Under the patronage of the Ambassador of France to the UAE, CCI France UAE will host the second edition of Voices of AI: The UAE–France Business Forum on 22 September 2026 at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. The one-day event is jointly organised with knowledge partner Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and brings together key stakeholders including the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Team France Export, Business France, Bpifrance, the French Embassy Regional Economic Department, La French Tech Abu Dhabi-Dubai and the French Foreign Trade Advisors.
The forum arrives at a moment when UAE-France cooperation in artificial intelligence is accelerating, driven by major infrastructure investments and expanding industrial applications. It aims to serve as a strategic bridge across the full AI value chain from academic research and policy to investment, entrepreneurship and real-world deployment while opening concrete market-entry pathways for French startups and deepening commercial ties inside the UAE’s fast-evolving AI ecosystem.
More than 300 high-level participants from government, academia, industry and investment circles across Europe and the Middle East are expected. Confirmed industry voices include Schneider Electric, Dassault Systèmes, Alcatel, L’Oréal, Chalhoub Group, Apgar and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi itself. The programme will feature plenary sessions, sector-focused panels, startup pitch presentations, the launch of a white paper on the future of AI collaboration, and an Innovation Village showcasing live AI-driven technologies and solutions.
Discussions will centre on the guiding theme “if data is the new oil, Artificial Intelligence is the engine.” Panels will examine sovereign AI and data protection, healthcare and precision medicine, energy and infrastructure, retail, luxury and agentic commerce, and the emerging field of digital humanities. The agenda is designed to move beyond high-level vision statements toward actionable partnerships that generate measurable economic and social value.
Agnès Lopez Cruz, Managing Director of CCI France UAE, said the second edition builds directly on the momentum of the inaugural event. “The Voices of AI Business Forum has rapidly established itself as a key platform for collaboration between France and the UAE. This second edition further strengthens our ambition to connect ecosystems, showcase excellence, and generate concrete business opportunities. By bringing together innovators, investors and institutions from our two countries, we aim to foster strategic partnerships and contribute to a sustainable and globally competitive AI landscape.”
Professor Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, underlined the university’s role within its wider Year of AI agenda. “The longstanding relationship between the UAE and France continues to create meaningful opportunities across education, research and innovation. Through Voices of AI, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is proud to support dialogue between leading voices in artificial intelligence across academia, industry, government and investment. The forum aims to strengthen UAE-France collaboration around AI infrastructure and innovation and the responsible development of technologies shaping the future of industries and societies.”
CCI France UAE, a private organisation under local law with more than 550 members spanning entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals, has operated in the UAE for over fifty years. Its core missions include strengthening French-Emirati business links, supporting French companies establishing operations in the UAE, organising high-value networking and sector events, and promoting member firms within the local business community. It forms part of the CCI France International network of 125 chambers across 98 countries.
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Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, established in 2006 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the first French university in the capital. Operating on a 93,000-square-metre campus on Al Reem Island, it offers more than 20 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across Arts and Humanities, Law, Economics and Business, and Data, Science and Engineering.
Degrees are awarded by Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité and carry dual French and UAE accreditation. The university’s SAFIR research institute coordinates seven centres focused on critical domains including AI, the humanities and marine science, while its cultural centre runs a year-round programme of exhibitions, performances and public talks. With more than 3,200 graduates from over 90 nationalities, SUAD positions itself as a bridge between French academic excellence and the UAE’s knowledge economy.
Registration for Voices of AI remains open until 18 September 2026. Interested participants can register via the official short link and find further details on the websites of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and CCI France UAE.
The second edition of Voices of AI arrives as both nations intensify efforts to turn AI research into industrial capability and shared prosperity. By convening decision-makers, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs in one focused day of dialogue and demonstration, the forum seeks to convert strategic intent into tangible partnerships that will shape the next phase of UAE-France collaboration in artificial intelligence.
