Think you can design the park of the future? Dubai Municipality is inviting architects, designers, students and AI enthusiasts to do exactly that, with the help of artificial intelligence.

Under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Municipality has launched what it says is the world’s first AI-powered park design challenge, allowing participants to reimagine Al Safa 2 Park using AI-driven tools. The competition also offers a total prize pool of Dh200,000.

Designing future of public parks

The initiative aims to explore how artificial intelligence can support every stage of park design, from analysing the site and understanding user needs to generating concepts, testing ideas and creating visualisations.

While AI will play a central role in the creative process, Dubai Municipality stressed that final design decisions will remain human-led.

Participants are expected to submit a master plan for Al Safa 2 Park, along with supporting data analysis, design concepts and visualisations that demonstrate how AI was used throughout the project.

Open to professionals, students and startups

The competition is open to a wide range of participants, including architects, urban planners, landscape designers, researchers, university students, startups and AI specialists.

Entries should showcase how artificial intelligence was integrated into different stages of the design process, including environmental analysis, spatial planning, user experience and performance optimisation.

Focus on sustainability and community

Designs will be assessed on more than just creativity.

Dubai Municipality is looking for practical proposals that improve sustainability, accessibility, wellbeing, inclusivity and social interaction while creating vibrant public spaces that enhance residents’ quality of life.

A panel of government officials and international experts will evaluate the submissions, with members of the public also getting the opportunity to help choose the winning designs.

Dh200,000 prize pool

The competition offers cash prizes for the top three entries:

• First prize: Dh100,000
• Second prize: Dh65,000
• Third prize: Dh35,000

Applications are open until August 15, through Dubai Municipality’s official competition platform (https://aipark.dm.gov.ae/ai-competition).

The initiative reflects Dubai’s wider ambition to position itself as a global leader in AI, innovation and smart urban development by combining emerging technologies with human creativity to shape the cities of the future.

Motorists travelling through Sharjah’s industrial district should prepare for temporary road closures over the next two months.

The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has announced a traffic diversion between Industrial Area 12 and Industrial Area 13 as part of road maintenance and infrastructure upgrade works to improve traffic flow and enhance the emirate’s road network.

The diversion will be in place from Tuesday, June 30, until Sunday, August 30, with drivers required to use the approved alternative routes during construction.

SRTA said the project is designed to improve the efficiency of the road network and ease traffic movement in the area once the works are completed.

The authority has urged motorists to follow the designated diversion routes, obey traffic signs and adhere to road safety instructions to help ensure smooth traffic flow and minimise delays.

Drivers travelling through the area are advised to plan their journeys and allow extra travel time, particularly during peak hours.

UAE residents who use Google services, including Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Maps, Android and Gemini, will be subject to updated Google Terms of Service from July 30.

The changes won’t dramatically alter how Google’s products work, but they do provide more clarity on how the company uses AI, processes user content and handles account suspensions.

New AI rules

As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into Google’s products, the company is introducing stricter rules to prevent misuse.

The updated terms prohibit activities such as bypassing AI safety measures, manipulating prompts to produce harmful content or using Google’s AI-generated content to train other AI models. Existing bans on phishing, hacking, malware, fake accounts and deceptive content also remain in place.

You still own content

Google says users retain ownership of everything they upload, including emails, photos, files and videos.

However, users continue to grant Google permission to process that content so its services can function properly, for example, syncing files across devices, enabling sharing, translating content where needed and improving products.

How Google uses your data

The company says it analyses content using automated systems to detect spam, malware and illegal content, while also using it to personalise search results, recommendations and ads.

Publicly shared content, such as Google reviews or apps listed on Google Play, may also be used to promote Google’s services.

When can Google suspend your account?

Your accounts may be suspended if users repeatedly violate its policies or engage in activities such as phishing, hacking, spamming or other actions that pose security or legal risks.

Users who believe their accounts were disabled in error can appeal the decision.

Google says it will generally notify users before making significant changes to its services and, where possible, allow them to export their data through Google Takeout before discontinuing a product or making major changes.

The updated Terms of Service take effect on July 30, 2026.