Latest news with #Almarri
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
‘A moment of pride': MBZUAI graduates represent new crop of global AI talent
29 May 2025 01:05 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Year after year, the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) continues to reach major milestones, reflecting the UAE's expanding AI footprint. This year, the university celebrated its largest and most diverse graduating class, with 104 students earning future-ready degrees.'We had our first UAE national PhD graduate, who is also a member of Dubai Police. We also had our first three female PhD graduates. So, it was quite the milestone for the university,' Prof. Timothy Baldwin, Provost of MBZUAI, told Aletihad on the sidelines of Wednesday's graduation university awarded PhD degrees to 13 graduates and master's degrees to 91 students. Among them were 20 Emiratis — the highest number of UAE nationals to graduate since the university's year's graduates represent a new generation of AI talent, specialising in three core areas: Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.'Next year, we will also have our first robotics graduates,' Baldwin said. 'Every year is the largest because we're growing and growing.'Although more than 80% of MBZUAI's students hail from around the world, 80% of graduates choose to remain in the UAE—a testament to the university's global appeal and national impact, Baldwin students are 'gaining high-end AI skills and generating intellectual capital'—creating innovations ranging from Arabic language models to breakthroughs in healthcare, the university's provost said.'Our Jais large language models are now the most popular for Arabic. These are open-weight and aligned with our region's values—something foreign models do not offer,' he explained.'From Alzheimer's and brain tumour detection to low-cost ultrasound tools—we are improving both hospital outcomes and access for underserved communities.'The MBZUAI students are not just learning AI, Baldwin said, they 'help build the safeguards the world urgently needs.' The Work of MBZUAI GraduatesSalem Almarri, the MBZUAI's first Emirati PhD graduate in computer vision, conducted a study on real-time anomaly detection. He developed three methods to identify criminal activity in video. 'Being the first Emirati PhD graduate (in this field) carries weight—I must keep going. We are blessed with leadership that had this vision, and now it's our turn to do our part,' Almarri said. Asif Hanif, who researched AI trust and model vulnerabilities, vowed to pursue higher studies after earning his PhD in computer vision. Mohamed Ridzwan, a PhD graduate in machine learning, focused on AI for cancer prediction. "MBZUAI is a hub of knowledge and a catalyst for AI in the region. It is a privilege to be part of this ecosystem,' he said. Maryam Arjemandi, who completed her master's in computer vision, studied fetal ultrasound imaging using diffusion models. 'There is a big data gap in medical imaging, so I partnered with Corniche Hospital to create a private dataset and trained a model to generate realistic ultrasound images,' she told Aletihad. Her aunt, Munira, beamed with pride just listening to the new graduate explain her work. 'She is the first in our family to earn a master's degree. She told me it was her dream—and thank God, I saw that dream come true."Arjemandi urged those thinking about pursuing AI studies to 'just go for it'. 'The UAE is the third strongest country in AI. If you want to do AI, come here,' she said. Hassan Almarzooqi was a proud father of graduates Abdullah and Abdelrahman. "It is truly a moment of joy. They are our sons, but also sons of the nation."Abdelrahman said it was 'a moment of pride to graduate from the top AI university', while Abdullah highlighted the university's steadfast support. 'Everything you need is provided — you just have to work hard,' Abdullah said.
Gulf Business
28-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
DWTC generates Dhs22.35bn in economic output in 2024
Image: Dubai Media Office The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) generated Dhs22.35bn ($6.08bn) in economic output in 2024, driven by a record increase in large-scale events. Large-scale events at DWTC contributed Dhs13.04bn in gross value added (GVA) to Dubai's GDP, with the number of major exhibitions and conferences reaching 100, a 32 per cent year-on-year increase. More than two million people attended these events, with international visitors accounting for 46 per cent of the total, boosting sectors including travel, accommodation, and retail. The events supported over 85,500 jobs across Dubai's meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry and adjacent sectors. Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of the DWTC Authority, said the growth in 2024 validates DWTC's strategic investments, including the ongoing expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre, with the first phase due for completion in 2026. 100 large-scale events. 2+ million attendees. AED 22.35 billion in Economic Impact. In 2024, — Dubai World Trade Centre (@DWTCOfficial) DWTC: Key highlights of 2024 The 2024 Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) highlighted that for every Dhs1 spent at DWTC events, Dhs7.7 of economic output was generated across Dubai. Sales within the MICE sector reached Dhs2.9bn, while direct spending in adjacent sectors such as hotels, restaurants, retail, and transport reached Dhs13.17bn. Business entertainment spending rose 36 per cent to Dhs1.78bn, retail trade increased 34 per cent to Dhs2.64bn, and F&B spending grew 30 per cent to Dhs2.23bn. Hotel accommodation spending rose 15 per cent to Dhs3.41bn, and air and local transport spending increased 8 per cent to Dhs2.86bn. International attendees spent an average of Dhs9,833 per event, nearly six times the Dhs1,673 spent by domestic attendees, according to the study. The MENA region led international business event visitation with 32 per cent, followed by Europe at 27 per cent. Top source markets included Saudi Arabia, India, China, Turkey, Oman, the UK, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and Germany. The Healthcare, Medical, and Scientific, Food, Hotel and Catering, and Information Technology sectors were the largest contributors, accounting for 58 per cent of total GVA generated, with healthcare leading with 21 events and Dhs3.68bn in GVA. 'DWTC remains committed to redefining the global MICE landscape, leveraging innovation, strategic partnerships, and Dubai's geographic positioning to drive future economic growth,' Almarri said. Read:
