15 Emirati AI Specialists Visit OpenAI, Nvidia and Apple on Silicon Valley Study Trip

The trip is part of the AI track of the Emirates Experts Programme. It aims to show participants how advanced AI systems are built and evaluated, and how they move from research into large-scale use. The specialists come from government, critical sectors and national institutions, with backgrounds in AI engineering, data science, cybersecurity, energy, financial services, public health and space.

The visit is one of the ways the UAE is building its own pool of AI talent to work alongside the large infrastructure investments it is making with American technology companies. Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the United States, described the two countries' technology relationship as one of the most consequential partnerships in advanced technology. He said the meetings would give the experts who will lead the next phase practical insights and relationships that support national priorities and deepen bilateral cooperation.

The delegation is led by Ahmed Talib Al Shamsi, director of the Emirates Experts Programme and secretary general of the Emirates Foundation. Six alumni of earlier cohorts are also taking part to share their experience.

The programme opened at Apple, where participants looked at on-device AI and how product design is used to protect privacy. Later sessions will cover AI safety and data quality. At Scale AI the group is due to look at how high-quality data improves model performance. At OpenAI it will discuss how frontier models are developed and evaluated, including decisions about preparing and releasing advanced systems. At the MBZUAI lab, participants will look at foundation model research and how it reaches practical use.

The final day is set aside for infrastructure. At Nvidia, the group will examine how computing capacity is built and how technology companies work with governments trying to develop national AI capabilities. Participants will also meet start-up founders to learn how AI companies attract investment and scale.

The Silicon Valley visit is one of three international study trips on the programme's AI track. The other two are to Canada and China.