, test its impact and explore whether it can become a viable and scalable product, service or business.
In his announcement, Sheikh Hamdan said the aim is to make Dubai the first city to lead innovation in this field and to make services more efficient, faster, easier and more centred on people.
Who can take part
The entry rules published with the launch are deliberately wide:
- individuals and teams from anywhere in the world, specialists and non-specialists alike;
- no minimum age limit;
- entries at the stage of an idea, a prototype or an early minimum viable product (MVP);
- existing companies with new AI-agent capabilities that have not yet been fully commercialised;
- solutions that are already fully launched and commercially marketed are excluded.
Four categories and the prizes
Entries compete in four categories. The table summarises them as described by the organisers.
| Category | Focus |
|---|---|
| Best Societal AI Agent | Social cohesion and inclusion, education, sustainability, social resilience |
| Best Personal AI Agent | Daily life, productivity, health, wellbeing, personal decisions |
| Best Business AI Agent | Workflows, services, decision-making and customer experience in public and private organisations |
| Best Youth AI Agent | Main applicant aged 21 or under at registration; a team must be led by a young participant |
Each category winner receives a grant of AED 550,000 to keep developing the solution and grow the venture. One of the four winners also receives the AI Agent of the Year title and an additional AED 1 million. The Dubai Media Office release puts the total prize pool at more than AED 2.5 million.
Timeline and what to submit
The programme runs in several steps:
- October 2026: registration opens for innovators, entrepreneurs, students and technology developers worldwide.
- Three introductory workshops on agentic AI.
- November 2026: the Digital Academy opens with four advanced training courses, four applied workshops and mentoring sessions.
- December 2026: registration closes.
By the deadline, each participant must submit a prototype of the AI agent, a pitch deck and a demonstration video. Participants also get self-learning content, specialised sessions and mentoring programmes to develop and test their ideas. The exact closing day, the judging criteria and the date of the final have not been published yet, and the Create Apps website (createapps.ae) does not yet have a separate championship page.
The track record of Create Apps
According to the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the Create Apps Championship has received 15,564 applications from 153 countries since its launch in 2023. It has contributed to more than 1,700 prototypes and supported the launch of over 140 applications. The third edition alone drew 9,754 entries.
At the ceremony for the third edition, Ettan Ehsan won Best Youth-made App, RUSH won Most Impactful App and LiaPay received Most Innovative App. POP by Kwelio took both Longevity App of the Year and the title of Dubai’s App of the Year.
Why AI agents, and why now
The competition fits a wider move in the UAE from AI pilots to AI in everyday operations. A report by the UAE AI Office and AWS found that 72% of UAE businesses now use AI, up from 53% a year earlier. In government, Abu Dhabi plans to launch TAMM 5.0, the AI version of its government services app, in December 2026.
An AI agent differs from a chatbot in that it does not only answer questions: it completes tasks on behalf of the user, such as filling in forms, booking, reconciling data or routing requests. That is why the Business category explicitly targets workflows, services and customer experience in public and private organisations.
What it means for companies in the UAE
- A route for unreleased AI features. An operating company can enter a new AI-agent capability that is not yet fully on the market. A product already sold commercially is not eligible.
- A grant for development. The organisers describe the AED 550,000 as a grant for further development. Detailed terms of the grant have not been published.
- Training before the deadline. Teams that register early can use the workshops and the Digital Academy in November to shape the prototype, pitch deck and video.
- Open questions. The release does not say whether winners must incorporate or operate in Dubai, who owns the intellectual property, or how the jury will score entries. These points are worth checking in the official rules once they are out.
How Atlant Capital can help
Founders who decide to build their AI product in Dubai usually need a legal entity, a licence with the right activities and a corporate bank account. Atlant Capital handles company setup in the UAE, from choosing between a free zone and the mainland to the licence and visas for the team. A step-by-step overview of jurisdictions, costs and documents is in our company formation guide for the UAE.
Conclusion
The Create AI Agents Championship gives individuals, startups and companies until December 2026 to submit an AI agent that solves a real problem, with four grants of AED 550,000 and an extra AED 1 million for the AI Agent of the Year. It builds on Create Apps, which drew 15,564 applications from 153 countries in three editions. For teams already working on AI agents, the practical step now is to register and use the training months before the deadline.
Source: Khaleej Times, Emirates 24|7 (Dubai Media Office).
FAQ
What is the Create AI Agents Championship in Dubai?
It is a global competition launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on 7 October 2026 for AI-agent systems that solve real problems and can become products or businesses. It is run under the Create Apps in Dubai initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. The prize pool is more than AED 2.5 million.
How much can the winners get?
Each of the four category winners receives a grant of AED 550,000. One of the four winners also gets the AI Agent of the Year title and an additional AED 1 million. The categories are Societal, Personal, Business and Youth AI Agent.
Who can enter and what is the deadline?
Individuals, teams and existing companies from any country can enter, with no minimum age and no technical background required. Entries can be an idea, a prototype or an early MVP, but fully launched commercial products are excluded. Registration is on the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy website and closes in December 2026.
What do participants have to submit?
Each participant must submit a prototype of the AI agent, a pitch deck and a demonstration video. Before the deadline the organisers run three introductory workshops and, from November 2026, a Digital Academy with four training courses, four applied workshops and mentoring.
