Abu Dhabi, UAE- The National Experts Program (NEP) has announced the names of the 32 outstanding Emirati experts who have recently joined its newly launched AI Track, marking a significant milestone in the program’s mission to prepare national AI experts to support the UAE's AI Strategy 2031.

The cohort represents the largest and most diverse group since the program’s inception in 2019. The selected experts were chosen from a highly competitive pool of more than 1,000 applicants through a rigorous assessment process based on scientific, professional, and strategic criteria designed to identify leadership potential, technical excellence, and innovation capabilities.

The cohort has an average age of 33 and represents the public, state-owned, and private sectors of the UAE, with 50 percent of participants coming from public institutions, 28 percent from state-owned enterprises, and 22 percent from the private sector. Most participants hold advanced academic qualifications, with 22 percent holding PhDs and 66 percent holding Master's degrees.

Over the next 7 months, participants will embark on an intensive learning and development journey designed to enhance their expertise, expand their leadership skills, and enable them to implement Capstone projects that address real challenges across different sectors.

Through the integration of Emirati AI experts across 25 priority sectors, NEP-AI boosts sectoral competitiveness and builds the talent foundation needed to advance the UAE’s AI ambitions.

The 25 sectors include:

  1. Computing and Processing Sector with Anood Alkatheeri and Dr. Nadya Mohamed;
  2. Storage and Data Infrastructure Sector with Hessa Al Kaabi;
  3. Networking and Connectivity Sector with Eng. Asya Alshehhi;
  4. Intelligent Devices Sector with Shaher Tayfour;
  5. Robotics and Autonomous Systems Sector with Capt. Eng. Saif Alhaj;
  6. Generative AI Sector with Dr. Mariam Al Harbi and May Al Hajeri;
  7. Agentic AI Sector with Mohammed Alketbi;
  8. Cross-Industry Applications Sector with Thani Bin Thani;
  9. Enterprise Applications and Automation Sector with Eng. Abdulaziz Nabeel;
  10. AI Product Design and UX Sector with Fatma Alkhazraji;
  11. AI Venture Creation and Commercialization Sector with Darwish Almarar;
  12. Prompt Engineering and Human-AI Co-Design Sector with Dr. Reem Al Jneibi and Dr. Mohammad Alsharid;
  13. Data Economy and Monetization Models Sector with Amena Alzaabi;
  14. Responsible Scaling of AI Startups Sector with Saleh Alobeidli;
  15. Arabic-centric LLMs and Localization Sector with Eng. Ahmed Al Ameri;
  16. AI Compute and Chips Sector with Eng. Ahmed Alshehhi;
  17. AI Cybersecurity and Model Protection Sector with Eng. Suhail Al Marzooqi and Eng. Ahmed Hamarain;
  18. Data Sovereignty and Governance Frameworks Sector with Azza Aljuwaied, and Eng. Abdalla Alhammadi;
  19. Cross-sector AI Strategy Development Sector with Eng. Yaser Alshehhi;
  20. AI and the Future of Work Sector with Maryam Almansoori and Col. Mohamed Al Obeidli;
  21. AI Policy, Regulation and Diplomacy Sector with Eng. Sultan AlRaeesi;
  22. AI for People, Society and National Capability Sector with Hamdan Alameri;
  23. AI for National Competitiveness and Geopolitics Sector with Eng. Mohammed Alameri and Wijdan Alantali;
  24. Systems Thinking and AI Foresight Sector with Lt. Col. Dr. Eng. Nasser AlSaedi;
  25. Technical and Practical Applications Sector with 1st Lt. Hamdan Al Ali.

Throughout the program, participants will be guided by experienced mentors as they develop and implement their Capstone projects. By applying advanced AI knowledge to sector-specific use cases, these projects will help accelerate innovation, enhance competitiveness, and support the UAE’s broader vision for AI-driven development.

About NEP-AI

NEP-AI is a specialized track of the National Experts Program. Building on the success of NEP launched in 2019, the track focuses on the nation’s strategic AI priorities with the goal of developing a national cadre of AI leaders.

NEP-AI is developed in alignment with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and plays an integral role in advancing its pillars, supporting the vision of becoming one of the world’s leading nations in AI by 2031.

Developed under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and under the custodianship of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, the National Experts Program (NEP) is a multi-dimensional learning initiative for Emirati experts who are poised to play a transformative role.

NEP is delivered by ODA Academy, the capability-building arm of the Office of Development Affairs of the Presidential Court, in support of the UAE’s strategic priorities.