
AI to help Abu Dhabi Police detect traffic violations, security threats
'The main problems targeted include enhancing officer response speed, supporting smarter and faster decision-making, modernising investigative methods, and increasing the overall security of Abu Dhabi,' Mohammed AlMheiri, Chief Business Officer — Public Safety & Security, Presight, told Khaleej Times in an interview.
'While detailed KPIs are still under development, key indicators are likely to include improved emergency response times, measurable reductions in crime rates, (and) accuracy of real-time threat detection," he added.
Intelligent systems will also enable digital forensics and predictive analytics.
Major-General Nasir Sultan Al Yabhouni, Director of the Leadership Affairs Sector at Abu Dhabi Police, said, 'This collaboration supports our efforts to maintain public safety through innovation, which means strengthening our officers' ability to respond faster, make smarter decisions, and make Abu Dhabi a safer and more secure place.'
A key part of the collaboration is Presight's AI-Policing Suite — a solution that leverages generative AI, AI agents, and advanced data analytics. It offers a 'unified ecosystem that consolidates diverse, multi-source data to empower officers with faster, more precise, and proactive policing capabilities,' according to AlMheiri.
He explained its key features, among which are:
Traffic control module: Real-time detection of traffic violations (speeding, red-light, illegal turns, helmet/seatbelt usage), incident monitoring, and congestion management.
Law enforcement platform: With over 150 AI models, it enables intelligent search, profiling, relationship mapping, and predictive analytics to identify suspects and forecast crime hotspots.
Detective assistant: It is powered by generative AI that interacts with investigators through natural, intuitive dialogue.
IoT Intelligence: Leverages real-time sensor data across urban and public environments for anomaly detection, environmental monitoring (pollutants, smoke, vape), access control, intrusion detection, and audio threat recognition (glass breaking, gunshots, distress calls).
Digital assistants
'Presight's AI agents and generative AI act as always-on digital assistants, empowering law enforcement with rapid data analysis, automated investigative support, and proactive threat identification. For example, an AI agent may synthesize evidence from multiple sources within seconds, or trigger alerts to officers about emerging risks in specific locations,' said AlMheiri. 'Real-world use cases include predictive policing for high-risk zones, AI-assisted evidence triage, and digital briefings for real-time operations.'
The AI systems will be deployed in phases, starting with targeted use cases to allow for focused refinement.
When asked how personal data will be handled and protected under the initiative, he explained: 'Our systems are designed with state-of-the-art security measures and strict data privacy protocols in line with UAE federal regulations and best practices.'
The Abu Dhabi Police have been using AI to detect traffic violations for several years. In June, an Abu Dhabi Police official explained how artificial intelligence is already embedded in the emirate's traffic systems, and how it's reducing accidents before they happen. The force has previously highlighted how AI has helped reduce traffic offences in the UAE Capital.
