
Microsoft advances ‘1 million AI learners' commitment at Dubai AI Week 2025
In line with its ongoing initiatives to advance the AI National Skills Initiative, Microsoft will conduct virtual sessions in private schools across Dubai for teachers and students aged 14 to 18. These sessions will be offered in both English and Arabic. Students will be shown how AI powers tools like Bing Chat, Minecraft, and Copilot that they already use; and they will discover paths to AI literacy that are available to all for free, such as Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning, and AI for Beginners. Teachers, meanwhile, will discover resources that allow them to explore Microsoft AI tools that use AI to enhance teaching and learning, such as Reading Coach, Reflect, Copilot, and Bing Chat. They will also be taught the importance of safe and responsible AI in the classroom.
Participation from schools across Dubai signals national momentum toward building a digitally fluent society, where AI literacy is a core part of the learning journey.
'Dubai AI Week is a strategic platform for collaboration and action, and we're proud to be at the forefront, supporting the UAE's ambitious AI agenda,' said Naim Yazbeck, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. 'At Microsoft, we believe that skilling is the single most critical investment we can make to ensure that the benefits of AI reach everyone. By investing in talent development, fostering trusted partnerships, and ensuring responsible AI adoption, we're empowering every learner, educator, and organization with the tools and knowledge to unlock AI's full potential and drive innovation at scale.'
In parallel with its skilling initiatives, Microsoft is contributing to high-level conversations on AI's role in shaping future industries and economies. Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft, will represent the company at the Emirates NBD-hosted GenAI Summit, joining leaders from McKinsey and Gartner to explore how generative AI is redefining financial services.
Microsoft's senior leadership will also participate in the AI Retreat, a closed-door forum hosted by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The retreat convenes policymakers, technologists, and industry leaders to co-create the future of AI in government and business.
Additional highlights of Microsoft's participation throughout the week include:
Judging the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, spotlighting emerging AI talent.
Daily AI skilling sessions at the AI Assembly, delivered in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation and open to customers and partners seeking to advance their AI literacy.
Exclusive executive roundtables focused on the application of agentic AI in retail and the public sector, enabling in-depth discussions around real-world challenges and opportunities.
Participation in Dubai AI Festival, where Microsoft will have a booth to showcase the latest Copilot innovations and subject-matter experts will participate in panels and roundtable discussions.
Through this multi-tiered engagement, Microsoft is reinforcing its role as a trusted skilling partner, a technology leader, and a responsible innovator—helping the UAE and the broader region unlock the full potential of AI.
Dubai AI Week is aimed at solidifying Dubai's role as a global hub for AI innovation, governance, and application. The five-day event brings together more than 180 thought leaders from more than 15 countries.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq 'MSFT' @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based headquarters in 1991, which, today, oversees operations across the region.
For more information (Press only):
Magdalena Stepien, Microsoft UAE
E : mastepie@microsoft.com
Husain Gandhi, ProGlobal Media
E: h.gandhi@proglobal.ae
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
American University of Bahrain supports graduates through collaboration with DOO
Manama: The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) has collaborated with DOO, Bahrain's leading artificial intelligence customer experience company, established by two of the university's own entrepreneurial graduates – Mohamed Alkhabbaz and Ali Altoblani. This collaboration reflects AUBH's continued commitment to empowering alumni-led ventures and embracing forward-thinking technologies that align with the Kingdom's national digital transformation strategy. The collaboration facilitates the deployment of advanced, AI-driven support across AUBH's digital platforms, enabling faster response times, elevating user satisfaction, and greater operational efficiency. Leveraging artificial intelligence technologies, the system can intelligently analyze inquiries and deliver accurate, tailored responses that reflect the specific needs and expectations of users. Mr. Wiliam D. Hurt, chief Operating Officer at the American University of Bahrain, commented: "This collaboration serves as a compelling example of how our graduates are turning academic knowledge into impactful, future-focused ventures. DOO represents the kind of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit we strive to cultivate at AUBH, and we take great pride in this collaboration, which reflects the strength of our academic offerings in technology and reinforces our role in empowering Bahrain's next generation of digital leaders.' Mr. Hurt affirmed that AUBH's commitment to its graduates extends well beyond their academic journey, emphasizing the university's ongoing support to their continued growth and celebrating their entrepreneurial achievements, and added, "The integration of DOO's advanced AI solutions into AUBH's academic and administrative frameworks represents a progressive step in our digital transformation efforts, and we aim to foster similar collaborations with other alumni-led enterprises, recognizing them as proud ambassadors of AUBH's mission and the transformative education it delivers." Mr. Mohammed Alkhabbaz, Co-Founder of DOO, expressed his appreciation for the collaboration, and commented, 'DOO views this collaboration with the American University of Bahrain as the culmination of a journey marked by dedication and perseverance, one that began during our time at the university—an environment that nurtured our ambitions dreams from the very start. This collaboration is a meaningful opportunity to give back to the institution that helped shape our path, by delivering advanced AI solutions that will support AUBH's ongoing growth and ensure it remains aligned with the rapid pace of digital transformation.'


Al Etihad
13 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
27 July 2025 08:55 GENEVA (AFP)The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity".But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key."There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach".Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting."I think there are different approaches," she said."We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies".A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said."But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue."The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all".The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide."We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out."We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space.


