Dubai: H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the opening of the third edition of the Machines Can See (MCS) Summit 2025 today in Dubai. The summit is recognized as the largest event dedicated to computer vision and is a leading gathering for AI specialists in the region, drawing more than 2,000 leaders, researchers, investors, experts, and policy-makers.
According to Emirates News Agency, the summit was held in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office as part of the Dubai AI Week. It was organized by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation. The event aims to bolster strategic partnerships between government and private sectors, ensure alignment of government efforts to shape AI’s future, accelerate innovation, and harness AI applications for societal benefits.
The opening day featured a high-level ministerial dialogue titled ‘Wanted: AI to Retain and Attract Talent to the Country.’ The session included senior policymakers from countries such as the UAE, Egypt, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia. The event also featured experts from around the world through 20 keynote speeches and panel discussions under the theme ‘Good AI: Making the World a Safer Place.’
The dialogues highlighted national strategies to attract, develop, and retain the talent needed for AI-driven innovation. Discussions also examined the social impact of artificial intelligence in fields such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, industry, and the arts.
In his speech, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, stated that AI innovation is a key pillar of the UAE’s strategic direction. This vision aims to enhance government work, improve well-being, establish a new economic model, and strengthen the UAE’s global competitiveness.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was accompanied by Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, during the summit. Alexander Khanin, the founder of the summit, emphasized the importance of turning breakthrough research into life-changing products.
Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia’s Minister of Digital, stressed the development of a future-ready digital ecosystem driven by innovation and talent. Similarly, Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, focused on AI-specific training and start-up support.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, highlighted incentives like the Digital Nomad Visa and the launch of Alem.AI to attract talent. Meanwhile, Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, announced Jakarta’s National GPU Lab and a micro-credential program for developers.
A significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Astana Hub (Kazakhstan), IT-Park Uzbekistan, and Al-Farabi Innovation Hub (UAE) to support Central-Asian start-ups in the UAE and the MENA region. This includes joint acceleration cohorts, cross-border fundraising, and reciprocal talent-visa pathways.
Ministers agreed on unifying talent pathways, embedding ethics in AI deployments, and co-authoring a white-paper on cross-border talent mobility. They also plan to pilot data-sharing projects in healthcare and smart-city platforms.
The summit featured various expert presentations. Gerard Medioni of Amazon Prime Video and Studios demonstrated machine-learning models for personalized viewing recommendations. Dr. Michael Bronstein of the University of Oxford discussed Geometric Deep Learning’s role in drug design. Daniele Iacovelli from Roche presented a case study on AI-based predictive control in biopharma.
A panel on ‘Good AI: Between Hype and Mediocrity,’ moderated by journalist Dana Al Omar, explored the balance between scale and safety, featuring experts in AI ethics and cybersecurity. A venture-capital session titled ‘Byte-Sized Profits’ attracted investors to discuss capital efficiency in deep-tech deals.