NEP AI Track Opens Applications For Emirati AI Leadership Initiative

The National Experts Programme has opened applications for its Artificial Intelligence track, NEP-AI, from 29th January, targeting Emirati talent working in AI fields. The initiative supports the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 and is intended to help position the UAE among the leading global centres for advanced AI deployment.

NEP-AI focuses on Emirati professionals at mid- to senior-level, with at least five years of experience. Candidates need strong technical or policy backgrounds in areas such as data science, digital regulation, or innovation. Applicants are also expected to be involved in entrepreneurial ventures or specialised projects that apply artificial intelligence in practical contexts.

Building on the wider National Experts Programme launched in 2019, NEP-AI is a specialised track aligned with national AI priorities and leadership goals. The first cohort will run from May 2026 to December 2026, combining leadership training and advanced technical content designed to equip participants to lead AI-driven initiatives across key UAE sectors.

The programme is organised around six core tracks that reflect the UAE’s strategic AI focus areas: AI Infrastructure and Hardware, AI Models and Application, AI Productisation and Entrepreneurship, Sovereign AI and National Capability, Human–AI Leadership and Foresight, and Applied AI Domains. These tracks link national strategic aims with sector-level implementation needs.

Selection into NEP-AI is based on academic performance, professional record, leadership potential, and an ability to convert expertise into measurable national impact. Participants engage in modules that address human capital development, AI governance, ethics, data readiness, and responsible deployment, translating the high-level AI strategy into day-to-day decision-making frameworks.

Every participant must deliver a Capstone Project centred on an individual AI initiative. Each project targets high-impact outcomes within the participant’s own sector, linking strategic AI priorities with concrete solutions. Mentors support personal development and guide these projects, helping participants refine concepts and align them with sector needs and national objectives.

NEP-AI distributes participants across 25 sectors, aligning learning pathways with real sector requirements and skills gaps. Throughout the programme, participants interact with experts, innovators, and organisations from the UAE and other countries, gaining broader perspectives and building networks across the AI ecosystem. This structure is designed to create a sustained pool of Emirati AI leaders able to drive the UAE’s long-term artificial intelligence agenda.

With inputs from WAM