The National
14 hours ago
- The National
From beauty to gaming: How smart tech is quietly transforming accessibility
More than 1.3 billion people globally – about 16 per cent of the world's population – live with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organisation. That includes a broad range of physical, sensory, cognitive and age-related conditions. Among them, millions live with limited mobility or fine motor challenges, impairments that can make routine tasks like styling hair, applying make-up, or playing video games significantly more difficult. Innovative consumer technology is now helping people with disabilities gain more independence, confidence and control, often without being explicitly marketed as assistive. Tools from Dyson, L'Oréal, and Microsoft are leading a shift towards inclusive design, proving that innovation for the mainstream can also empower those at the margins. 'It's not about whether I can do something – it's about whether a product allows me to do it efficiently, independently and with the same experience as everyone else,' Jessica Smith, a disability advocate born without a left forearm, tells The National. An empowering styling tool Ms Smith has been using the new Dyson Airwrap i.d., a hair styling tool that uses sensors, airflow control and app-based settings to simplify the process of curling and drying hair. She says it's one of the few beauty tools that feels like it was made with people like her in mind. 'The ability to style hair with one hand more seamlessly is a game-changer,' she adds. 'It's exciting to see how it can support my routine.' According to Dyson, the product's accessibility benefits weren't part of the original design brief but emerged organically through efforts to make styling easier for all users. 'The brief was always to make styling and curling hair more convenient and easier for everyone, not necessarily catering to users with disabilities,' Low Chen Nyeow, associate design manager at Dyson Beauty, tells The National. The Airwrap i.d. connects to an app that automates different steps in the styling process, which is helpful for people with limited mobility. 'It removes the need for them to continually press the power button during the styling process as well as hold the cool shot button down,' Ms Nyeow said. In addition, the device's self-wrapping barrels and personalised presets cut manual efforts by users. 'Hair gets wrapped automatically, even without the user feeding a hair tress to the barrel,' she added. 'The personalised curling sequence simplifies usage and allows users to tailor their styling experience without needing to hold multiple buttons down.' Ms Smith said she hopes more companies follow Dyson's example, even if inclusivity isn't their starting point. 'Inclusion should be the standard, not an afterthought,' she says. 'Beauty and personal care are a huge part of people's confidence and self-expression, but for too long, brands have overlooked the needs of disabled consumers. That's how innovation truly meets our needs.' At Dyson, accessibility remains a vital area of continuing research. 'Although we do not have immediate plans to integrate voice or gesture controls into beauty tools, our research teams are investigating how emerging technologies could be incorporated in the future,' Ms Nyeow says. Growing market with untapped potential Assistive technology is a rapidly growing sector focused on enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities or age-related limitations. It includes products, devices, and software that support users in performing everyday tasks, from communication and mobility to personal care and digital access. The global assistive technology market is projected to reach $41 billion by 2033, from $26.8 billion in 2024, according to market research company Imarc Group. Much of this growth comes from specialised companies focused on health care, mobility, and communication. For example, Sweden's Tobii Dynavox Global develops eye-tracking and speech-generating devices for people with neurological conditions. The US company Ekso Bionics develops wearable exoskeletons that enable individuals with paralysis or mobility impairments to walk again. Aira Technologies is another innovator, offering real-time visual assistance through smart glasses for people who are blind or visually impaired. Mainstream brands like Dyson, L'Oréal, and Microsoft are contributing to the space. Their consumer-first innovations, while not always designed with disability in mind, are proving to be inclusive by default, showing that accessible design can have the most significant impact when it's built for everyone. Innovative make up L'Oréal's HAPTA, an innovative lipstick applicator for people with limited hand or arm mobility, is an example. With its launch in January 2023 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, L'Oréal put inclusive design at the centre of innovation. The device uses sensors and gyroscopic technology to stabilise motion, helping users apply make-up without requiring a full range of movement. According to a company statement, HAPTA was developed to meet the needs of an estimated 50 million people worldwide who live with limited motor skills. This condition can make daily tasks, such as applying make-up, especially difficult. The hand-held applicator incorporates technology initially developed by Verily to stabilise utensils for people with mobility impairments, now adapted to beauty routines. 'Inclusivity is at the heart of our innovation and beauty tech strategy,' Barbara Lavernos, the company's deputy chief executive in charge of research, innovation, and technology said in a statement at the launch. HAPTA features customisable attachments and built-in smart motion controls to increase range of motion and ease of use. It features a magnetic rotating head that provides 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion, enabling users to save preferred positions for future use. 'With HAPTA, we are going one step further by making beauty more accessible to use because everyone should have equal access to it,' Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme global brand president, said at the time. Gaming for all In the gaming world, Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller has become a leading example of how mainstream tech can deliver powerful accessibility. Designed for players with limited mobility, the device features oversized buttons and multiple input ports that connect to custom accessories, including foot pedals, switches, and sip-and-puff systems. These features enable users to personalise their gaming experience according to their physical needs. 'The goal of the Xbox Adaptive Controller is to remove that barrier. We strive to make Xbox the most accessible gaming platform on the market,' Microsoft said in its fact sheet on the device. 'The Xbox Adaptive Controller provides a much-needed, simple, and affordable solution for gamers with limited mobility.'