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, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, 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.

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.

Dubai is set to accelerate its push to become a global artificial intelligence powerhouse after Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at embedding next-generation AI across the emirate’s private sector.

Chairing a meeting of Dubai’s Higher Committee for Future Technology Development and the Digital Economy, Sheikh Hamdan approved a series of initiatives designed to strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading hub for digital innovation, talent, and advanced technologies.

At the centre of the plans is an executive programme to promote the adoption of Agentic AI—autonomous AI systems capable of carrying out tasks, making decisions, and managing operations with minimal human intervention.

“Our goal is for Dubai to become the world’s leading hub for developing and deploying advanced AI solutions,” Sheikh Hamdan said, stressing the crucial role of the private sector in driving the emirate’s technological transformation.

The programme aims to support 295,000 businesses across Dubai, develop 100 specialised AI assistants over the next two years, and facilitate the establishment of 50 Agentic AI companies.

Sheikh Hamdan said AI was becoming a key driver of economic growth and competitiveness, adding that future success would depend on moving beyond traditional AI tools towards more autonomous and capable systems.

The committee also approved Dubai’s hosting of the 50th International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals in November 2026. The event, regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious student programming competitions, is expected to attract 140 teams from more than 70 countries.

In a further effort to attract skilled professionals, Sheikh Hamdan endorsed the launch of the Dubai Global Talent Network, a platform designed to connect international talent with ties to the emirate and engage them in future development projects.

Among other initiatives approved was a Digital Twin System for Dubai Police, which will use advanced digital modelling and real-time data analysis to enhance surveillance and operational decision-making. The pilot phase will cover 150 cameras across the city.

The meeting also reviewed progress across several flagship digital economy projects. Dubai’s SME digital trade initiative, developed in partnership with Amazon, has reached more than 105,000 companies, surpassing its 2026 target ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, the Ignyte entrepreneurship platform has attracted over 36,000 users, while the Dubai AI Campus now hosts more than 400 specialist firms and has trained over 1,500 participants through its AI Academy.

Officials also highlighted the rapid growth of Dubai Founders HQ, which has attracted more than 1,100 members and 500 startups within nine months of its launch. Startups within the network have collectively secured more than AED200 million in funding.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials including Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, alongside leaders from Dubai’s technology, economic development, and innovation sectors.