A Packed Room, Real Learning, and Community Momentum

The GitHub Copilot Dev Days Abu Dhabi meetup brought together a diverse and highly engaged audience at Bespin Global HQ for a full day focused on AI-powered development, real-world use cases, and community-driven learning.

From early planning to execution, the goal was simple, deliver a practical, hands-on, and engaging experience around GitHub Copilot, not just theory.

Event Overview

Date: April 11, 2026
Location: Bespin Global HQ, Abu Dhabi
Organizer: Mahmoud Atallah
Partners: Microsoft & GitHub

A full-day immersive experience focused on GitHub Copilot, agentic development, cloud automation, and real-world engineering practices.

Event Agenda (Final)

A Strong Start, Smooth Experience

From the moment attendees arrived, everything was structured to ensure a seamless experience:

• Clear access instructions and guided entry
• On-ground support directing attendees to the auditorium
• Smooth check-in and registration
• A welcoming setup with coffee and networking

The room quickly filled up with a strong mix of professionals, from deep technical engineers to business roles and first-time GitHub users.

Opening Session, Setting the Tone

The opening session focused on:

• Event expectations and agenda walkthrough
• Speaker introductions
• Workshops and labs (as takeaways)
• Community vision and Experts Live journey
• Interactive Kahoot kickoff

This created the right balance between structure, energy, and engagement from the start.

Sessions That Delivered Real Value

Better Terraform Reviews with GitHub PR Checks, Saleh Elnaggar

This was one of the most technical and impactful sessions of the day.

• Automated Terraform validation
• Formatting and linting enforcement
• Improving pull request quality
• Enabling reviewers to focus on architecture decisions

For technical attendees, this session delivered immediate, practical value.

GitHub Copilot for Agentic Development, Moiz Lokhandwala

A forward-looking session covering:

• Agent-based workflows
• Custom agents and skills
• Multi-agent orchestration
• Practical automation use cases

This gave attendees a clear view of where development is heading.

GitHub Copilot, Past, Present, and Future, Mohammed Faisal

A structured walkthrough of:

• Copilot evolution
• Current capabilities
• Future innovations
• Governance and best practices

Also a special milestone as it was Faisal’s first public session, delivered confidently and successfully.

A Day in My Life with GitHub Copilot, Mahmoud Atallah

A practical, demo-driven session focused on:

• Real daily workflows with Copilot
• VS Code productivity
• GitHub Mobile usage
• Automation and delivery acceleration

The key message:

We are moving from writing code to guiding systems.

Session Structure

All sessions followed a consistent format:

• 45 minutes per session
• Mix of presentation and live demos
• Real-world scenarios
• Final 10 minutes for Q&A

This ensured a balanced and practical experience across all sessions.

Workshops and Labs, Learning Beyond the Event

Workshops were designed as post-event takeaways:

• Accessible via QR codes in slides
• Hands-on labs for deeper learning
• Self-paced continuation after the event

This extended the value beyond the event itself.

Kahoot, Prizes, and High Energy Engagement

Engagement was a core pillar of the event:

• Multiple Kahoot rounds
• Questions across sessions
• Strong audience participation

Prize Structure 🎁

• Prize Round #1 before lunch
• Grand Prize during closing

Giveaways included:

• GitHub Pro licenses
• Microsoft and GitHub swag
• Stickers from multiple communities
• Experts Live bags
• Bespin giveaways

A unique touch, winners had the option to pass their prize to someone else, reinforcing the community spirit.

Networking, Food, and Community Vibe

The event balanced learning with strong networking:

• Coffee and refreshments throughout the day
• Catering including pizza and snacks
• Additional treats like mini donuts
• Open networking during breaks

The environment encouraged real conversations and connections.

A Packed Room with Diverse Perspectives

The audience diversity was a key highlight:

• Deep technical engineers
• Cloud and DevOps architects
• Business and commercial roles
• First-time GitHub users

This created rich discussions and multiple perspectives throughout the day.

Feedback and Community Momentum

The response was extremely positive:

• High engagement across sessions
• Strong participation in Q&A
• Multiple requests to repeat the event
• Interest in recurring meetups

The key takeaway:

The community demand is real, and growing fast.

Special Thanks

A big thank you to:

• Bespin Global for hosting the event
• Experts Live Emirates and Cloud Mechanics for the Swags
• Microsoft and GitHub teams for collaboration and support
• All speakers for delivering valuable sessions
• The community for making this event a success

What’s Next

This is just the beginning.

Next steps include:

• Expanding into recurring meetups
• Increasing hands-on workshops
• Growing the community further
• Driving deeper adoption of AI in real-world engineering

Event Gallery

References & Resources

• Meetup page:
  https://www.meetup.com/globalaiabudhabi/

• 🚀 GitHub Copilot Access

  Activate free access here:
  https://aka.ms/get-github-copilot-devdays

• 🎁 Sweepstakes / GitHub Pro LicenseParticipation & eligibility details:
  https://aka.ms/githubcopilotdevdays/sweepstakes

Stay Connected

If you attended and want to continue the conversation, feel free to reach out.

And if you missed it, more is coming soon.