On November 18-19, 2025, Dubai will host a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) conference /function1, which the organizers have already called “the place where the AI world gathers.” This is stated in a press release shared by the organizers with Incrypted.
According to the statement, after the success of the spring debut event that gathered more than 600 carefully selected participants from 4,000 applications, the new autumn event claims to be the largest global AI conference at the end of the year.
The event team noted that the conference will be held at Festival Arena, one of the largest conference venues in Dubai, located next to Dubai Creek. This venue was chosen to ensure the comfort and scale of an event of this level.
According to the organizers, the goal of the event remains the same: to create a physical platform for AI startup founders and industry representatives from all over the world to share “the most disruptive ideas and practices in the field of artificial intelligence”.
Program: from hackathons to philosophical discussions
Over 150 speeches and panel discussions will take place on three stages over the course of two days. The topics will cover key industries: Big Tech, aviation, media and art, finance, telecoms, and education. Part of the programme will also touch on more futuristic issues, such as whether we are really on the verge of science fiction scenarios.
More than 10,000 attendees are expected — from developers and startups to investors, scientists, students, and regulators.
The Founders Program will be specially designed for AI founders, where 5000 innovative startups will be able to participate in workshops, pitching sessions, and Q&As with investors.
Besides, /function1 will host the largest AI hackathon in the region — Genesis, organized in cooperation with LabLab and NativelyAI. Online selection will bring together more than 4000 developers, and the final will take place live in Dubai.
Another important part of the event will be AI Future Labs, a competition for students from leading UAE universities under the guidance of mentors from industry and academia. The winners will have the opportunity to present their solutions to an audience of 10,000 participants and the media.
First speakers
The organizers have already announced the first confirmed speakers from industry, academia and innovation. Among them:
- Ron Levin, Managing Partner, Alumni Ventures
- Omnia Hame, Director of International Ventures, Seed Group & The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum
- Bimal Mehta, Head of AI/ML Engineering, Vanguard
- Tiago Henriques, Head of AI/ML Technology Practice, Google Cloud EMEA
- Lydia Andresen, Executive Director of AI Research, Invisible Technologies
- Faisal Iqbal, Head of Innovation Programs, AWS MEA;
- Other representatives of Crunchbase, Techstars, Nasdaq, KPMG, and Abu Dhabi University.
In total, more than 150 global speakers are expected at the event.