DUBAI, 28th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The Emirates Group has concluded the fourth edition of its annual innovation platform ForsaTEK 2026, which featured more than 90 sessions and experiences and showcased over 60 technology projects and solutions focused on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and human-AI collaboration.
Held on 21st and 22nd September, the event brought together leaders and experts from the technology, aviation and business sectors, highlighting solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, customer experience and the future of work.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said ForsaTEK has evolved over four years into a platform for testing ambitious ideas and transforming emerging technologies into practical solutions that create value and foster a culture of innovation across the Group.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, took part in a discussion highlighting how anticipating technological shifts and translating emerging technologies into practical applications can strengthen the UAE’s competitiveness.
Other sessions brought together Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, to discuss Dubai’s innovation ecosystem and the role of technology in tourism and aviation.
Speakers also included Emmanuel Marill, Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at OpenAI; Rohan Murty, Founder and CTO of Soroco; and Dan Hagen, Global Chief Data and Technology Officer at Havas, who discussed AI leadership, digital twins and scaling AI while maintaining human oversight.
The programme also featured Maryam 3.0, a voice-enabled AI agent drawing on multiple large language models, which joined a live discussion with representatives from MGX and Circle on the future of intelligence, innovation and work.
During ForsaTEK 2026, the Emirates Group launched the Academic Research Collective (ARC), a research and learning platform designed to connect the Group with research-intensive universities and support applied research, innovation, knowledge exchange and talent development.
The Group also highlighted the next phase of its strategic collaboration with OpenAI, providing employees with secure access to advanced AI models and conversational tools to support productivity and cross-functional collaboration.
Among the technologies showcased was ARRIVE, an in-house framework developed by Emirates Group IT to support agentic software engineering while maintaining governance and human accountability. More than 2,000 IT employees had joined the initiative through the AI Gateway by the end of August 2026.
Emirates Service Delivery presented virtual reality training tools, the One Device ecosystem and integrated platforms supporting training, catering, briefings and crew management.
dnata Technical Services showcased its automated Smart Hub for managing maintenance, repair and overhaul inventory, while Intelak, the travel and tourism-focused incubator established by the Emirates Group and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), presented seven start-ups working on proofs of concept supporting the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
The second day included workshops and talks by historian and political philosopher Roy Casagranda and Majed Al Mansoori, Executive Director of the Museum of the Future.
Interactive masterclasses led by ETA, LinkedIn, Hyundai Motor Group and Zapata Quantum Computing covered entrepreneurship, AI-driven learning and career development, logistics automation and quantum computing applications.