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The National
10 hours ago
- The National
Dubai outstrips San Francisco for AI adoption and usage, report finds
Dubai ranks in the top five world cities in a new report on the adoption of artificial intelligence, beating San Francisco, widely considered the birthplace of the modern tech industry. Singapore took the top spot, according to Counterpoint Research, which sought to examine the affinity and readiness for AI among 100 of the world's largest metropolitan areas. Seoul received the study's second highest AI score, followed by Beijing, Dubai, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi. The UAE is the only country from the Middle East with cities in the top 10 of the 2025 Global AI Cities Index. "Counterpoint analysed over 5,000 initiatives in the private and public sectors, strength of communications infrastructure, data centre and supercomputing initiatives, university output and strength of the start-up ecosystem, among other factors," the report said. Marc Einstein, a research director for Counterpoint, said Dubai "has an AI strategist in every government department". "All teachers are now being given AI training and they have a programme to train one million AI engineer," with Abu Dhabi "not far behind", he said. Mr Einstein said as a whole the Middle East is a region to watch in terms of AI adoption. He said that while cities in North America remain in the lead in the global AI race, China was starting to close the gap. Regulatory hurdles were blunting AI development in Europe, he said. Counterpoint Research's analysis on the Middle East echoes a report by the international Monetary Fund that indicated AI could help to boost gross domestic product by as much as 35 per cent in the UAE by 2030, and that the fast-developing technology could make up at least 12 per cent of Saudi Arabia's GDP. The UAE − the Arab world's second-largest economy − has expressed the desire to be an AI front-runner as it diversifies its economy from oil. The country's push has resulted in the establishment of start-ups, partnerships and investments from industry leaders such as Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI. Those types of investments also played a large role in Counterpoint's rankings. "In the 2025 AI City Index report, Microsoft emerged as the most active vendor as the company expanded its AI data centre footprint significantly, engaged in several AI training initiatives, and set up new AI innovation hubs," read the report. Counterpoint also said US-based Nvidia's partnerships with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, the Dubai operator known as du, helped propel the city's ranking in the recent study. The UAE's investments in AI have also led to the creation of language models such as Falcon Arabic, part of an effort to ensure aspects of Arabic culture are not left behind in the AI surge, as many large language models were initially based on English language data. In 2019, the UAE announced the establishment of a university dedicated to AI, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Two years earlier, the Emirates was among the first country in the world to appoint an AI Minister, Omar Al Olama. This month, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, introduced a new classification system with "icons" to indicate when AI has been used in research and publications.
Tahawul Tech
11 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
quantum encryption Archives
"We're not talking about a little event - people died - and we didn't see a performance of this warning in the way we would like." Learn more about the shortcomings of @Google's earthquake detection technology below. #Google #tahawultech
Tahawul Tech
11 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
e& reports 60.7% increase in consolidated net profit, reaching Dh8.8 billion in H1 2025
Abu Dhabi — e& today announced its consolidated financial results for the first half of 2025, reporting continued growth momentum and strategic progress across its business pillars. e&'s performance reinforces the Group's position as a global technology leader, driving digital transformation at scale across regional and international markets. Consolidated revenue increased to Dh34.9 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of 23.3 per cent compared to H1 2024. Consolidated net profit in H1 rose to AED 8.8 billion, up 60.7 per cent from the previous year. EBITDA in H1 reached Dh 15.4 billion, a YoY increase of 18.8% with EBITDA margin of 44.1 per cent. The Group's subscriber base grew to 198 million globally, marking a 13.1 per cent increase year-over-year. H.E. Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman, e&, said, 'In the first half of 2025, e& continued to strengthen its leadership position, driven by its strategic investments and robust business model. Our continued strong performance reflects our commitment to long-term value creation, with major milestones reflecting the Board's strategic foresight. 'In H1, e& continued its growth trajectory, delivering consolidated revenue of Dh34.9 billion—a year-on-year increase of 23.3 per cent—and achieving consolidated net profits of Dh8.8 billion, up 60.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. Alongside our outstanding financial performance, we maintained our focus on bringing the latest technologies to best serve our customers. We launched the UAE Sovereign Cloud Launchpad alongside AWS and the UAE Cybersecurity Council. This landmark initiative advances national priorities around digital sovereignty, secure AI, and cloud innovation, and is set to unlock enduring value for the nation's digital economy. 'Thanks to the UAE's visionary leadership that inspires us, e& will continue enabling the knowledge economy with responsibility and ambition. We remain committed to shaping resilient, inclusive, and innovation-led societies across the markets we serve.' In the UAE, e& UAE subscribers reached 15.5 million, driven by rising demand for advanced connectivity solutions, AI-powered services, and tailored digital experiences that address the evolving needs of both individuals and businesses. Hatem Dowidar, Group Chief Executive Officer, e&, said: 'e& delivered strong performance in the first half of 2025, reflecting our agility, innovation, and ability to scale. We preserved the momentum witnessed across our different verticals. Our diverse revenue streams enabled the group to drive financial success and deliver robust operational growth. Revenues in Q2 and H1 increased by 28.1 per cent year-over-year to Dh 18.0 billion and by 23.3 per cent to Dh34.9 billion, respectively. Our EBITDA grew by 18.8 per cent to Dh15.4 billion in the first half. These results demonstrate the strength of our transformation strategy and our continued focus on operational excellence and value creation. 'We achieved a series of strategic milestones, including the divestment of Khazna and partial divestment of Airalo during the first half of the year, which enhanced our financial flexibility. In parallel, we introduced the UAE Sovereign Cloud Launchpad, reinforcing our focus on secure, sovereign AI solutions. We also became one of the first companies to earn the 'Tier S' designation under the Dubai AI Seal, a top-level recognition of our leadership in responsible AI development and deployment. Additionally, we advanced our international footprint through the acquisition of Serbia Broadband, while our collaboration with Qualcomm is accelerating 5G evolution and edge AI integration across key industries. 'Our progress was further recognised internationally, with e& named the world's Fastest Growing Brand by Brand Finance. This recognition reflects our bold ambition, customer-centric innovation, and growing global presence. As we look ahead, we remain focused on enabling future technologies and delivering lasting impact across the communities we serve.'
