Palestine AI Conference 2026
Theme: Empowering Palestine Digital Future
Date: 2026-04-27
Time: 10:45 - 16:30
Location: Techno Park Ramallah
Registration: Register here to attend
10:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:25
11:25 - 11:30
11:30 - 12:30
Building Trustworthy AI: Ethics, Safety, Responsible Use, and Public Service Transformation Panel
This session explores how to develop and deploy AI systems that are ethical, transparent, secure, and aligned with societal values, while also leveraging AI to enhance public service delivery and strengthen accountability and transparency in government. Policymakers, technologists, and civil society leaders will discuss data governance, privacy, bias mitigation, and AI safety frameworks, as well as practical applications of AI in improving efficiency, responsiveness, and trust in public institutions. The session will also examine how Palestine can adopt responsible AI principles to modernize government services, promote open and accountable governance, and accelerate inclusive digital transformation.
12:30 - 12:40
India’s AI journey Speaker
The session highlighted India’s transformative journey toward becoming a global AI powerhouse, focusing on a national strategy built around democratizing access to technology, developing robust public data infrastructure, and empowering citizens. It explored how this approach contributes to ambitious economic growth targets, including the vision of a multi-trillion-dollar economy. Key initiatives were discussed, such as large-scale upskilling programs, the development of sovereign compute infrastructure, and the opening of public datasets to support startups and innovation. The discussion also emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between government and the private sector, alongside the role of smart regulation in enabling innovation to scale effectively, offering a compelling and replicable model for other countries.
12:40 - 12:50
Bridging the Digital Gap: Empowering Youth for the AI Economy Speaker
The session addressed the growing digital divide and its implications for advancing national AI ambitions, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to ensure inclusive access to technology. It explored key initiatives such as digital literacy programs, community connectivity projects, and youth upskilling efforts as essential pillars for equitable participation in the AI economy. The discussion underscored that bridging this gap is not only a social priority but also an economic necessity, as inclusive digital engagement expands both the talent pool and the user base for AI-driven solutions, ultimately strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of the national ecosystem.
12:50 - 13:00
Award Ceremony for the Winners of the AI Hackathon
The Hackathon Award Ceremony recognized the top teams from Palestine's AI Hackathon, held as part of AI Week 2026. Competing teams developed innovative AI applications addressing real-world challenges in sectors ranging from agriculture and healthcare to logistics and education. The ceremony celebrated both the technical excellence and the entrepreneurial drive of Palestinian youth, underscoring the growing depth of local AI talent. Winners were awarded prizes and offered pathways into mentorship programs and accelerators to help bring their prototypes to market.
13:00 - 14:00
From Skills to Scale: Building the AI Workforce and Empowering Startups Panel
This session connects workforce development with entrepreneurship, focusing on how to equip youth and professionals with future-ready AI skills while supporting startups to scale innovative solutions. The discussion will cover talent pipelines, reskilling and upskilling programs, startup incubation, access to funding, and creating an enabling environment for AI-driven ventures in Palestine.
14:00 - 14:15
From Capability to Execution: Winning in the Age of AI Agents Keynote Speaker
As AI agents make technical capability increasingly accessible, the foundations of competitive advantage are shifting. Success is no longer defined by who can build, but by who can execute faster, smarter, and with greater focus. This keynote reframes AI as a new execution layer, where ideas, system thinking, and disciplined action determine impact. It highlights what this shift means for emerging ecosystems and why the ability to translate capability into real-world outcomes will define the next generation of winners.
14:15 - 14:25
AI-Driven Education: Modernizing Curricula & Industry-Academia Synergy Speaker
The session explored the evolving role of universities as key drivers of the AI economy, emphasizing the need to modernize curricula and strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. It outlined a practical approach to integrating AI literacy across all disciplines—not limited to computer science—while restructuring research agendas to focus on applied, industry-relevant challenges. The discussion highlighted the urgency for academic institutions to adopt more agile models, deepen partnerships with the private sector, and redefine success metrics to reflect real-world impact, including the career readiness of graduates and the creation of innovative startups and enterprises.
14:25 - 14:30
Award Ceremony for the Winners of the AI Research
The AI Research Award Ceremony honored outstanding Palestinian researchers who advanced the frontiers of artificial intelligence in 2025-2026. Award categories spanned foundational AI research, applied AI for social impact, and cross-disciplinary studies linking AI with fields such as medicine, agriculture, and law. The ceremony acknowledged the vital role of locally produced research in building national knowledge sovereignty and highlighted pathways for researchers to translate their work into commercializable solutions and policy recommendations.
14:30 - 15:30
Universities at the Heart of AI Innovation: Education, Research, and Talent Development Panel
This session highlights the critical role of Palestinian universities in shaping the future AI workforce. It will focus on modernizing curricula, strengthening applied research, fostering industry-academia collaboration, and preparing students with the skills needed for AI-driven economies. Best practices and successful university–industry models will be shared.
15:30 - 16:30
AI for Productive Sectors: Enhancing Industry, Agriculture, and Economic Growth Panel
This session focuses on the application of AI to enhance Palestinian productive sectors (e.g., industry, agriculture, and other key economic domains), with an emphasis on improving productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness. It will explore how AI-driven solutions can optimize operations, enable smarter resource management, and unlock new value chains across sectors. The discussion will also address the role of skills development, innovation, and entrepreneurship in supporting sectoral transformation, including building talent pipelines, fostering applied research, and enabling startups and enterprises to deploy AI solutions that respond to real market needs in Palestine.
