32 Emirati Experts Begin NEP-AI Technical Training on AI Foundations
ABU DHABI — The National Experts Program’s Artificial Intelligence Track, NEP-AI, has launched its first technical learning phase, bringing together 32 Emirati experts for intensive training on the technologies, infrastructure and data foundations underpinning modern artificial intelligence.
The programme began in the presence of Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology.
Participants will complete Module 1, “AI Foundations and the AI Stack,” which moves beyond the use of AI applications to examine how intelligent systems are built, trained, deployed and scaled in real-world environments.
A central focus will be AI compute, including the processing power required to operate advanced models. Participants will examine specialised hardware such as Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), alongside energy requirements, global supply chains and the practical constraints that affect large-scale AI deployment.
The curriculum will also cover the infrastructure behind AI, from data architecture and model development to enterprise implementation, with particular attention to how data quality, structure, availability and governance influence system performance.
Al Olama said the UAE’s continued investment in national talent is essential to sustaining its long-term leadership in artificial intelligence and building a future-ready economy.
He added that NEP-AI is designed to develop world-class national capabilities and equip Emirati experts with the technical understanding and leadership skills required to shape future policies and accelerate high-impact initiatives.
Sharaf said artificial intelligence has become a strategic pillar of economic competitiveness, national resilience, international cooperation and global influence.
Participants will also visit the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and ADIA Lab to examine how advanced AI research is translated into practical innovation.
At ADIA Lab, Dr. Horst Simon and the laboratory’s scientists will discuss computing capacity as a strategic resource for AI innovation. At TII, Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Executive Officer, will lead a session titled Building the UAE’s AI Stack: From National Strategy to Real Infrastructure.
The technical foundations developed during the module will later be applied to Capstone Projects addressing real organisational and national challenges, ahead of subsequent modules focused on leadership, strategy and innovation.