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Emirates 24/7
29 minutes ago
- Emirates 24/7
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority PJSC reports a record AED 14.6 billion in revenue for the first half of 2025
Record H1, 2025 Results AED 14.6 bn AED 7.0 bn AED 3.7 bn AED 2.9 bn AED 9.2 bn +6.9% YoY +5.3% YoY +12.6% YoY +13.2% YoY +61.3% YoY H1, 2025 Revenue H1, 2025 EBITDA H1, 2025 Operating Profit H1, 2025 Profit After Tax H1, 2025 Operating Cash * figures are rounded Record Q2, 2025 Results AED 8.6 bn AED 4.5 bn AED 2.9 bn AED 2.4 bn AED 5.3 bn +9.8% YoY +11.9% YoY +24.8% YoY +25.8% YoY +120.1% YoY Q2, 2025 Revenue Q2, 2025 EBITDA Q2, 2025 Operating Profit Q2, 2025 Profit After Tax Q2, 2025 Operating Cash * figures are rounded Dubai Electricity and Water Authority PJSC (ISIN: AED001801011) (Symbol: DEWA), the Emirate of Dubai's exclusive electricity and water services provider, which is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), today reported its first half 2025 consolidated financial results, recording first half revenue of AED 14.6 billion, EBITDA of AED 7.0 billion, operating profit of AED 3.7 billion, net profit of AED 2.9 billion and cash from operations of AED 9.2 billion. Quote 'DEWA is committed to be an innovative and sustainable corporation inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Under their guidance, we are progressing in our journey towards Net Zero Carbon by 2050 and will continue to play a decisive role in Dubai's rapid progress,' said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman and MD & CEO of DEWA. 'We are proud to report DEWA's strongest-ever financial results for both the 2nd quarter and first half of 2025 - a reflection of disciplined execution, growing demand, and our commitment to operational excellence. In H1 2025, we achieved AED 14.6 billion in revenue, AED 7.0 billion in EBITDA, and AED 2.9 billion in net profit - marking growth of 6.9%, 5.3%, and 13.2% respectively. Operating cash flow reached a record AED 9.2 billion, up 61.3% year-on-year. Also, we approved a dividend of AED 3.1 billion for H1, 2025, which is payable in October, 2025. To date we have invested over AED 230 billion in state-of-the-art infrastructure. Our results demonstrate the resilience of our model and the ability to generate strong returns while advancing Dubai's sustainable development. Looking ahead, we expect consistent value creation for our stakeholders, supported by Dubai's economic growth, our robust business model and our sector leading operational benchmarks that are acknowledged to be No 1 globally.' added Al Tayer. Financial performance summary DEWA delivered a record financial and operational performance for the six months ended 30 June 2025. Revenue rose by 6.9% year-on-year to AED 14.6 billion, driven by continued growth in electricity and water demand, as well as steady expansion in district cooling through Empower. EBITDA increased by 5.3% to AED 7.0 billion, supported by improved operating efficiencies and effective cost control across core segments, highlighting the Group's strong underlying profitability. Net profit for the period grew 13.2% to AED 2.90 billion, reflecting higher operating income, and decline in net finance costs by 15.45% compared to the same period in the previous year. Capital expenditure during the period totalled AED 4.6 billion, covering investment in generation capacity, transmission networks and district cooling infrastructure. DEWA expects stronger revenue and profit contribution in the second half of the year, considering the seasonal pattern of our business. The Group remains focused on delivering long-term growth through strategic investments in clean energy, digital infrastructure, and water desalination, in alignment with Dubai's Green Economy vision. DEWA continues to demonstrate financial resilience, operational excellence, and consistent value creation for its stakeholders. Operating performance summary In the second quarter of 2025, DEWA's total energy generation Including Energy import from IPPs soared to a high of 16.9 TWh marking a 10.88% increase from the 15.3 TWh recorded during the second quarter of 2024. Notably, DEWA generated 3.3 TWh of clean energy during the quarter. This clean energy accounted for 19.46% of the total energy generated in Q2, 2025. DEWA is committed to using clean energy to maintain a sustainable generation mix to meet the consistently growing demand. In addition, DEWA delivered 2.18 TWh from Hassyan power plant and 11.46 TWh from its remaining generation portfolio during the second quarter of 2025. DEWA experienced a 2.95% increase in its quarterly peak power demand compared to Q2, 2024, reaching 10.545 GW. The quarterly gross heat rate of 7,693 BTU/kWh achieved, represents a stellar 7.01% improvement over the same period from the previous year. Collectively, these achievements highlight the company's unwavering commitment to delivering operational excellence while facing very strong top line demand. DEWA's total desalinated water production in the second