The second Global Prompt Engineering Championship is under way in Dubai, bringing together top talent from around the world to compete for a Dh1 million ($272,290) prize pool.
Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation and the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the event is taking place on the sidelines of Dubai AI Week – a major platform showcasing the UAE’s growing influence in AI.
This year’s championship has drawn participants from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Brazil, South Africa, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Russia, Pakistan and India. The two-day competition, which began on Tuesday, highlights the global rise of prompt engineering – a skillset focused on crafting effective instructions for AI systems to generate precise, creative and context-aware outputs.
In addition to the coding, literature and art categories from the inaugural competition, this year introduced a new video category, reflecting the increasing role of generative AI in multimedia content creation.
“Choosing video was an interesting one given how revolutionary AI has been with video generation over the past year,” Hamad Al Shirawi, director of Dubai AI Week, told The National.
He said it was inspiring to observe how participants handled the pressure of the competition. “It’s really nice to be around them and see how each one of them is actually putting in their prompts in a very limited time, [it is] very stressful, being evaluated by these judges, actually producing meaningful outcomes – not just something that you and I can do quickly using one of the platforms,” he added.
“The championship is one of the activities that really looks at talent. It focuses on enabling the ecosystem and amplifying the opportunity. This only elevates, puts Dubai on the map and solidifies our position, but also attracts all these global names."
Sufyan Al Hussein, a filmmaker competing in the art category, said the first round tested participants with an unexpected creative challenge.
“It was about creating an illusion and limiting us to only three colours – red, green and black. It was challenging, to be honest, but we tried to make it as artistic as possible,” he told The National.
“I do use AI sometimes, for example, when I want to generate my mood boards, my storyboards,” he said, adding that his knowledge of art history, from Rococo to De Stijl, helped to guide his approach.
He said the registration process was simple and accessible. “You sign up, you do a test, or I would say like a challenge, you submit it and then you wait,” he said.
As he awaited the results of the second round, he remained hopeful. “I think the second prompt will be easier because there is nothing harder than this. It was very hard, but I think we’re doing amazing,” he said.
“I never thought of like winning the money itself. Maybe I want to feed my ego ... but I would reinvest it maybe also in some sort of AI service.”
The championship is one of several anchor events during Dubai AI Week, an event that brings together government leaders, tech executives, researchers and creators to explore the future of AI.
"This week is a culmination of our efforts ... bringing all of these events together gives more of a purpose, more of a well-rounded opportunity for people both based in Dubai and abroad to focus and capitalise on this week,” Mr Al Shirawi said.
Other events taking place include the AI Retreat, the Dubai Assembly for Generative AI, the Dubai AI Festival and the Machines Can See summit. The week also features a school programme to engage 50 institutions across the UAE in AI-focused activities.
The UAE, ranked among the top five countries globally for AI competitiveness, continues to build on its 2017 national AI strategy by investing in talent and creating platforms that encourage collaboration and innovation. The Global Prompt Engineering Championship exemplifies that mission – merging creativity, competition and cutting-edge technology to shape the next generation of AI leaders.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
