Dubai wins bid to host ICCV 2029: Everything you need to know about the AI event

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dubai has been selected to host the International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) in 2029. Sheikh Hamdan made the announcement earlier on his X account, sharing that Dubai will be the perfect place for the meeting due to its “thriving ecosystem for innovation and creativity, and its exceptional hospitality.”

The event is expected to bring together 15,000 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision experts, leaders, and enthusiasts. Interested in attending? Here are the key facts you need to know about ICCV and what this prestigious gathering means for the UAE.

What exactly is ICCV?

ICCV is one of the most important events in the AI and computer vision field that takes place every two years. Computer vision is a field of computer science that focuses on enabling computers to interpret objects and people in images and videos.

The first conference was held in London back in 1987, laying a solid foundation for the upcoming generations of great minds. Now, the program includes the main conference, several co-located workshops, and tutorials. ICCV also gives awards and prizes for the Best Paper, Best Student Paper as well as other honorable mentions.

The 2023 conference took place in Paris and was attended by more than 6000 members of the computer vision and machine learning community, who aim to create and enhance AI for pattern recognition and image processing. The next ICCV events will be held in Honolulu (2025) and Hong Kong (2027) before Dubai.

The UAE’s goal to become a global AI leader

The UAE has its sights set on an ambitious goal to become a regional and global power in AI and has dedicated massive efforts into reaching it.

To accelerate the pace of AI adoption, the government launched the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in October 2017. It aims to boost government performance at all levels, use an integrated smart digital system to overcome challenges, and provide quick efficient solutions. This includes appointing a CEO for Artificial Intelligence in ministries and federal entities.

Dubai, in particular, has a keen interest in technology and supports AI researchers. Just recently, Dubai Future Foundation and Dubai's Centre for AI organized the Global Prompt Engineering Championship to celebrate the most talented prompt engineers from all over the globe. Three winners shared a 1 million AED prize.

Winners of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship 2024:

Megan Fowkes

  

Dubai Future Foundation

Megan Fowkes

As Dubai hosts ICCV 2029, it hopes to draw the attention of AI researchers and investors from all over the globe. Sheikh Hamdan also said that the conference will contribute to positioning the UAE as an important player in the AI revolution, as well as recognizing Dubai’s vision for the future of technology.