The deadline for the UAE's NEP-AI application is approaching, and industry experts suggest that the next generation of critical defense systems will rely on AI algorithms just as much as they once relied on hardware. Experts believe that AI is transforming how nations process data, detect risks, and respond quickly under pressure.
Today, AI plays an important role in every sector. This includes air defence interception systems, cybersecurity networks, logistics coordination, and even infrastructure monitoring.
Currently, many countries' governments are incorporating AI into every aspect of their architecture to support operational resilience and national security. Most modern security concerns go beyond major wars and conflicts. Many disruptions in predictive systems, algorithms, and the vast flows of data determine how quickly a nation understands and responds to the world around it.
Similarly, the UAE is no exception. With the help of the National Experts Program Artificial Intelligence Track (NEP-AI), the UAE will invest in a new generation of Emirati professionals. The aim is to make them capable of deploying, understanding and governing AI across sensitive sectors.
The new AI-based program highlights the growing importance of national expertise in artificial intelligence. Also, the application deadline for the new program ends today, on March 23, 2026.
The NEP-AI will target experienced Emirati professionals who are already working across strategic and government sectors. Participants can enter the programme with a pre-defined portfolio project. The project should showcase the use of AI for addressing an existing institutional challenge.
“AI systems depend on physical infrastructure such as chips, data pipelines, energy and computing capacity. Understanding these foundations is essential if institutions are to rely on AI in high-stakes environments,” a spokesperson from NEP-AI explained.
The eight-month program starts with technical foundations, emphasizing the AI stack, which includes infrastructure, data systems, models, and computing power.