Khaled attends MBZUAI’s commencement ceremony

Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has attended the 2025 commencement ceremony of Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

The graduating class comprised 104 students, making it MBZUAI’s largest and most diverse cohort to date.

The cohort included 13 PhD and 91 master’s degree graduates across the university’s three specialisations: Computer Vision (CV), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Sheikh Khaled congratulated the graduates on their achievement and honoured several PhD and master’s recipients, wishing them continued success in their academic and professional journeys, encouraging them to apply their knowledge and expertise in advancing the nation’s development and helping to build an innovation-led, technology-driven economy.

He emphasised the UAE leadership’s firm belief that shaping the future begins with knowledge, science, and technological advancement, noting that the UAE continues to strengthen its position as a leading global hub for artificial intelligence research and development by building an integrated ecosystem that places AI in the service of people and society, while reinforcing national leadership in key strategic sectors.

The ceremony was attended by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and Chairman of MBZUAI’s Board of Trustees, Dr Ahmed Mubarak bin Nawi Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President’s Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, Sara Awadh Musallam, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Tamim Al Kuttab, Chairman of the Department of Government Enablement, Major General Ahmed Saif Bin Zaitoon Al Muhairi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince, Professor Eric Xing, MBZUAI President and University Professor, Timothy Baldwin, MBZUAI Provost, members of the university faculty, and graduates’ families.

This year’s cohort has 20 Emirati graduates, the highest number since the university’s inception, including one PhD graduate in Computer Vision (CV) and nine local female graduates in different AI specialities, underscoring the university’s commitment to cultivating homegrown talent to lead artificial intelligence-related sectors.

Graduates from the 2025 class represent 24 countries, including Pakistan, India, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Italy, as well as first-time graduates from Armenia, Bangladesh, Comoros, Dominica, Eritrea, Norway, Serbia, and Uruguay, underscoring the university’s growing international reach and its commitment to attracting top global talent.

MBZUAI now boasts an expanding alumni network of 316 AI specialists, driving transformation across industries worldwide.

Nearly 80 per cent of alumni started working in Abu Dhabi within one year of graduation. As the university expands to offer 13 graduate programmes and launches its first undergraduate programme – a Bachelor of Science in AI with Business and Engineering tracks – it continues its mission to shape the future of AI locally, regionally and internationally.

Recently, Sheikh Khaled attended the graduation ceremony of the 36th cohort of cadet officers, 38th cohort of university graduates, 21st cohort of female university graduates, and the third batch of international cadets at the Police College.

Sheikh Khaled congratulated the graduates, wishing them success in their careers as they serve their nation and its leadership, underscoring the importance of upholding excellence in policing by adopting the latest methodologies and best practices in law enforcement and security, as a rapidly evolving sector.

He also extended his congratulations to the international graduates, encouraging them to apply the skills and knowledge gained during their training to serve their respective countries.

WAM