Latest news with #AhmedAlZaabi
Sharjah 24
4 days ago
- General
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Aquarium celebrates World Oceans Day
In celebration of World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8 of each year, Sharjah Aquarium organised an awareness lecture for University of Khorfakkan students on new environmental legislation to combat illegal fishing. Raising awareness about aquatic issues Rashid Jumaa Al Shamsi, Secretary of Sharjah Aquarium, emphasised the institution's commitment to raising awareness about aquatic issues and preserving the marine environment. The lecture was delivered by Professor Ahmed Al Zaabi from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, who reviewed the most prominent recent laws enacted by the UAE to protect fisheries and limit practices that harm the ecological balance. Al Shamsi pointed out that the event aims to inform the public and students about the latest legislative and technical developments in the field of ocean protection, and to enhance the responsibility of individuals and institutions towards marine sustainability.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Rise of fintech: A new era of smart innovative services
The UAE is racing towards a fully digital future, transforming how people access government services and reshaping everyday experiences across sectors like banking, telecom, healthcare, and hospitality. Driven by its bold vision for smart governance, the nation is harnessing the power of fintech and cutting-edge technologies to make services faster, simpler, and more accessible. 'For Parkin, this shift meant fully digitising our entire ecosystem — covering everything from payments and fines to permits, subscriptions, and tickets. Today, customers can access our services seamlessly through the Parkin mobile app, our website, and integrated government platforms such as the RTA app, RTA website, and Dubai Now app,' says Engineer Ahmed Al Zaabi, Director of Technology and Innovation at Parkin, in an interview with BTR. 'The goal is to simplify public services, reduce friction, and bring time and convenience back to residents. Parkin's use of cloud-based technology powered by green energy also reflects the country's emphasis on sustainability within digital transformation. This aligns with Dubai's Digital Strategy, which aims to digitalise all aspects of life in Dubai, establishing a reliable and robust digital system that enhances the digital economy and empowers a digitally-driven society.' This evolution is not just about making government services available online — it's about fundamentally rethinking how services are delivered. Alexander Khanin, Founder of Polynome Group and Machines Can See Summit, notes: 'The UAE's approach to digitalisation has led to creating a fully integrated proactive ecosystem. Today, digital services are not just reactive; they anticipate citizen needs and personalise interactions across sectors. The shift toward a seamless, service-driven, and user-centered model has made accessing government services faster, more intuitive, and more aligned with daily life. This transformation reflects the UAE's broader ambition to become not only a digital hub, but a global leader in citizen-centric governance powered by AI and emerging technologies.' A prime example of this proactive model is seen in Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's (Dewa) adoption of the 'Services 360' policy. Aysha Al Dhuhoori, Deputy Senior Manager - Artificial Intelligence at Dewa, explains: 'DEWA has adopted Dubai's 'Services 360' policy across all its services in the energy and water sectors to ensure they are seamless, proactive, and integrated, thereby improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. The implementation has yielded tangible results, including full automation and a complete transition to self-services that require no physical presence.' 'The policy focuses on digital-first, proactive, and integrated approaches to make government services more efficient and customer-centric. It ensures services are available in real-time through a unified digital identity (UAE Pass), anticipates customer needs, and improves communication. The policy connects databases across government entities, minimising the data required from customers, and provides round-the-clock service channels tailored to their preferences,' she added. Complementing these efforts, Salem Al Shamsi, Director, Shared Services Applications Department, Digital Dubai Government Establishment, highlights another innovation: 'The Smart Employee application, by Digital Dubai, now includes an AI-powered talent acquisition service. The AI analyses the candidates' CVs based on the job description they have applied for, evaluating their skills, education, and overall suitability for the role. Based on this analysis, HR professionals and recruiters can easily assess whether a candidate is a good fit for the position and proceed accordingly. Currently, around 80 government entities are using the Smart Employee application, and this new service is being gradually rolled out to different entities as part of our expansion plan.' Elevating Customer Experience 'Fintech has been a key driver of digital transformation in the UAE,' added Al Zaabi. 'The growing use of contactless payment solutions like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and buy-now-pay-later platforms such as Tabby has reshaped how people engage with public services.' At Parkin, fintech adoption has enabled a critical shift away from legacy systems reliant on physical cash collection, transitioning toward real-time digital payment processing. This not only streamlined financial operations but also elevated the customer experience by making transactions instant and effortless. 