Dr. Ahmed Dabbagh Managing Director, The AI Academy Dr. Ahmed Dabbagh is a distinguished professional with 30 years of senior technical and academic experience at the intersection of academia, industry, and government, specializing in Digital Transformation, AI, and innovative technologies. He was recently appointed the Managing Director of AI Academy, a partnership between Polynome Group and Abu Dhabi School of Management. The first product of this partnership is the first of its kind Executive Program for Chief AI Officers which the inaugural cohort was delivered in Nov. 2025 with the participation of 35 top prominent AI leaders from UAE and the region. Dr. Dabbagh was Member of the founding management team at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and served as the Director of Professional Services & Executive Education for five years. In this role, he spearheaded the AI Capacity Building Strategy, established the AI Executive Education Department, and oversaw programs that graduated over 230 leaders and trained more than 10,000 professionals in AI and Data Analytics. His contributions extended to the government, identifying AI use-cases, co-managing the Abu Dhabi AI Lab, and delivering executive programs to government leaders. He also managed the university’s technology readiness and high-performance computing infrastructure. Prior to MBZUAI, Dr. Dabbagh held leadership positions such as Director of Technology Transfer & Partnership at American University of Sharjah’s Research Technology and Innovation Park. He also provided consultancy as a Senior Advisor in Innovation, Digital Transformation, AI, and Vocational Education, advising government and health sectors on AI adoption and conducting training. Dr. Dabbagh was working in France & Germany for 17 years in the domain of micro-processors design and implementation at the Research & Development Centers of Thomson, STMicroelectronics, Siemens, Motorola he is also the holder of 6 International patents (3 European, 2 American, and one in Japan). Dr. Dabbagh gained a Master of Science “D.E.A.” in Images and Signal Processing from the University of Rennes in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Signal Processing & Telecommunications from the University of Rennes and Supelec, France, in 1995. Dr. Dabbagh is also an accomplished author and keynote speaker.