His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, attended the 2026 Graduation Ceremony of the Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
The fifth and largest class since the university’s founding is comprised of 140 graduates from 23 countries. The cohort includes 11 PhD and 129 master’s degree candidates across key areas such as 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 UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This vision is being further advanced through the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun 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 Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated the graduates on their academic excellence and praised the PhD and Master’s degree recipients for their valuable contributions to AI research and science. His Royal Highness wished the new colleagues every success in driving the country’s digital transformation, leveraging innovation to transform advanced technologies into real-world solutions that benefit humanity, and encouraged them to contribute to building a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.
The Class of 2026 includes 30 Emirati graduates, highlighting MBZUAI’s role in developing the country’s talent. Thirty-eight percent of all graduates are women, increasing their participation in advanced technology and scientific research around the world. MBZUAI supports the national goal of integrating AI technologies across 100% of government services and priority sectors by preparing a generation that can lead the country’s digital transformation in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.
The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, President of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court. His Excellency Khaldun Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary of the Executive Secretariat and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Directors. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Humaid Al Jalwan, Director General, Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi. His Excellency Shamis Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Ministry of Regional Development; His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Crown Prince’s Office. Rima Al Mokharab Al Muhairi, Executive Director-General for Strategy; Mr. Peng Xiao, G42 Group CEO. Professor Eric Shin, MBZUAI Chairman and University Professor. MBZUAI President Professor Timothy Baldwin, numerous dignitaries and dignitaries, university leaders, faculty and staff, and families of alumni.
Addressing the Class of 2026 at the ceremony, His Excellency Khaldun Al Mubarak, Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Directors“Today is both a milestone and a mission. As MBZUAI’s greatest graduates, you are among the first generation to help shape a field that will transform every sector of society. You graduate at a defining moment for artificial intelligence. Technical excellence must be matched with responsibility, judgment, and a clear sense of public good. Your endeavor is not just 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 shared globally. We are confident that this class will communicate that vision to the world and that their next actions will make society better.”
Professor Eric Shin, MBZUAI President and University Professor“This graduation ceremony marks a significant turning point for MBZUAI in the evolution of our structure, the continuous improvement of standards, and the deepening of our academic programs. MBZUAI is a forge designed to produce outstanding global talent, innovators and builders of what’s next, shaped by elite academia and industry and working tirelessly to serve society.”
The 23 countries in the Class of 2026 include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Vietnam, highlighting the University’s growing international reach and commitment to attracting the world’s top talent.
This class will join MBZUAI’s alumni network of 318 AI talent who will go on to work at some of the world’s leading educational institutions and employers. Almost 80% of MBZUAI graduates remain in the UAE for employment within one year. Class of 2026 graduates have held research positions at organizations such as ADNOC, Presight, Meta, Tesla, and Bloomberg, as well as Caltech, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University, reflecting the global standing that MBZUAI’s programs have achieved in five years.
Media inquiries
For more information, please visit https://mbzuai.ac.ae/ or contact media@mbzuai.ac.ae.
About Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)
MBZUAI is the first university dedicated to advancing science through AI. Through world-class education and interdisciplinary research, the university advances innovation and impactful applications of AI and empowers the next generation of AI leaders. In 2025, MBZUAI launched the first-ever undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Science in AI, with two distinct streams: Business and Engineering.
