UAE sends 16 Emirati AI experts to China to study AI research and deployment

The UAE has sent 16 Emirati artificial intelligence experts to Beijing and Shanghai for a five-day study visit to examine China's AI ecosystem, including research institutions, technology companies, robotics and enterprise AI applications.

The visit, running from 12 to 16 October, is part of the Artificial Intelligence track of the National Experts Program (NEP-AI). Under the theme “AI Governance, Smart Nation Systems and Digital Government”, the programme aims to explore how AI research, policy and digital systems can support national priorities and improve government services.

The delegation will engage with Chinese AI companies and research institutions, including Zhipu AI, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), ByteDance, AgiBot and Agentrix.

The engagements will cover different stages of AI development and deployment, from large language model research and regulatory standards to robotics, consumer technology and enterprise automation.

At Zhipu AI, the delegation will examine how advanced AI research is translated into commercial products. Discussions with CAICT will focus on the role of research and standards institutions in shaping AI governance and adoption, while the engagement with ByteDance will explore the deployment of AI across digital platforms and services.

The visit to AgiBot will focus on embodied intelligence and robotics, including systems that interact with the physical world. At Agentrix, participants will examine how AI agents can be integrated into enterprise workflows, internal systems and decision-making.

The delegation brings together experts working across areas including agentic AI, intelligent devices, data infrastructure, AI policy and regulation, Arabic-centric large language models, data sovereignty, cybersecurity, robotics and autonomous systems.

Other specialisations represented include enterprise automation, computing infrastructure, AI applications, and the use of AI to strengthen national competitiveness and societal capabilities.

The China programme is one of three international study visits organised under NEP-AI, alongside visits to Canada and Silicon Valley. Together, the programmes are designed to expose participants to different approaches to AI research, governance, commercialisation and deployment across global technology ecosystems.

The international visits form part of NEP-AI's eight-month learning journey, which brings together 32 Emirati experts from government, industry and academia to support the UAE's national AI priorities.

Six alumni and fellows of the National Experts Program will accompany the delegation: Meera AlMheiri, Sumaya Al Hajeri, Saood Al Noori, Prof. Hoda Alkhzaimi, Major Eng. Mohamed Zainal and Hassan Alnoon. They will contribute experience from previous programme cohorts and participate in discussions and knowledge exchange during the visit.

The initiative reflects the UAE's focus on developing national AI expertise while examining international approaches to technology development, governance and large-scale implementation.