His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has attended the 2026 commencement ceremony of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
The fifth and largest class since the university’s establishment comprises 140 graduates from 23 countries. The cohort includes 11 PhD and 129 Master’s graduates across key disciplines, including Computer Science, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Robotics.
The ceremony reflects the UAE’s commitment to artificial intelligence as a national strategic priority, a vision led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. This vision is further advanced through the initiatives of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council, under whose leadership the UAE has emerged as one of the world’s leading hubs for AI research, development and talent.
His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated the graduates on their academic excellence and honoured the PhD and Master’s recipients for their valuable additions to AI research and sciences. His Highness wished the new cohort success in advancing the nation’s digital transformation and harnessing innovation to translate advanced technologies into real-world solutions that serve humanity, encouraging them to contribute to building a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.
The Class of 2026 includes 30 Emirati graduates, underscoring MBZUAI’s role in empowering national talent. Women comprise 38 per cent of total graduates, furthering their participation in advanced technology and scientific research globally. By preparing a generation capable of leading the nation’s digital transformation in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, MBZUAI is supporting national objectives that integrate AI technologies across 100 per cent of government services and priority sectors.
The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court; His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Chairman of MBZUAI’s Board of Trustees; His Excellency Dr Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Shamis Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince; Rima Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Executive Director of Strategic Affairs at the Executive Affairs Authority; Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42; Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor; Professor Timothy Baldwin, MBZUAI Provost, a number of senior officials and dignitaries, university leadership, faculty staff members, and graduates’ families.
Addressing the graduating Class of 2026 at the ceremony, His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of MBZUAI’s Board of Trustees, said: “Today marks both a milestone and a mandate. As MBZUAI’s largest graduating class, you are among the first generation to help shape a field that is transforming every sector of society. You are graduating at a decisive moment for artificial intelligence, when technical excellence must be matched by responsibility, judgment and a clear sense of public good. Your commitment is not simply to build AI that works. It is to build AI that works for people.
“MBZUAI was founded on the belief that the benefits of AI should be broad, inclusive and globally shared. We are confident that this class will carry that vision into the world, and that society will be better served by what they do next.”
Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor, said: “This commencement marks a significant turning point for MBZUAI, in the evolution of its structure, the continued elevation of its standards, and the deepening of its academic programs. MBZUAI is a forge designed to produce innovators and builders of what’s next, exceptional global talent, molded by elite academia and industry, and energized to serve society.”
Among the 23 countries of the Class of 2026 graduates are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Sri Lanka, the United States and Vietnam, underscoring the university’s growing international reach and its commitment to attracting top global talent.
The class joins MBZUAI’s alumni network of 318 AI talents and will proceed to some of the world’s leading institutions and employers. Nearly 80 per cent of MBZUAI graduates remain in the UAE for employment within their first year. Graduates of the Class of 2026 are heading to organisations including ADNOC, Presight, Meta, Tesla and Bloomberg, as well as to research placements at the California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University, a reflection of the global standing MBZUAI’s programmes have earned in five years.
