ATRC Launches R&D Talent Enablement Program at the NSTI Festival in Al Ain, With Physical AI Among Its Tracks
Eleven initiatives across six stages, from a school programme to scholarships and a talent database, unveiled as Al Ain hosts the eighth national science and innovation festival.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026/3 min read
The UAE's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has launched a national programme meant to carry young people from school classrooms into research careers, with physical AI among the fields it names. The R&D Talent Enablement Program was introduced at the National Festival of Science, Technology and Innovation (NSTI) in Al Ain, Gulf News reported on 11 November.
The festival is running from 10 to 13 November at the ADNEC Centre Al Ain. It is organised by the UAE Ministry of Education and ATRC.
What does the R&D Talent Enablement Program include?
According to Gulf News, the programme has 11 initiatives across six stages of academic and professional development. The ATRC School Program gives pupils a year-long introduction to advanced technology in UAE schools. Community hubs offer hands-on research and development exposure outside the classroom. High-potential students can take part in assessments, competitions and upskilling, including in physical AI and space exploration, and the programme adds scholarships, internships and industrial training placements in the UAE and abroad.
A Talent Observatory, described as a national database that identifies and tracks promising research talent, is also part of the plan. ATRC expects it to hold more than 20,000 records by 2030. ATRC says its existing STEM programmes have already reached more than 50,000 students. Shahab Issa Abu Shahab, ATRC's Director General, said the UAE's knowledge-based economy depends on its people. Dr-Ing. Mae Al Mansoori, who directs the programme at ATRC, said: "We have never been short of talent in this country."
What is happening at the NSTI Festival in Al Ain?
The Abu Dhabi Media Office announcement of 7 November sets out the festival's scale. It is the eighth edition, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, and it supports UAE Innovates, which is observed throughout November.
The competitions drew more than 4,700 registrations and applications in total. The Emirates Young Scientist Competition received 2,651 registrations from pupils in Grades 5 to 12, and 100 projects were selected across four categories. The Advanced Technology Pioneers competition received 707 applications from university students and recent graduates; 210 participants formed 58 teams that worked on challenges set by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, EDGE Group and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company. The Junior Innovators Challenge drew 1,402 entries from kindergarten to Grade 4.
The programme also includes a scientific conference, a Family Festival and 80 sessions and workshops on robotics, coding, renewable energy and the arts, along with live science demonstrations and interactive AI experiences. The festival also hosts the launch of Path 2 A2RL, which is linked to the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League and covers autonomous driving and embodied AI.
Why does talent matter for the UAE's AI plans?
Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary-General of ATRC, said building an intelligence-driven economy takes more than investment in advanced technology, and that the festival links young talent directly to research and to industry challenges, according to the media office. That is the gap the new programme is built to address: a defined route, with named stages, from a school club to a research post.
The announcements do not say how many pupils the new programme expects to enrol or when each of its 11 initiatives opens, so the first figures to watch are the sign-ups from the school programme and the first entries in the Talent Observatory.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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