'It has empowered us to design smarter services — such as AutoPay and AutoRenewal — easily managed through the Parkin Wallet,' Al Zaabi said. Today, Parkin boasts that over 92% of its transactions are cashless, processing more than 400,000 mobile transactions daily. The tap-to-pay convenience is made possible by integrating smart payment technologies, wallet systems, and contactless infrastructure across multiple platforms, including the Parkin App, RTA channels, and Dubai Now. Users can easily handle dynamic ticket renewals, scheduled bookings, and automatic payments for shared mobility providers like ekar, Udrive, and Yaldi. 'Our systems are underpinned by a secure, scalable cloud infrastructure that ensures speed, reliability, and a seamless user experience,' Al Zaabi said, highlighting the critical role technology plays behind the scenes. Similarly, Khanin added, 'Behind the everyday simplicity of 'tap-and-go' payments lies a sophisticated ecosystem. Digital identity platforms like UAE PASS, combined with a robust network of payment systems — such as Apple Pay, Noqodi, and others — create a unified, secure environment for transactions. Importantly, this entire framework is underpinned by strong cybersecurity standards, continuous monitoring, and multi-level redundancy systems to ensure resilience against threats.' Across other sectors, digital transformation is equally profound. Al Dhuhoori explained how the authority has leveraged digital technologies and integrated systems to raise the bar for quality and reliability in service delivery. This effort has birthed initiatives such as the Actual Load Profiles Simulator (ALPS), an AI-driven platform that uses weather data to accurately simulate solar energy generation without needing individual meters. 'This improves efficiency, reduces losses, and supports renewable energy integration,' Al Dhuhoori said. Building on this, Al Dhuhoori highlighted how digital innovation is also empowering customers. 'Dewa provides many digital services and smart tools to help customers better understand and manage their electricity and water consumption. Dewa's 'Smart Living' dashboard enables customers to monitor their daily, monthly, and yearly consumption, while the 'My Sustainable Living Programme' allows them to compare their consumption with similar homes with a high degree of energy efficiency. It also provides customised tips for customers to manage their consumption efficiently,' she added. Customer engagement has also been transformed with the help of Dewa's virtual assistant, 'Rammas for You'. Powered by AI and enhanced with ChatGPT capabilities, Rammas provides multilingual support across Dewa's website and smart app. 'Rammas simulates a live agent, learning from every interaction to better understand and address customer needs,' Al Dhuhoori noted. Customers can either select from menu options or ask direct questions, with Rammas offering transactional services, linking users to complete procedures, and even incorporating a self-evaluation system to continuously enhance its learning. Highlighting the success of these digital efforts, Al Dhuhoori shared, 'Providing all our services through the website and smart app enabled customers to complete more than 14 million digital transactions in 2024, marking a 12% increase compared to 2023. The digital transactions conducted by Dewa customers included over two million transactions via the website, more than 4.8 million through its smart app and over 7.2 million via various digital channels that Dewa provides in collaboration with its partners.' In line with these achievements, Dewa scored 98.6% in the Dubai Government Instant Happiness Index by the Dubai Digital Authority, while customer satisfaction, as measured by the Dubai Government Excellence Programme, stood at an impressive 97.01%. Furthermore, Dewa has scored 100% in the International Digital Customer Experience Standard (IDCXS:2022) certificate since its first assessment in 2022. Beyond customer service, Dewa is deploying AI across internal operations. Initiatives such as Distribution Automation support smart grid operations, while AI agents manage material insights, billing, HR services, legislation guidance, and employee learning. 'We are using artificial intelligence to not only enhance service provision but also improve government efficiency at every level,' Al Dhuhoori emphasised. A Unified Vision for a Digital Future The UAE is quickly establishing itself as a global benchmark for public payment digitisation, driven by a forward-thinking, integrated approach. 'The UAE is well on its way to becoming a global benchmark in public payment digitisation. What makes its model unique is the whole-of-government approach — aligning policy, technology, and execution under a unified vision,' according to Al Zaabi. Government initiatives such as the Paperless Government Mandate, unified platforms like Dubai Now, and integrated mobility solutions — particularly the model used by Parkin — all highlight the UAE's unwavering commitment to innovation. Al Zaabi emphasised the country's emphasis on providing a seamless, customer-centric experience: 'Our ability to offer multi-service functionality — from parking and car washing to EV charging and valet — within a single app delivers a seamless user experience. The UAE's emphasis on innovation, customer-centric design, and sustainability is what truly sets its approach apart globally,' Al Zaabi added. Looking ahead, the UAE's digital transformation journey shows no signs of slowing down. The next wave will see an increased focus on personalisation, AI-driven automation, and deeper ecosystem integration. For Parkin, this future includes 'smarter mobility features like predictive parking availability, enhanced integration with shared mobility providers, and real-time decision-making dashboards,' Al Zaabi revealed. Moreover, the company is expanding its offerings to create a true one-stop-shop experience. 'We're also expanding our service offering to allow users to manage everything from parking and valet bookings to vehicle maintenance, EV charging, and car washing — all within a single app.'
