Month: June 2015

Could the UAE be a New Hub for Artificial Intelligence?

Were you to ask anyone the location of the world’s technology capital, there’s a good chance they’d say it was Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley has no doubt been the leader in global technological innovation over the course of the last thirty years, but a new hub may be emerging: the United Arab Emirates.

 

Those like international businessman Hussain al Nowais who have been attuned to the UAE’s progress over the course of the last decade won’t be surprised that this Middle Eastern nation has positioned itself to become a leader in technological development. The UAE’s economy is thriving, its government is advocating for a new era of progress, and its cities have become an international symbol of prosperity.

 

Not only is the UAE poised to become a leader in technology, it may also become a new hub for artificial intelligence (AI). According to the Huffington Post, the United Arab Emirates and surrounding MENA countries are burgeoning with Internet and smartphone users, precisely the demographic need to garner support and enthusiasm for AI technologies. At present, there are 151 million Internet users and 86 million smartphone users, the majority of which reside in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Businesses throughout the region have rapidly expanded their digital marketing efforts as a result. Experts predict that by the year 2018, mobile advertising alone will quadruple to reach $494 million. While citizens throughout the MENA region are engaging with these technologies, the UAE remains by far the nation in the best position to capitalize on it with new developments. With such high demand in the digital communications sphere, a nation like the UAE—armed with ambition and funding—is perfectly primed to make even more advancements.

 

Already, the UAE has launched its first-ever AI and Robotic Award for Good, a competition that will award 1 million U.S. dollars to the UAE innovator that creates the best AI robot to benefit health or education. A winner will be determined in February of 2016. The UAE has also established an official Board of Artificial Intelligence to serve as an overseeing body for new AI developments, while its major universities, like the University of Dubai, are offering Artificial Intelligence degrees that are attracting students from around the world.

 

The UAE may not be a leader in Artificial Intelligence just yet, but if it continues on its current trajectory, it very well may become Silicon Valley’s biggest competition.

 

 

 

How the UAE is Stealing the Spotlight at the World Expo

The year 2015 seems to be the year for the United Arab Emirates; not only has the UAE proclaimed 2015 to be its “Year of Innovation” (and is so far living up to this name), it’s also impressing on the world stage. As Hussain al Nowais, an avid follower of UAE culture and current events, argues, the UAE’s showing at the World Expo in Milan has once again demonstrated how the UAE has transformed into a major global player.

Journalists and attendees of the World Expo have made clear that the UAE’s pavilion is among the most attractive and original of all those present at the event. Crowds are flocking to get an up-close view of the UAE’s impressive array of foods, products, business opportunities, and much more. Even Italian Ambassador to the UAE Giorgio Starace noted that the UAE’s pavilion was the most distinctive and organized at the Expo. The pavilion’s structure—comprised of sleek rippled walls—is not only notable for its originality, but was also uniquely designed to be deconstructed and reassembled in back in the UAE, a choice reflective of the UAE’s overall focus on sustainability and innovation.

The UAE’s strong showing at the 2015 Milan World Expo is significant for two reasons, the first being that the UAE has emerged as one of Italy’s strongest trading partners. As of early summer, 2015 Italian exports to the UAE stand at 6 billion euros. The UAE’s participation at the World Expo therefore not only reaffirms important trading partnerships, but is the perfect platform to forge new business alliances and increase trade further.

Secondly, the UAE’s impressive showing at the 2015 World Expo is vital to building anticipation for its own World Expo hosting opportunity, to occur in 2020. The UAE’s ability to offer up a pavilion that showcases products, businesses, and technologies that visitors about which visitors are genuinely excited increases its ability to successfully market the 2020 World Expo and attract even more attendees from around the world.

As Hussain al Nowais notes, the 2015 World Expo is in many ways a well-deserved reward for the UAE’s tireless efforts to improve, adapt, and innovate.