Designers, students, and technology specialists from around the world now have until 15 August 2026 to submit concepts for transforming Al Safa 2 Park into a model of AI-assisted urban design, following the launch of what Dubai Municipality describes as the first competition of its kind globally.
The initiative was introduced under the direction of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Entries can be submitted through the competition portal at aipark.dm.gov.ae/ai-competition.
Winning teams will share AED 200,000. The top entry earns AED 100,000, with AED 65,000 going to the runner-up and AED 35,000 awarded for third place.
Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, framed the project as part of the emirate’s broader push to lead urban innovation. “The launch of the world’s first AI-powered park design challenge reflects Dubai’s ambition to lead the future of urban innovation by combining advanced technologies with human-centred design. Under the leadership’s vision, Dubai Municipality continues to develop transformative initiatives that enhance quality of life, strengthen community participation and reimagine public spaces as integrated destinations designed around people and their daily needs,” he said.
He stressed that the technology functions as an aid rather than a substitute for designers. “Artificial intelligence is not replacing human creativity in this challenge. It is being used as a tool to expand possibilities, deepen understanding and support better design decisions. Through this initiative, we aim to attract bold ideas from designers, researchers, students, startups and technology innovators, while reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global model for designing smart, sustainable and liveable future cities,” he added.
Eligibility extends across professionals in urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture and public space design, as well as undergraduate students, master’s and PhD candidates, researchers, startups, AI specialists and technology innovators. Each entrant must show how AI shaped their work, whether through concept exploration, spatial planning, environmental response, shade and microclimate optimisation, user experience insights, performance improvement, data-informed decisions or AI-assisted visualisation.
Completed submissions are expected to contain a fully integrated master plan backed by data analysis, visualisations, detailed plans and drawings, alongside an account of how AI tools guided the design.
Judging falls to a panel of executive leaders from the Government of Dubai together with local and international figures in design, architecture, artificial intelligence and future city planning. That panel will shortlist proposals before the public is brought in to help choose the winners. Evaluators will weigh the strength of the AI-integrated approach, spatial intelligence and feasibility, human-centred experience, inclusivity, sustainability, clarity of narrative and the capacity to turn data into workable spatial outcomes.
Bader Anwahi, CEO of the Public Facilities Agency at Dubai Municipality, pointed to the everyday stakes of park design. “Parks play a direct role in shaping community wellbeing, social connection and everyday quality of life. Through this challenge, Dubai Municipality is exploring a new model for public space design, where artificial intelligence helps generate deeper insights into people, place, climate and use, while ensuring that the final outcome remains practical, inclusive and centred on human experience,” he said.
The municipality has positioned the challenge as a test case for how AI can inform the full arc of a project, from site analysis and user research through concept generation, scenario testing, optimisation and visualisation, while keeping final decisions in human hands. According to Anwahi, the chosen site offers room to experiment. “Al Safa 2 Park provides an opportunity to test how AI can support the design of more responsive, comfortable and sustainable public spaces. Our focus is on developing a park that is accessible, engaging and meaningful for all ages and abilities, while reflecting the needs of the community and Dubai’s identity as a city of innovation,” he said.
