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The Global Prompt Engineering Championship recently concluded in Dubai, leaving a significant mark on the AI and tech community. Bringing together participants from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, the event highlighted the growing influence of prompt engineering across various domains. Four creative categories—art, video, gaming, and coding—formed the basis for this highly anticipated competition.
With Dh1 million in collective prize money at stake, the championship celebrated ingenuity and innovation, showcasing how strategic interactions with AI can produce groundbreaking results.
What is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering, despite its technical-sounding name, is surprisingly straightforward. It essentially involves crafting well-structured requests, or “prompts,” for generative AI tools to perform specific tasks. Whether you’re using tools like ChatGPT, AI image generators, or advanced gaming technologies, learning how to communicate effectively with AI is fundamental to obtaining the best possible results.
Held at the Boulevard Emirates Towers during Dubai AI Week 2025, the competition invited participants from all walks of life to compete in their preferred category. It served as a platform to uncover how AI can enhance creativity ranging from game development to artistic endeavors.
A Glimpse Into the Winning Stories
1. Coding – Abdulrahman Almarzooqi
Abdulrahman Almarzooqi, a master’s student at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), took home first place in the coding category. Having previously won the Emirates Skills National Competition, Almarzooqi once again demonstrated his expertise. He represented the UAE with pride, exemplifying how technical proficiency, matched with strategic prompting, can solve complex coding problems effectively.
2. Gaming – Ibrahim Helmy
For Ibrahim Helmy, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, the competition was deeply personal. “Programming is my profession, and gaming is my passion,” he said. Combining these two worlds, Helmy applied his technical background to create gaming prompts during the contest.
Interestingly, the process required him to relearn certain aspects of game development to fulfill both roles of a player and a developer. Obstacles, control dynamics, visuals, audio, and player interaction all needed meticulous prompting to blend seamlessly. While performing under pressure with an observing audience, Helmy embraced the challenge, acknowledging that sometimes navigating AI can feel frustrating yet rewarding.
3. Video – Ibrahim Hajjo
The video category winner, filmmaker Ibrahim Hajjo, came into the competition with limited experience in AI tools. However, his background in video editing gave him a foundation to explore generative AI applications creatively. Within just two months of practice, Hajjo was able to hone his skills in designing impactful video prompts.
The competition tested his ability to think quickly and creatively under time constraints, pushing him to maximize his artistic potential within the AI framework. Through persistence and practice, Hajjo showcased how even minimal AI experience can lead to exceptional results when paired with a creative mindset.
4. Art – Yahya Kaddoura
Yahya Kaddoura, an architect and urban designer, brought his insights from the art and design world into play. Unique to the art category was its flexibility; participants aimed to create captivating visuals within a limited timeframe. Kaddoura described his process as consisting of three distinct stages:
- Idea Formation: Constructing a strong narrative to convey through a single image.
- Image Generation: Using AI to realize his vision and adapt it to specific requirements.
- Final Touches: Editing and refining the generated image for optimal quality.
Preparation played a significant role in Yahya’s victory. He spent weeks preparing for the competition with rigorous practice sessions, using a timer to simulate the real event’s pressure.
Key Lessons and Highlights From the Championship
Innovation Across Backgrounds
The most striking aspect of this year’s championship was the diversity of the participants. Unlike many technical competitions restricted to programmers and engineers, this event welcomed artists, filmmakers, and gamers, signaling that AI is a multidisciplinary tool accessible to all.
Bridging Creativity With Technology
Whether through a brushstroke informed by AI, a cinematic shot engineered algorithmically, or a line of code creatively crafted, the championship proved that AI is a companion in creativity, shifting traditional methods without erasing artistic individuality.
Preparation Meets Opportunity
Every winner highlighted the importance of preparation in achieving success with AI. From countless practice sessions to adapting traditional knowledge into modern AI environments, their journeys reinforced that success comes from both skill-building and risk-taking.
The Growing Importance of Prompt Engineering
Events like the Global Prompt Engineering Championship emphasize that prompt engineering is more than a technical term; it is a skill poised to play a pivotal role in the future of education, artistry, and business. By mastering how to interact with AI, individuals can unlock its full potential, whether they are coding a complex algorithm or generating unique artwork.
This competition not only showcased the heights of creative possibilities but also invited everyone to rethink how we can harness AI to enhance, rather than replace, human ingenuity.
A Call to Explore AI’s Potential
If the stories from the Global Prompt Engineering Championship inspired you, now is the perfect time to begin exploring the boundless potential of AI. Whether you’re looking to enhance your technical skills, experiment with digital art, or create the next big game, prompt engineering can open up new and exciting opportunities.