quarter of 2025 grew by 9.55% compared to the previous year, reaching a record of 40.78 billion Imperial Gallons (BIG). The peak daily desalinated water demand reached 475 MIG which is a 5.87% increase over the same period of the previous year. At the end of the second quarter of 2025, DEWA served 1,292,487 customer accounts, representing a 4.81% increase in customer accounts from the same period in the last year. Select quarterly highlights In the second quarter of 2025, DEWA commissioned two 132 kV substations, and four hundred and eighty three 11kV substations. By the end of the first half of 2025, the company's system installed generation capacity reached 17.979 GW with 3.860 GW of this capacity representing renewable energy. The company's installed desalinated water production capacity was 495 MIGD. DEWA Total Installed Capacity as of June 30th, 2025 Generation Plant Capacity (MW) Desalination Type MIGD Jebel Ali & Al Aweer 11,519 Jebel Ali Multi-stage Flash 427 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park 3,860 Jebel Ali Reverse Osmosis 63 Hassyan Power Plant 2,400 Palm Jumeirah Sea Water Reverse Osmosis 5 Warsan Waste Management Center 200 Total 17,979 Total 495 By the end of 2030, DEWA plans to have total installed power generation capacity of 22 GW and 735 MIGD of desalinated water. Of this 22 GW, around 7.5 GW will be from renewable sources, representing 34% and out of 735 MIGD water production capacity, 308 MIGD will be using reverse osmosis technology utilizing renewable energy. Corporate Actions: Dividends & Dividend policy As per DEWA's dividend policy, the Company expects to pay a minimum annual dividend of AED 6.2 billion in the first five years starting October 2022. The dividends are paid semi-annually in April and October. On 10th April 2025, DEWA distributed AED 3.1 billion as dividend for H2, 2024 to its shareholders, based on a record date of 3rd April 2025. For H1, 2025, DEWA has sought and received approvals to distribute AED 3.1 billion to its shareholders based on a record date of 17th October, 2025. Audited Financials DEWA's audited financials can be found at DEWA's website: or on DFM's website Contacts About Dubai Electricity and Water Authority PJSC DEWA was created in 1992 as a result of the merger of the Dubai Electricity Company and the Dubai Water Department. DEWA is the exclusive electricity and water utility provider in Dubai. DEWA was listed on the Dubai Financial Market in April 2022. DEWA's attractive business profile, as viewed by investors, has led to the historic success of this public listing that attracted US$ 85 billion demand and 37 times oversubscription. The Group generates, transmits and distributes electricity and potable water to end users throughout Dubai. DEWA owns 56% of Empower, currently the world's largest district cooling services provider by connected capacity, and owns, manages, operates and maintains district cooling plants and affiliated distribution networks across Dubai. The Group also comprises several other businesses including Mai Dubai, a manufacturer and distributor of bottled water, Digital DEWA, a digital business solutions company, and Etihad ESCO, a company focused on the development and implementation of energy efficient solutions. To learn more, visit Cautionary statements relevant to forward-looking information This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to DEWA's operations that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about the energy industry and other relevant industries that DEWA operates in. Words or phrases such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'targets,' 'forecasts,' 'projects,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'schedules,' 'estimates,' 'positions,' 'pursues,' 'may,' 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'budgets,' 'outlook,' 'trends,' 'guidance,' 'focus,' 'on schedule,' 'on track,' 'is slated,' 'goals,' 'objectives,' 'strategies,' 'opportunities,' and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the company's control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Unless legally required, DEWA undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
How 2,800 shekels become 1,350: Gazans pay high price to turn bank deposits into hard cash
In the shadow of war, economic collapse and severe shortages of food and other essentials, civilians in Gaza face an additional challenge in the struggle to survive: the rocketing cost of accessing their own money. With banks closed because of the conflict and digital payments widely rejected in local markets, Palestinians are forced to rely on an informal and increasingly predatory trade in physical currency, with commission rates as high as 55 per cent. 'I get paid 2,800 shekels [$817] a month from the Palestinian Authority,' said Kamel Abu Hazaa, 42, who was displaced from Jabalia and now lives in Al Nasr area of Gaza city. 