Khaleej Times
14-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai woos Indian property investors as it aims Dh1 trillion transactions, says top official
Dubai is trying to attract Indian real estate investors, who are among the top buyers locally, as the emirate is targeting Dh1 trillion in total transactions by 2033, a senior official of Dubai Land Department (DLD) said on Monday. 'As part of Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, we have implemented some programmes to attract many investors. I recently visited India also," said Majid Saqer Almarri, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at DLD. "Why India? Because Indians are at the top of investors internationally, so we are trying to attract investors from India. We are also looking forward to successful participation and attracting real estate funds from India,' Majid explained. Dubai's real estate sector has been attracting billions of dirhams in foreign investment mainly from India, Britain, Pakistan, France, the Americas and other regions around the world. Most of the brokerage houses in Dubai report Indians as top property buyers every year, attracted by higher returns on investment, affordability, safety and security, and lifestyle aspects. Dubai's real estate sector recorded Dh761 billion transactions last year. Almarri said the target is to reach Dh1 trillion as part of Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033. 'The Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033 (which) started in October includes 30 initiatives and we have also started some of them. The first initiative was the launch of the Smart Rental Index which will analyse data using artificial intelligence. This index takes the average of the previous agreement and new ones and classifications of buildings,' Almarri said at the IPS 2025 exhibition and conference taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. While speaking during a panel discussion at IPS Congress 2025, he pointed out that the department constantly works on innovations for ease of business, registration, and other aspects of the real estate sector. Dawood Al-Shezawi, head of the Organising Committee of IPS, said the emirate attracted more than 110,000 new investors in 2024 and the target is higher for 2025. 'We have more than 500 international exhibitions annually in Dubai. At IPS, we have investors and exhibitors coming from multiple countries including the USA, Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other countries. We have to attract investors and expert people in the real estate sector as we have the most transparent system in the world,' he added.
The National
06-02-2025
- Business
- The National
Dubai GDP grows by 3.1% in first nine months last year
Dubai's economy grew by 3.1 per cent in the first nine months of last year, compared to the same period in 2023, reaching Dh339.4 billion, with growth largely driven by strides in several sectors. The wholesale and retail trade sector reached Dh83.12 billion in the first three quarters of last year, a growth rate of 2.9 per cent. The transport and storage sector grew by 5.3 per cent to reach Dh42.135 billion, while the financial and insurance activities sector increased by 4.5 per cent to reach Dh39.439. Among other sectors in Dubai 's economy, information and communications rose by 4.1 per cent while accommodation and food services grew by 3.7 per cent. The manufacturing sector rose by 2.3 per cent. 'Dubai's exceptional economic performance in the first nine months of 2024 reflects the city's resilience and commitment to innovation-driven growth, and the strategic execution of the city's bold vision embodied by the Dubai Economic Agenda D33,' said Helal Almarri, director general of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). As part of D33, which was launched in 2023, Dubai is looking to establish itself as one of the top three global cities over the next decade and double the size of its economy by 2033. To achieve this, Dubai is aiming to create a globally competitive business environment and reduce business costs, while also strengthening its position as an attractive business hub. 'As the D33 Agenda enters its third year, it reinforces Dubai's commitment to creating a future-ready economy through initiatives that advance innovation, prioritise sustainability, and leverage cutting-edge technologies,' Mr Almarri said. 'As we look to the future, we invite global partners, innovators, and business leaders to join us in shaping this extraordinary journey.' Among the other sectors contributing to the emirate's GDP was information and communications, which accounted for 4.7 per cent of Dubai's economy for the first nine months of last year, a 1 per cent increase from the same period in 2023. The sector achieved a growth of 4.1 per cent and reached a value of Dh15.863 billion. Accommodation and food services grew by 3.7 per cent. Electricity, gas, water and waste management grew by 2.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector recorded a growth of 2.3 per cent and the real estate sector grew by 3.6 per cent during the first nine months of last year.
