
Qatar Airways and Accenture embark on AI-powered partnership to set new benchmark in aviation excellence
Qatar Airways and Accenture are joining forces to revolutionise the aviation industry through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This strategic partnership aims to elevate customer experience, optimise operational efficiency and enhance overall airline group performance. As part of this partnership, Qatar Airways and Accenture has established 'AI Skyways' to further position the multi award-winning airline as a leader in aviation AI and advance technology in the region and beyond. AI Skyways will lay the foundation to deliver value-led AI initiatives across the Qatar Airways Group through its responsible AI practices, data and platform offerings, and value realisation office that will quantify and maximise the value of AI initiatives. These will accelerate the implementation of AI solutions across a variety of aviation use cases including optimising flight schedules, enhancing predictive maintenance, and personalising customer interactions, allowing Qatar Airways to focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences. In addition, this will allow Qatar Airways to explore future trends and applications of AI in the aviation industry, to ensure sustained growth and adaptation, thereby strengthening its resilience to changing market demands.
Qatar Airways' Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: 'This partnership with Accenture to establish AI Skyways represents a significant milestone in our journey to become leaders in AI-driven aviation. AI Skyways will leverage AI to reimagine a spectrum of operations across Qatar Airways Group – from customer service to operations, to ensure that passengers enjoy a seamless and enriching travel experience. Furthermore, the partnership will focus on using AI for real-time data analysis to improve decision-making capabilities and operational responses.'
This initiative plays a pivotal role in enabling Qatar Airways' continuous journey to become a Digital-First organisation, leveraging AI and other advanced technologies to optimise processes and decision-making capabilities. Accenture Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Julie Sweet, said: 'Together, Qatar Airways and Accenture are applying innovative technologies and new ways of working to create new value for the airline and its customers. Our AI Skyways partnership is a key engine of this ambition, embedding and scaling AI to create outstanding travel experiences for passengers and deliver greater value to the airline group.' Qatar Airways is working relentlessly to design cutting-edge AI-driven solutions that can be replicable across other future initiatives. The airline's commitment to responsible AI deployment will include rigorous ethical guidelines, data privacy measures, and continuous monitoring to ensure that the technology benefits all stakeholders.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Tahawul Tech
8 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
Kaspersky highlights biometric, signature risks with attempts up by 21.2% in UAE
Kaspersky has detected and blocked over 142 million phishing link clicks globally in Q2 2025, the UAE saw a 21.2% increase from Q1 in phishing attempts. Currently phishing is going through a shift driven by sophisticated AI-powered deception techniques and innovative evasion methods. Cybercriminals are exploiting deepfakes, voice cloning and trusted platforms like Telegram and Google Translate to steal sensitive data, including biometrics, electronic signatures and handwritten signatures, posing unprecedented risks to individuals and businesses. AI-powered tactics transforming phishing attacks AI has elevated phishing into a highly personalized threat. Large language models enable attackers to craft convincing emails, messages and websites that mimic legitimate sources, eliminating grammatical errors that once exposed scams. AI-driven bots on social media and messaging apps impersonate real users, engaging victims in prolonged conversations to build trust. These bots often fuel romantic or investment scams, luring victims into fake opportunities with AI-generated audio messages or deepfake videos. Attackers also create realistic audio and video deepfake impersonations of trusted figures — colleagues, celebrities or even bank officials — to promote fake giveaways or extract sensitive information. For instance, automated calls mimicking bank security teams use AI-generated voices to trick users into sharing two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, enabling account access or fraudulent transactions. Additionally, AI-powered tools analyze public data from social media or corporate websites to launch targeted attacks, such as HR-themed emails or fake calls referencing personal details. Employing new tactics to bypass detection Phishers are deploying sophisticated methods to gain trust, exploiting legitimate services to prolong their campaigns. For instance, Telegram's Telegraph platform, a tool to publish long texts, is used to host phishing content. Google Translate's page translation feature generates links that look like and are used by attackers to bypass security solutions' filters. Attackers now also integrate CAPTCHA, a common anti-bot mechanism, into phishing sites before directing users to the malicious page itself. By using CAPTCHA, these fraudulent pages deflect anti-phishing algorithms, as the presence of CAPTCHA is often associated with trusted platforms, lowering the likelihood of detection. A switch in hunting: from logins and passwords to biometrics and signatures The focus has shifted from passwords to immutable data. Attackers target biometric data through fraudulent sites that request smartphone camera access under pretexts like account verification, capturing facial or other biometric identifiers that cannot be changed. These are used for unauthorized access to sensitive accounts or sold on the dark web. Similarly, electronic and handwritten signatures, critical for legal and financial transactions, are stolen via phishing campaigns impersonating platforms like DocuSign or prompting users to upload signatures to fraudulent sites, posing significant reputational and financial risks to businesses. 'The convergence of AI and evasive tactics has turned phishing into a near-native mimic of legitimate communication, challenging even the most vigilant users. Attackers are no longer satisfied with stealing passwords — they're targeting biometric data, electronic and handwritten signatures, potentially creating devastating, long-term consequences. By exploiting trusted platforms like Telegram and Google Translate, and co-opting tools like CAPTCHA, attackers are outpacing traditional defenses. Users must stay increasingly skeptical and proactive to avoid falling victim,' said Olga Altukhova, security expert at Kaspersky. Earlier in 2025 Kaspersky detected a sophisticated targeted phishing campaign which was dubbed Operation ForumTroll, as attackers sent personalized phishing emails inviting recipients to the 'Primakov Readings' forum. These lures targeted media outlets, educational institutions and government organizations in Russia. After clicking on the link in the email, no additional action was needed to compromise their systems: the exploit leveraged a previously unknown vulnerability in the latest version of Google Chrome. The malicious links were extremely short-lived to evade detection and in most cases ultimately redirected to the legitimate website for 'Primakov Readings' once the exploit was taken down. To be protected from phishing, Kaspersky recommends: Verify unsolicited messages, calls, or links, even if they appear legitimate. Never share 2FA codes. Scrutinize videos for unnatural movements or overly generous offers, which may indicate deepfakes. Deny camera access requests from unverified sites and avoid uploading signatures to unknown platforms. Limit sharing sensitive details online, such as document photos or sensitive work information. Use Kaspersky Next (in corporate environments) or Kaspersky Premium (for individual use) to block phishing attempts.