'But after cashing it out, I receive only about 1,350 shekels. The rest? Gone, to liquidity traders and middlemen. "Even if I had the full amount, it wouldn't be enough. Flour costs 30 shekels a kilo, sugar is 200. The prices are insane." Businessmen, flush with cash earned before the war began in October 2023, now control the flow of physical currency. Given the risk of storing large amounts of money while banks are closed, they offload portions of it through a chain of intermediaries, who in turn sell it at a high mark-up to desperate civilians. Buyers receive cash after transferring funds to the traders electronically. But those who profit from the system do not consider themselves to be the villains. A small-scale cash trader operating in Gaza city said the system was deeply flawed, but insisted the responsibility lay with "big traders" who control the supply and set the rates. "We add maybe six to 10 per cent just to survive. But the ones above us? They want 45 per cent, sometimes more," he told The National. 'Today, I bought cash at a 43 per cent commission and had to sell it at 52 per cent just to make a living. We small traders don't even know who the big players are – the cash reaches us through intermediaries.' Moamen Al Gharbawi, 35, said his brothers living abroad send the family $700 a month. But he has been unable to convert that into cash because of the prices charged by currency traders. 'Last month, the commission was 38 per cent. This week, it's gone up to 55 per cent,' said Mr Al Gharbawi, who lives in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza city, after being displaced from Jabalia Camp. "More than half of what they send is lost and we're a family of eight. We don't have food. My elderly parents need special, healthy food that I can't afford "Liquidity traders are bleeding us dry. There's no one watching them, no one stopping them." Abdullah Sharshara, a legal researcher and civil society activist in Gaza, said the practice was unethical and illegal. 'Some say there's no legal basis to stop it,' he told The National. 'That's nonsense. The most basic legal foundation is that those trading liquidity are clearly violating the terms of the bank account agreement. It's a breach of Palestinian law and a flagrant exploitation of a broken system.' Mr Sharshara called for the Palestinian Monetary Authority to take immediate action, including freezing the accounts of those involved in the trade and reopening the banking system, ensuring it is organised and secure. "Major traders must be forced to inject liquidity back into the market through legitimate channels," he added. "Without oversight, the black market cash trade will only deepen people's suffering." While the trade in currency arose from the breakdown of formal banking, Gazans and experts agree that it has become a tool of exploitation in the hands of opportunists. 'People are desperate,' Mr Abu Hazaa said. 'They'll accept any rate just to put food on the table. But every day traders raise the percentage, and no one holds them accountable.'


Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
AI without internet: How graduate from UAE's MBZUAI creates smart apps that work offline
When Daniel Gebre was growing up in Dekemhare, a small city in Eritrea, internet access was a rare luxury. He and his classmates would take turns using a single campus connection, share downloaded files, and rely on offline copies of Wikipedia just to study. That experience stayed with him — not as frustration, but as fuel. 'Growing up in a place where internet access was scarce, I know the frustration of being curious and eager to learn but constantly being held back by limited digital resources,' he said. 'That challenge pushed me to think about how technology could be made to work in environments like the one I came from.' Now 27, Gebre is a recent graduate of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), where he focused his master's research on how to bring artificial intelligence (AI) tools to people without internet access. His thesis project, iShrink, compresses large language models (LLMs) so they can run offline on mobile devices — an innovation aimed at students and professionals in low-connectivity areas. 'There were times in Eritrea when even downloading a simple document or video was a challenge,' he said. 'iShrink is about making sure people do not have to wait for internet access to be part of the AI conversation.' How it works 'In simple terms, iShrink is a framework designed to make large language models smaller and more efficient without significantly affecting their performance,' Gebre explained. 'It does this by identifying and removing parts of the model that are less important, then fine-tuning the remaining components so they still work well. This makes the models faster, lighter, and easier to run on devices with limited resources.' Shrinking smaller models poses a unique challenge, he said, because they contain fewer redundant parameters compared to larger models. 'Despite this, we achieved about a 22.5 per cent and 19.7 per cent size reduction on models such as LLaMA 3.1-1B and Falcon 1B respectively.' 