The UAE has launched a major new initiative with the opening of the AI Centre of Excellence, a collaboration between Lakeba Group, DoxAI, AqlanX, and the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD). Located at UOWD’s Dubai Knowledge Park campus under TECOM Group PJSC, the Centre aims to advance the country’s sovereign AI ambitions by uniting research, innovation, and commercialization under one roof.

The center is designed to develop, deploy, and export AI technologies built in the UAE for use both locally and internationally — strengthening the nation’s technological independence and supporting national strategies around AI, the digital economy, and future-ready education.

A Hub for Arabic LLMs, Real-Time AI, and AI Cybersecurity

The AI Centre of Excellence will focus on key strategic domains such as Arabic Large Language Models, real-time AI decision engines, and AI-powered cybersecurity, helping the UAE build intelligent systems aligned with national priorities.

Five Foundational AI Use Cases Unveiled

At its inauguration, the Centre introduced five flagship projects showcasing its research-to-market model:

1. AI-powered talent intelligence and learning analytics
2. Sovereign language models and multilingual AI (Arabic LLMs)
3. The AI Factory — modular micro-data centers for high-density AI workloads
4. AI for tomographic electromagnetic data analysis
5. CRAM — AI-driven cybersecurity risk analysis and mitigation

These applications aim to support workforce planning, secure language technologies, energy-efficient AI infrastructure, advanced diagnostic tools, and autonomous cybersecurity capabilities.

Microsoft to Support Training and Certification

Microsoft UAE announced a 12-month partnership to support talent development at the Centre, offering:

• AI fundamentals training
• Advanced enterprise-aligned learning resources
• Free certification vouchers for students
• A “Women in Cyber” initiative with G42 for advanced cybersecurity credentials

The training push aligns with Microsoft’s global AI strategy built on technology, talent, and trust.