diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index c929a2154bb..9672ae934d4 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -110,3 +110,22 @@ build:dpc-private \
 
 test:dpc-private \
     --test_tag_filters="dpc,-public"
+
+
+# Configuration: 'release'
+# The //:release target automatically builds all ISA variants when
+# --cpu is unset (auto), and includes DPC++ libs by default.
+# Use --cpu=<isa> to restrict ISAs for CI speed, or --release_dpc=false
+# to disable DPC++ libs.
+#   bazel build //:release                       # CPU + DPC++, all ISAs
+#   bazel build //:release --release_dpc=false   # CPU only, all ISAs
+#   bazel build //:release --cpu=avx2            # CI: avx2 only
+
+
+# Configuration: 'dev'
+# Fast local development build — compiles only for the host machine's
+# highest ISA (auto-detected). Use this to speed up iterative builds.
+# NOT suitable for release/packaging.
+#   bazel build //cpp/oneapi/dal:tests --config=dev
+build:dev \
+    --cpu=auto
diff --git a/.ci/pipeline/ci.yml b/.ci/pipeline/ci.yml
index 02f5a2b205b..de5b728776c 100755
--- a/.ci/pipeline/ci.yml
+++ b/.ci/pipeline/ci.yml
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ jobs:
     displayName: 'bazel-configure'
 
   - script: |
-      bazel build :release
+      bazel build :release --release_dpc=false
     displayName: 'release'
 
   - script: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-validation-nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-validation-nightly.yml
index 4009362a260..3e2cef1679b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-validation-nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-validation-nightly.yml
@@ -75,9 +75,11 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p ${{ github.workspace }}/bazel-cache
 
           docker run \
-            -v ${{ github.workspace }}/bazel-cache:/root/.cache/bazel \
+            -v ${{ github.workspace }}/bazel-cache:/root/.cache/bazel-disk \
             onedal-dev sh -c "
               # Use external disk cache
-              echo 'build --disk_cache=/root/.cache/bazel' > ~/.bazelrc
-              bazel build :release
+              echo 'build --disk_cache=/root/.cache/bazel-disk' > ~/.bazelrc
+              # In CI we build for avx2 only (override default "all" ISA release build).
+              # For a full release with all ISA variants, omit --cpu or use --cpu=all.
+              bazel build :release --cpu=avx2 --release_dpc=false
             "
diff --git a/cpp/daal/BUILD b/cpp/daal/BUILD
index 624977782ab..2dbee6cb243 100644
--- a/cpp/daal/BUILD
+++ b/cpp/daal/BUILD
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
+load("@rules_shell//shell:sh_test.bzl", "sh_test")
 load("@onedal//dev/bazel:dal.bzl",
     "dal_test_suite",
     "dal_collect_test_suites",
@@ -11,7 +12,6 @@ load("@onedal//dev/bazel:daal.bzl",
     "daal_generate_version",
     "daal_patch_kernel_defines",
 )
-load("@rules_shell//shell:sh_test.bzl", "sh_test")
 
 daal_module(
     name = "microvmlipp",
@@ -317,3 +317,10 @@ sh_test(
     }) + ["@platforms//os:linux"],
 )
 
+sh_test(
+    name = "isa_coverage_test",
+    srcs = ["@onedal//dev/bazel/tests:isa_coverage_test.sh"],
+    args = ["$(location :core_dynamic)"],
+    data = [":core_dynamic"],
+    target_compatible_with = ["@platforms//os:linux"],
+)
diff --git a/dev/bazel/README.md b/dev/bazel/README.md
index b8166b7415e..ffd99347ae6 100644
--- a/dev/bazel/README.md
+++ b/dev/bazel/README.md
@@ -226,6 +226,22 @@ The most used Bazel commands are `build`, `test` and `run`.
   ```
 
 ## Build recipes for oneDAL
+### Build release artifacts
+- To build the library release artifacts (similar to Make build), run:
+  ```sh
+  bazel build //:release
+  ```
+  This automatically builds all required ISA variants (SSE2, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512) and includes DPC++ libraries by default.
+
+  - To build for a specific CPU architecture only (useful for speeding up CI), use `--cpu`:
+    ```sh
+    bazel build //:release --cpu=avx2
+    ```
+  - To disable building DPC++ libraries, use `--release_dpc=false`:
+    ```sh
+    bazel build //:release --release_dpc=false
+    ```
+
 ### Run oneAPI examples
 - To run all oneAPI C++ example use the following commands:
   ```sh
diff --git a/dev/bazel/config/config.tpl.BUILD b/dev/bazel/config/config.tpl.BUILD
index 83cd06bf9c2..9271d23986f 100644
--- a/dev/bazel/config/config.tpl.BUILD
+++ b/dev/bazel/config/config.tpl.BUILD
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ config_setting(
 