Arabian Business
11 hours ago
- Arabian Business
SpaceX reportedly in advanced talks with Saudia for onboard WiFi
After Qatar Airways, Saudia, Saudi Arabia's flag carrier airline, could become the next Middle East airline to install SpaceX's Starlink internet service. According to a Bloomberg report, the Elon Musk-owned company is in advanced talks with Saudia to equip its fleet of more than 140 aircraft with its high-speed onboard wifi, according to people familiar with the talks. The wire agency had earlier reported that SpaceX was also in advanced talks with the Dubai-based Emirates, and said it is now in discussions with its sister carrier flydubai. Another person familiar told Bloomberg that the company has also pitched its services to Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier. Saudia, flydubai and Gulf Air did not respond to the agency's request for comments. The deals are not final and the airlines could decide to partner with other providers, the people cautioned. 'Securing partnerships with one of the biggest Middle Eastern carriers would represent a significant milestone for Starlink as it pushes further into the global market for in-flight connectivity and challenges established players like Viasat Inc.,' the report added. A deal with Saudia would give SpaceX a foothold in the Gulf's biggest economy, at a time when local rival Neo Space Group, owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, is working on establishing its own satellite-based in-flight service. Rossen Dimitrov, the Saudia chief guest experience officer who previously worked at Qatar Airways, wrote on LinkedIn that he recently visited the SpaceX industrial complex in Texas to learn 'about the exciting future they are bringing to aviation'. SpaceX markets its Starlink service to airlines through a subscription model similar to its consumer offering. Airlines face upfront hardware costs that amount to anywhere between US$300,000 and US$500,000, depending on the aircraft, in addition to a monthly fee for every seat, according to a document seen by Bloomberg News. Saudi's new airline Riyadh Air, set to start commercial operations by the end of the year, has partnered with Viasat. The report added that because Starlink isn't authorised for use in the UAE, any deal with the Emirates or flydubai would likely require a reversal of that policy. Earlier this year, Qatar Airways became the first carrier in the region to offer the service. The airline made Starlink available across the cabin of its Boeing 777 models, and the company has started retrofitting its Airbus A350 jets, with the 787 Dreamliners up next.


Tahawul Tech
12 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
Digital coaching emerges strategic lever for GCC workforce transformation, says WeAce
WeAce whitepaper at SPARK Dubai 2025 reveals how AI-powered mentoring is redefining leadership, nationalisation and talent retention across the region. Digital coaching is fast emerging as a cornerstone of workforce transformation strategies across the Gulf, according to new research unveiled at SPARK Dubai 2025. Hosted at The St. Regis Downtown Dubai, the exclusive forum brought together senior HR leaders, policymakers and leadership futurists to examine how leadership is evolving in a technology-enabled, inclusion-driven era. Organised by global coaching platform WeAce in partnership with SDA Bocconi School of Management, the event marked the launch of Powering Talent and Growth in the GCC, a whitepaper analysing the role of AI-powered coaching and mentoring in reshaping leadership, accelerating nationalisation and improving talent retention in the region. Once considered the preserve of senior executives, coaching is now being re-engineered as a scalable, AI-enabled solution. Platforms such as WeAce integrate multilingual interfaces, culturally relevant content and real-time analytics to create inclusive leadership development pipelines, while providing employers with measurable outcomes. 'Coaching must move beyond performance management to support purpose, wellbeing and long-term growth,' said Anuranjita Kumar, CEO and co-founder of WeAce. Key trends highlighted in the whitepaper include: AI-driven coaching adoption: By 2030, 75% of Dubai-based Fortune 500 subsidiaries are expected to use AI-powered leadership tools. Market growth: The UAE's digital coaching sector is forecast to grow from $44.6 million in 2023 to $189.3 million by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 14.1%. Proven ROI: Global benchmarks suggest coaching can deliver a 788% return on investment, driven by productivity and retention gains. ESG integration: By 2030, 60% of UAE leadership programmes are projected to include environmental, social and governance modules. The report also positioned digital coaching as a strategic driver for nationalisation initiatives such as Emiratisation, helping organisations build agile, future-ready leaders and attract both regional and global talent into hybrid workplaces that prioritise flexibility and growth. 'The intersection of talent, technology and trust will define competitive advantage in the Middle East,' commented Alessandro Giuliani, managing director at SDA Bocconi Asia Center. Nader Haffar, former chairman and CEO of KPMG Lower Gulf, added: 'Our future will be defined by how boldly we invest in talent, how wisely we deploy technology, and how deeply we build trust across business and society.' WeAce, active across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, combines behavioural coaching, structured mentoring and AI-powered development tools in both English and Arabic. With more than 20 enterprise clients already in the GCC, the company is scaling its solutions to support the region's long-term workforce transformation agenda.