The first Dubai AI & Web3 Festival took place on 11-12 September 2024, with His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, attending the opening. Organised by the Dubai AI Campus in partnership with the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, the event aimed to solidify Dubai's role as a global leader in AI. Over 6,800 business leaders and more than 100 exhibitors participated, showcasing innovations in AI and Web3.

The first day of the festival centred on "Enabling Digital Economies," covering key topics such as scalability, innovation, and security. His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, highlighted AI's transformative power across sectors like healthcare, education, and finance. He also unveiled Challenge X, a platform designed to advance AI through global competitions for data scientists and machine learning enthusiasts.

The festival is set to grow into one of the largest industry events, attracting 30,000 delegates annually by 2027. High-profile speakers, including HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud and leaders from Google Cloud and Meta, contributed to discussions on the future of AI. The event further reinforced Dubai’s ambition to lead the digital economy and AI advancements.