Nahyan inaugurates ‘Machines Can Think 2026’ summit

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the “Machines Can Think 2026” summit, the UAE's flagship artificial intelligence adoption event, held from 26th to 27th January 2026 at Park Hyatt Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

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The summit was co-organised and co-hosted by Polynome Group and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

The summit brought together a distinguished group of policymakers, scientists, researchers, technologists, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and artificial intelligence experts from around the world, providing an international platform to examine how Al systems can transition from ambition and experimentation to national-scale impact through real-world applications. Discussions throughout the summit reinforced the UAE's growing role as a global hub for the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence.

The Industrial Day built on the momentum of the opening programme, convening decision-makers, technologists, researchers, and industry leaders to explore operational Al, leadership readiness, sector-wide transformation, and mechanisms for scaling Al adoption at the national level, while linking technological innovation with economic and developmental opportunities.