Dubai AI Campus plans to develop a 100,000-sq-ft purpose-built facility featuring GPU-ready systems, secure artificial intelligence (AI) development zones and digital twin environments, as the emirate expands infrastructure to support AI companies and commercialise new technologies.

The facility will be located in the Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Zabeel District expansion and is designed to bring together AI developers, businesses, investors and government entities, DIFC said in a statement.

The building will include modular, laboratory-ready floors for AI labs where public and private sector organisations can develop, test and validate solutions before wider deployment. 

It will also house an AI Experience Centre showcasing applications across sectors, alongside conference facilities for industry summits and policy discussions.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reviewed the building’s development plans during the opening of the third Dubai AI Festival at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The campus, launched in May 2024, has attracted more than 500 AI companies that have collectively secured over 1 billion dirhams ($272 million) in private equity and venture capital investment, according to DIFC. It has also contributed to the creation of more than 2,000 specialised technology jobs.

Sheikh Hamdan approved a new target for the campus to attract more than 1,000 AI companies and create over 5,000 highly skilled jobs by 2030.

The new target follows the campus exceeding its original five-year goals for company numbers and investment volumes two years ahead of schedule, DIFC said.

The facility’s planned infrastructure includes AI-powered building systems and digital twin environments, which can be used to model and test systems and processes in virtual settings. The campus aims to support the development, testing and deployment of AI applications across Dubai.

“Dubai AI Campus has already achieved its 2028 target of attracting 500 AI companies two years ahead of schedule, and we are now raising our ambition to more than 1,000 companies and over 5,000 jobs by 2030,” DIFC Authority Chief Executive Arif Amiri said.