Emirates NBD Turns Its Talent Incubator Into an AI Adoption Programme for Emirati SMEs

The programme has been renamed the National Digital Talent Incubator for AI Adoption, or NDTI AI. Instead of incubating start-ups, it will give hands-on help to SMEs that are already Emirates NBD customers. The aim is to find high-value uses for AI in each business and take them from idea through testing to live production, the bank said.

DIFC Innovation Hub, Visa and Amazon Web Services are supporting the programme. Emirates NBD will run operations and select the participating companies. DIFC Innovation Hub will help design the programme, give access to its ecosystem and provide chances to showcase results.

How It Will Work

Each cohort is expected to include about four to five Emirati-owned SMEs chosen from the bank's SME client base. Over time the bank expects to run two cohorts a year, with a focus on engagement and measurable results.

The bank said the programme would not offer a fixed menu of products. Use cases will be designed around each company's needs. Possible areas include customer service, sales and marketing, workflow and document automation, financial management, compliance and forecasting.

Rohit Garg, Head of Retail Products and Chief Digital Officer for Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD Group, said AI adoption for SMEs starts with identifying the right use cases and getting the expertise and support to put them into practice. He said the programme would help business owners assess opportunities, test suitable solutions and turn workable ideas into results. He also cited the bank's first-place ranking among Middle East and Africa banks in the Evident AI index of banks' AI maturity.

Mario Maccari, Vice President and General Manager for Visa in the UAE, said Visa would bring its payments expertise and its understanding of changing customer needs to help SMEs turn promising AI use cases into practical, scalable solutions and adopt AI tools responsibly.

From Fintech Founders to Business Owners

The change marks a shift in the incubator's focus. NDTI was originally set up to support Emirati fintech founders and has run several cohorts with partners including DIFC Innovation Hub and Visa, according to earlier coverage by The Fintech Times. The new version targets established companies rather than early-stage ventures.

It also matches the bank's wider spending on AI. At the Dubai FinTech Summit this week, Emirates NBD said about half of its technology budget now goes to AI. The UAE government has also been pressing institutions to move from AI pilots to deployment.

Why It Matters

SMEs make up most UAE businesses but often lack the in-house skills to use AI. By working with a small number of its own clients on specific use cases, Emirates NBD is testing whether a bank can speed up AI adoption among small businesses and strengthen client relationships at the same time. The bank did not disclose funding levels, selection criteria beyond Emirati ownership, or when the first cohort will start.