The National
19-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Abu Dhabi's industrial GDP jumps to $30 billion in 2024
Abu Dhabi's industrial economic output increased to Dh111.6 billion ($30.38 billion) in 2024, up 23 per cent since the emirate unveiled its industrial strategy in 2022, according to the chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added). The emirate recorded Dh101 billion in industrial gross domestic product in 2023. The number of industries grew 19 per cent to 1,104 during the two-year period, Ahmed Al Zaabi told Make It In The Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Monday. 'We work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to contribute to Operation 300bn aiming to raise the industrial sector gross domestic product to Dh300 billion by 2031 and align with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy,' Mr Al Zaabi said. Abu Dhabi's manufacturing sector increased its contribution to 53 per cent of UAE's industrial gross domestic product, compared to a contribution of 51.3 per cent to the UAE's industrial sector in 2023 and 46 per cent in 2022, he added. Abu Dhabi has continued its shift away from oil and has taken several measures to attract international investors, boost its competitiveness and improve the ease of doing business. In 2022, the emirate launched an industrial strategy to improve the contribution of the sector to the economy, by investing Dh10 billion across six programmes to more than double the emirate's manufacturing to Dh172 billion by 2031. Abu Dhabi also laid out long-term strategies to develop sectors including tourism, aviation and technology, with new investments in artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi's economy expanded by 3.8 per cent annually in 2024 to reach an all-time high value of Dh1.2 trillion as growth of the non-oil sector continued. Last year, Abu Dhabi's manufacturing sector remained the largest non-oil contributor to the emirate's GDP, accounting for 9.5 per cent of total GDP and 17.3 per cent of non-oil GDP, according to Added. Abu Dhabi has been supporting industries with funding as well as in boosting productivity and increasing exports, Mr Al Zaabi added. 'We help them in understating existing economic partnerships and what are the products to focus on and how to benefit from trade agreements.' In the first quarter, the industrial sector continued its growth with the number of new industrial licences rising 4.7 per cent annually to 89 compared, according to Added. The number of industrial licences from under-construction to production stage also surged by 65 per cent to 33 during the period. There remains potential for strong growth in Abu Dhabi's manufacturing industry amid expansion, according to Mohammad Al Kamali, chief industry and trade officer at Abu Dhabi Investment Office. 'We are working very closely with our investor growth team to make sure we attract more investment to come to Abu Dhabi,' he told The National on the sidelines of the Make It In The Emirates event. 'But … we've designed specific products also for the existing manufacturers over here. So, we work with them within an ecosystem that enables them for more productivity and domestic and international growth as well.' Global supply chains have been threatened with disruption in recent weeks over the tariffs threat from US President Donald Trump. 'We have learnt that every challenge will create an opportunity, and that's exactly how we are working on it. We have a diversification in terms of our international markets. We are trying to expand into the existing markets that most of our companies are doing,' Mr Al Kamali said. 'We are trying to update our countries with different regulatory frameworks that's actually happening from an international trade perspective. We also capitalise into our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements that the UAE is signing with many countries. It's coming in force now, currently, and we are benefiting from it as well. So market international diversification is something which we really see a huge potential out of it,' he said. Adio is also focused on promoting localisation in the supply chain, he added.
The National
08-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Abu Dhabi signs initial pact with Japan as it seeks to boost non-oil trade
Abu Dhabi is seeking to further boost ties with Japan as the emirate extends efforts to boost its non-oil trade, which has soared in recent years. The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) and the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) on Thursday signed an initial agreement to deepen business relations and create new opportunities for collaboration. It aims to promote long-term trade relations and boost growth, particularly in innovation, sustainability and advanced technologies, a statement from the chamber said. The pact was signed during the Abu Dhabi-Japan Business Connect Forum in Tokyo, organised by the ADCCI to facilitate cross-border partnerships and support economic diversification. The UAE ambassador to Japan, Shihab Al Faheem, attended the signing. The high-level forum brought together leaders representing public and private sectors from Abu Dhabi and Japan to explore investment opportunities in priority industries. 'Japan has played a pivotal role in shaping our development, from urban planning to industrial growth, and it remains one of our top trading partners," said Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of ADCCI. The UAE and Japan have been boosting collaboration, with bilateral trade growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.9 per cent during the past five years. The UAE's investments in Japan have more than doubled over the past five years, while it has attracted more than 80 per cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East, Mr Al Zaabi said. "We are on the cusp of a new chapter, bolstered by the anticipated UAE–Japan Cepa and strengthened by rising trade and investment flows," he said. Abu Dhabi has been focusing on diversifying its economy away from hydrocarbons, with non-oil trade growth a key part of the plan. The emirate's non-oil foreign trade rose 9 per cent last year, reaching Dh306 billion ($83.3 billion), according to Abu Dhabi Customs. Non-oil exports increased 16 per cent in 2024, re-exports grew by 11 per cent and imports rose by three per cent. Compared to 2019, Abu Dhabi's non-oil exports have surged 86.4 per cent, and overall non-oil trade has risen by 44 per cent, "reflecting our commitment to enabling global business through regulatory reforms, ease of doing business, and seamless digital integration", Mr Al Zaabi said. "Our infrastructure, business-friendly ecosystem, smart city and quality of life initiatives make us a magnet for global talent, entrepreneurs and investors," he said.
