ADIB hosts Microsoft Copilot Promptathon to accelerate AI capability building across the bank

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has hosted a Microsoft Copilot Promptathon in partnership with the Microsoft Innovation Hub, reinforcing the bank’s focus on embedding practical artificial intelligence capabilities across its operations.

Bringing together employees from multiple business and support functions, the initiative enabled teams to explore how advanced prompt engineering can be applied to solve current business challenges. Participants presented real-world use cases demonstrating how carefully designed prompts can improve the accuracy, relevance, and usefulness of AI-generated outputs.

Designed as a hands-on learning experience, the Promptathon focused on building practical skills in prompt engineering, the process of refining instructions given to AI systems to generate more effective responses. Through collaborative workshops and live demonstrations, teams examined how tools such as Microsoft Copilot can support decision-making, streamline workflows, and enhance productivity across the bank.

This initiative forms part of ADIB’s broader efforts to empower its workforce with future-ready digital capabilities, ensuring employees are equipped to leverage AI technologies responsibly and effectively, in line with the bank’s innovation agenda and long-term digital transformation strategy.

Commenting on the initative, Fernando Plaza, Group Chief Digital Officer at ADIB, said: “AI delivers real value only when people know how to use it effectively. Through initiatives like the Microsoft Copilot Promptathon, we are equipping our teams with practical skills that help translate emerging technologies into meaningful business outcomes. This hands-on approach supports smarter decision-making, greater efficiency, and responsible adoption of AI across the bank, in line with ADIB’s long-term digital transformation agenda.”

By encouraging experimentation and cross-functional collaboration, the Promptathon reflects ADIB’s approach to AI adoption, prioritizing capability building, responsible use, and measurable impact while remaining aligned with Sharia-compliant and ethical banking principles.