 config_bool_flag(
     name = "release_dpc",
-    build_setting_default = False,
+    build_setting_default = True,
 )
 
 config_bool_flag(
diff --git a/dev/bazel/release.bzl b/dev/bazel/release.bzl
index c11a19d0b8b..0f1bfc9b9bb 100644
--- a/dev/bazel/release.bzl
+++ b/dev/bazel/release.bzl
@@ -18,6 +18,23 @@ load("@onedal//dev/bazel:utils.bzl", "utils", "paths")
 load("@onedal//dev/bazel:cc.bzl", "ModuleInfo")
 load("@rules_cc//cc/common:cc_info.bzl", "CcInfo")
 
+# Transition: force --cpu=all when building release libs,
+# unless --cpu is explicitly overridden (e.g. --cpu=avx2 in CI).
+# This ensures bazel build //:release compiles all ISA variants
+# (sse2, sse42, avx2, avx512) by default without any extra flags.
+def _release_cpu_all_impl(settings, attr):
+    current = settings["@config//:cpu"]
+    # Respect explicit --cpu flag; only force "all" for the default "auto".
+    if current == "auto":
+        return {"@config//:cpu": "all"}
+    return {"@config//:cpu": current}
+
+_release_cpu_all_transition = transition(
+    implementation = _release_cpu_all_impl,
+    inputs = ["@config//:cpu"],
+    outputs = ["@config//:cpu"],
+)
+
 def _match_file_name(file, entries):
     for entry in entries:
         if entry in file.path:
@@ -94,10 +111,10 @@ def _copy_to_release_impl(ctx):
 _release = rule(
     implementation = _copy_to_release_impl,
     attrs = {
-        "include": attr.label_list(allow_files=True),
+        "include": attr.label_list(allow_files=True, cfg=_release_cpu_all_transition),
         "include_prefix": attr.string_list(),
         "include_skip_prefix": attr.string_list(),
-        "lib": attr.label_list(allow_files=True),
+        "lib": attr.label_list(allow_files=True, cfg=_release_cpu_all_transition),
     },
     toolchains = [
         "@onedal//dev/bazel/toolchains:extra"
diff --git a/dev/bazel/tests/BUILD b/dev/bazel/tests/BUILD
index 80b332561b7..c60ff60fdd7 100644
--- a/dev/bazel/tests/BUILD
+++ b/dev/bazel/tests/BUILD
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
 
-exports_files(["mkl_linkage_test.sh"])
+exports_files([
+    "isa_coverage_test.sh",
+    "mkl_linkage_test.sh",
+])
diff --git a/dev/bazel/tests/isa_coverage_test.sh b/dev/bazel/tests/isa_coverage_test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9c09fa3bfcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/bazel/tests/isa_coverage_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#===============================================================================
+# Copyright contributors to the oneDAL project
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#===============================================================================
+#
+# Verifies that libonedal_core.so contains CPU dispatch symbols for all
+# required ISA variants: sse2, sse42, avx2, avx512 (CpuType E0/E2/E4/E6).
+#
+# Make builds all 4 ISA variants by default. Building via //:release
+# automatically compiles all ISA variants (cfg transition on release rule).
+# This test enforces that contract.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+LIB="${1:-}"
+if [[ -z "${LIB}" ]]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <path-to-libonedal_core.so>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -f "${LIB}" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Library not found: ${LIB}"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+
+check_isa() {
+    local cpu_type="$1"   # e.g. CpuTypeE2
+    local isa_name="$2"   # e.g. sse42
+    local count
+    count=$(nm -D "${LIB}" | grep -c "${cpu_type}" || true)
+    if [[ "${count}" -gt 0 ]]; then
+        echo "  OK  ${isa_name} (${cpu_type}): ${count} dispatch symbols"
+        PASS=$((PASS + 1))
+    else
+        echo "  FAIL ${isa_name} (${cpu_type}): 0 dispatch symbols found"
+        echo "       Build via //:release (uses all ISAs via cfg transition) or pass --cpu=all"
+        FAIL=$((FAIL + 1))
+    fi
+}
+
+echo "=== ISA coverage check: $(basename "${LIB}") ==="
+check_isa "CpuTypeE0" "sse2"
+check_isa "CpuTypeE2" "sse42"
+check_isa "CpuTypeE4" "avx2"
+check_isa "CpuTypeE6" "avx512"
+
+echo ""
+if [[ "${FAIL}" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    echo "RESULT: FAILED (${FAIL} ISA(s) missing, ${PASS} present)"
+    exit 1
+else
+    echo "RESULT: PASSED (all 4 ISA variants present)"
+    exit 0
+fi