The National
07-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Abu Dhabi comes full circle at Osaka Expo since 1970 debut, UAE ambassador to Japan says
The emirate of Abu Dhabi attended its first World Expo in 1970 with the goal of building a relationship with Japan and the world. The Emirates is back in 2025, and in the last 55 years, has signed comprehensive strategic partnerships, a visa-waiver pact for UAE nationals and is also holding negotiations for a free-trade agreement. Abu Dhabi participated in the Osaka Expo before it became an official state in 1971. Under British governance, the emirate had to negotiate its attendance given that only countries were allowed to participate. Its offering was much less back then. Abu Dhabi had 60,000 Bahrani dinars ($159,000) at the time to build a replica of a traditional fort with a new concept of barajils (wind towers), and it served Arabic coffee. Shihab Al Faheem, the UAE's ambassador to Japan, said his country has reached major milestones since then. 'We're very excited because we're coming back after participating under Abu Dhabi emirate in 1970. We come back as the UAE in 2025,' he told The National at the Expo in Osaka. The UAE returns as the Arab world's second largest economy and after hosting the last World Expo in Dubai. A delegation lead by Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, held discussions at the UAE pavilion to expand the country's long-standing partnership with Japan. 'Today, we have a focus on three items: Space, health care and sustainability,' he said. Mr Al Faheem said that this was a long way from 1970 expo, when the first mobile phone was introduced. The UAE and Japan have been boosting partnerships in recent years. The UAE Space Agency hosted workshops with experts from both nations and in 2023 the countries signed agreements on technology and greenhouse gas credits. The culmination of these goals, said the ambassador, has been given its own tag line. 'We call it Earth to ether, showing where we started and where our ambitions are going,' he said, which is demonstrated in the pillars of its pavilion. Its foundation is built using sustainable practices with 90 columns created from palm tree fronds. 'We've used two million [fronds] which usually go to waste,' Mr Al Faheem said. 'Plus two UAE companies started a new method of making blocks.' That method involved the use of recyclable waste materials from dates, he added. 'The date has always been our home, our shelter, our food. Now we're reincorporating it back into this pavilion to showcase that this is where our roots are, and to show also what we can come out with at Expo,' he said. The UAE has always been a reliable partner to Japan on energy security, according to Mr Al Faheem. The UAE is looking for more stability and open trade by expanding its 21 existing comprehensive economic partnership agreements, especially given the global economic uncertainty caused by the tariffs introduced by the US administration of President Donald Trump. 'We are now negotiating the same with Japan, and it's the right time to do something like this because we've seen the effects with different countries,' he said. Removing barriers will allow the UAE to move even faster with Japan, encouraging non-oil trade growth. 'Non-oil [trade] was around $13.3 billion in 2021, last year, it was $17.3 billion,' Mr Al Faheem said. 'Overall, it's more than $49 billion.' Events encouraging business exchange, such as Abu Dhabi's Investopia last year, and an event called Sushi Tech in Tokyo this week, where about 20 UAE companies will display their offerings, have also proven effective. Mr Al Faheem said the UAE has eased entry for small and medium sized businesses with measures including sandboxes that allow companies to test out new technology and push boundaries that provide solutions for the future. This is attracting interest from Japanese businesses. 'We have 350 [Japanese] companies, and we have the largest number of Japanese citizens in all of Mena. Around 6,200 Japanese call the UAE home, this is in comparison to around 100 in 1980. So it's a huge jump,' he said. Mr Al Faheem, who has travelled to all 47 prefectures of Japan, said the UAE and Japan share important similarities as advanced countries with strong ties to their traditions. Japan has gone through a phase of industrial revolution while keeping its values, he said, referencing the country's rapid transformation after the Meiji restoration in 1868, similar to the UAE's transformation since 1971. 'This gives us a lot of insight on how we changed as an economy, as infrastructure, but remain the same as people,' Mr Al Faheem said. 'To me, this is a very important aspect that we keep our traditions just like you see here with the pavilion.' A small-scale model of the pavilion from 1970 served as a reminder of the UAE's transformation. 'In 1970 when we came, we wanted to be on the global stage,' he said. 'Today we want to be part of the decision making around the globe.' This is why the UAE is playing a bigger role when it comes to AI, using technology, and so much more, he added. With the pavilion itself, Mr Al Faheem said, 'you see our humble beginnings and also where we've reached'.
