“We want to be the most future-ready city and continue to prepare for the AI era by developing expertise and skills that support global technological change and put Dubai at the forefront of innovation,” said the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the launch of the ‘One Million AI Prompters’ initiative in Dubai.

The United Arab Emirates, in which Dubai is the most important emirate alongside Abu Dhabi, is preparing for the post-oil era and wants to transform itself from an oil state into an AI power. By 2031, 40 percent of the gross domestic product is to be generated with artificial intelligence. To this end, the UAE is investing billions, has appointed the world's first Minister of State for AI, is attracting scientists to the Gulf, and is providing massive support for start-ups.

AI prompt engineering is critical to getting the best out of generative AI. It involves understanding the capabilities, limitations, and nuances of AI models and is predicted to be one of the most important skills in the future workplace.

‘One Million AI Prompters’, the first-of-its-kind prompt engineering initiative, that prepares expertise and competencies in AI prompt engineering, which involves crafting precise and effective instructions for AI systems to achieve desired outcomes in various tasks, ranging from generating creative content to solving complex challenges.

“We want to show people that there is a full spectrum of use cases. Whether you are technical or non-technical, you can utilize these tools,” said Omar Al Olama, the UAE´s Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications. He also highlighted the importance of developing practical prompt engineering skills, as these are crucial for the workforce of tomorrow and for enhancing quality of life through AI. Al Olama was appointed as the world's first AI Minister of State in the UAE in 2017.

World Championship in AI Prompt in Dubai

To launch the ‘One Million AI Prompters’ initiative, the first Global Prompt Engineering Championship was recently held in Dubai. Participants competed in categories beyond traditional coding, such as literature and art, highlighting the broad applicability of AI tools. In AI, a prompt refers to a specific request to a language model (e.g. ChatGPT or others) that can provide the user with an answer or solution.

The Global Prompt Engineering Championship received thousands of entries from around 100 countries. Thirty finalists from 13 countries qualified to come to Dubai to compete for the title of best prompt engineer in the competition's three categories. The winners were Australian Megan Fowkes in the art category Indian Ajay Cyril, 33, for coding, and Aditya Nair, 34, in literature. The Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) provided one million dirhams, approximately 273,000 US dollars, in prize money for the three winners.

Global competition around the United Arab Emirates

The UAE is increasingly being courted as a strategic partner by global tech giants. Microsoft, Google, and IBM already took part in the first championship with workshops. However, other companies and countries have also expressed interest in AI collaborations. There has been an AI university in the UAE since 2019 and the sovereign wealth fund Mubadala has set up a $100 billion AI fund.

Microsoft recently invested $1.5 billion in G42, the leading UAE-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology holding company. The US software giant recognizes the Gulf state's leading role in the development of artificial intelligence: “This strategic investment will enhance the UAE’s position as a global AI hub and provide further opportunities for partners and customers to innovate and grow”.