In brief
In its latest iteration, the UAE Codes 2026: Build the Future with AI hackathon brought 100 Emirati participants from the banking sector to develop three award‑winning AI platforms—Project Ready, Career Lab and Mashoura. The event was organized by the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office in partnership with Emirates NBD and aligns with the country’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. The competition showcased how coding and AI can accelerate digital transformation in finance and reinforce the UAE’s commitment to cultivating a workforce of future‑ready talent.
The UAE Artificial Intelligence Office and Emirates NBD organized the UAE Codes 2026: Build the Future with AI hackathon on 3 November 2026, a two‑day event that attracted 100 Emirati participants from Emirate NBD Group and other regional banks. The competition, designed to strengthen digital skills, challenged teams to develop practical AI‑powered solutions for real‑world banking challenges.
In the scientific spirit of fast experimentation, participants worked in cross‑functional groups, blending expertise in data science, software engineering and business analytics. They harnessed programming languages such as Python, applied machine learning libraries, and leveraged cloud platforms to prototype solutions swiftly. Through hands‑on coding, teams refined problem‑solving skills and gained exposure to emerging AI technologies that can transform day‑to‑day banking operations.
Three projects emerged as the competition’s most promising innovations. The first‑place winner, Project Ready, is an AI‑powered platform that delivers personalised learning paths and career‑development recommendations to bank employees. By aggregating data on performance, skill gaps and industry trends, the system uses recommendation algorithms to guide personnel toward professional growth opportunities within the organisation.
Career Lab, the second‑place entrant, offers a simulation environment powered by AI that allows users to practise real‑world professional scenarios. Using natural‑language processing, the platform interprets dialogues and provides real‑time feedback, helping participants hone communication and decision‑making skills in a risk‑free setting that mirrors actual workplace interactions.
The third‑place project, Mashoura, delivers an AI‑enabled solution to assist staff in navigating challenging workplace conversations. By analysing conversational data, the platform detects sentiment, offers context‑specific advice and promotes constructive dialogue, thereby fostering a healthier organisational culture.
Dr. Abdelrahman Al Mahmoud, Director of the UAE AI Office, underscored that the hackathon reflects the UAE leadership’s forward‑looking vision to embed coding as an essential language of the digital age. He emphasized that investing in Emirati talent remains a strategic priority as the country advances toward its 2031 Artificial Intelligence National Strategy, which prioritises technology‑driven economic growth and societal resilience.
According to the organisers, the event successfully demonstrated how artificial intelligence can augment human expertise in banking, from workforce development to customer interaction. By focusing on practical, industry‑relevant problems, the competition also highlighted the practicality of deploying AI tools in regulated financial environments, where compliance, security and data privacy are paramount.
Looking forward, the UAE AI Office plans to expand future iterations of UAE Codes, extending the programme to other sectors and scaling up participant numbers. The initiative will continue to serve as a testing ground for emerging technologies, aligning with the country’s broader aspiration to become a global leader in AI research, application and talent cultivation.
