Dubai Future Foundation Picks 20 Finalists for AED1 Million AI Grandmaster Challenge

The final will be held on 18 November at The Challenge Dome during Dubai Future Week, which runs from 18 to 21 November at Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future. Contestants will work through rounds of increasingly difficult tasks, including producing multimedia content, building intelligent applications and designing AI-powered assistant experiences, all within strict time limits. The best performers in each round go through to the next, until one is named AI Grandmaster.

The contest tests how well people use AI tools rather than how well they build them. The foundation describes its goal as building a global community for sharing knowledge and innovation in AI prompt engineering, and it says the 2025 edition drew more than 3,800 applications from 125 countries. The announcement did not name this year's finalists or say how many people applied.

Google Cloud is the challenge's technology partner. A judging panel of AI experts, including specialists from Google Cloud, will score contestants on the quality of their output, creativity, technical execution, adaptability and how effectively they use AI under time pressure.

Abdulaziz AlJaziri, deputy chief executive of Dubai Future Foundation, said the challenge was a chance to showcase emerging AI talent. "AI has become a powerful tool for enhancing human capabilities, making it essential to keep pace with rapid technological advances," he said.

The foundation presents the competition as part of Dubai's effort to attract international AI talent and to rank among the world's leading digital cities.

Dubai Future Week is themed 'For the Human of the Future'. Its programme is organised into eight strands: The Big Stage, The Prototype Floor, The Pitch, The Policy Room, The Challenge, Offstage, 500 Future Minds and The District. The contest itself will be decided on the opening day, 18 November.