'iShrink currently supports LLaMA, Falcon, and Qwen models, with plans to expand to other open-source architectures in the future.' To test the tool, Gebre developed a mobile application that runs entirely on a local device. 'The results were promising,' he said. 'In the future, I aim to enhance it with voice and multimodal capabilities to make it even more useful in real-world scenarios,' he added, 'I plan to make iShrink fully open source so it can be used and improved by the AI community.' Scholarship to the UAE Gebre moved to the UAE in 2019 on a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, awarded to top engineering students in Eritrea. He completed his undergraduate degree in information technology at Zayed University with a focus on cybersecurity. It was during a research internship at MBZUAI that his direction changed. Mentored by Dr Moayad Aloqaily and Professor Mohsen Guizani, he became immersed in the possibilities of AI and how it could address real-world problems. 'They really encouraged me to explore AI more seriously,' he said. 'I had planned to pursue my master's elsewhere, but Professor Mohsen kept urging me to apply to MBZUAI. Eventually I did, and that decision changed everything.' Gebre described his first semester of graduate school as the most difficult academic experience of his life. He spent long nights reinforcing his math skills and adjusting to the pace of the programme. 'I had to catch up fast,' he said. 'There were days I studied until three in the morning just to stay afloat.' His perseverance paid off. He completed his thesis, co-authored three academic papers, and presented at international conferences, including the IEEE International Conference on Human-Machine Systems in Abu Dhabi. 'You really grow when you take ownership of your learning,' he said. 'It was difficult, but transformative.' From research to real-world impact Since graduating in May 2025, Gebre has joined Inception, a G42 company, as an Applied Scientist. He is now working on domain-specific AI solutions for industry — a transition supported by a prior internship at the Technology Innovation Institute. 'That was the first time I saw what it takes to bring AI into production,' he said. 'It gave me a much clearer picture of how research turns into impact.' While his focus today is on refining his skills in industry, Gebre's long-term mission remains unchanged: to expand access to technology for underserved communities. 'In Eritrea, many students still have not heard of tools like ChatGPT or Gemini,' he said. "Even at college, they often have to gather around one internet access point to download materials. The gap is real, which means the potential is even greater." Future plans "Absolutely," he said, when asked whether he plans to return to Eritrea to work on digital infrastructure and education. 'Given the current technology gap in our country, I want to be among the pioneers who lay the foundations for a thriving tech industry in Eritrea. My goal is to lead AI enablement programs across various domains and initiatives.' When it comes to Eritrea's many ethnic groups and languages, he believes the lack of digital representation is an issue that can and should be addressed. 'Our population is around six million, and while English is used in some areas, it is not universal,' he said. 'The main challenges are data and computation. As a small population country, gathering sufficient data is not easy. Most of our literature in local languages exists in hard copy form, so collecting these materials, digitising them, and preparing them for training is a significant but achievable task. With adequate resources and collaboration, it is certainly possible to build such a model.' 'At the moment, I am fully engaged in my role at Inception. In the future, I plan to launch an initiative to bring together individuals with backgrounds in AI, machine learning, and natural language processing to contribute to open-source projects that develop models aligned with Eritrea's diverse languages, cultures, and values.' Advice to students from under-served communities 'During a panel discussion at MBZUAI, one of my professors said that the key to excellence in any field is mastering the fundamentals, no shortcuts. That advice completely changed my perspective, and I would pass it on to anyone starting out in AI,' he explained. 'For students from backgrounds similar to mine, I would add that talent and good academic performance are not enough. The right mindset, consistent effort, strong interpersonal skills, and building a solid professional network are equally important in determining how far you can go.' When he received his degree, his mother was in the audience — a proud moment marking how far he had come. 'I am so grateful to the UAE for giving me this opportunity,' he said. 'It changed the course of my life.' He hopes his work is only the beginning. 'If iShrink or any part of what I have done can help students like me learn, explore, and grow — no matter where they live or what resources they have — that's the kind of impact I want to keep building.'