Latest news with #NationalStrategyforArtificialIntelligence2031
Sharjah 24
22-05-2025
- Business
- Sharjah 24
Saif bin Zayed launches AI Training Programme for MoI Personnel
In a strategic partnership with Inception, a G42 company, and in collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The MoU was signed by Brigadier Dr. Rashid Al Dhakhri, Director-General of Human Resources at the Ministry, on behalf of the MoI, and Andrew Jackson, CEO of Inception, on behalf of the company. The ceremony was also attended by Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior; Peng Xiao, CEO of G42; alongside senior officers and officials. Pioneering programme This pioneering programme is designed to build a future-ready police force by equipping MoI staff with essential AI knowledge, hands-on experience, and the tools required to understand, utilise, and innovate with artificial intelligence in their respective domains. The initiative will be delivered through a modular framework encompassing intensive workshops, interactive seminars, and practical training sessions under the supervision of leading AI experts and practitioners. Participants will gain foundational insights into AI concepts, explore cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications in public service, and develop the skills needed to integrate AI into their daily workflows. Places strong emphasis on ethical AI usage, critical thinking, and informed decision-making The programme also places strong emphasis on ethical AI usage, critical thinking, and informed decision-making, ensuring a responsible and effective deployment of AI capabilities. This initiative represents a significant step in the Ministry of Interior's ongoing commitment to fostering a smart, agile, and future-ready workforce. Developed in collaboration with Inception and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the programme is tailored to serve the varied needs of MoI personnel—from strategic policymakers to frontline staff—ensuring organisation-wide AI literacy and adoption. By promoting a culture of innovation, continuous professional development, and responsible technological advancement, the initiative supports the UAE's broader objectives under the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. It reaffirms the nation's ambition to position itself as a global leader in the development and application of human-centred, ethically sound AI solutions.
Al Etihad
22-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Saif bin Zayed launches AI Training Programme for MoI Personnel
22 May 2025 13:15 ABU DHABI (WAM)Lt. General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) launching a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at advancing artificial intelligence competencies among Ministry of Interior (MoI) a strategic partnership with Inception, a G42 company, and in collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial MoU was signed by Brigadier Dr. Rashid Al Dhakhri, Director-General of Human Resources at the Ministry, on behalf of the MoI, and Andrew Jackson, CEO of Inception, on behalf of the ceremony was also attended by Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior; Peng Xiao, CEO of G42; alongside senior officers and pioneering programme is designed to build a future-ready police force by equipping MoI staff with essential AI knowledge, hands-on experience, and the tools required to understand, utilise, and innovate with artificial intelligence in their respective initiative will be delivered through a modular framework encompassing intensive workshops, interactive seminars, and practical training sessions under the supervision of leading AI experts and will gain foundational insights into AI concepts, explore cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications in public service, and develop the skills needed to integrate AI into their daily programme further emphasises ethical AI usage, critical thinking, and informed decision-making, ensuring a responsible and effective deployment of AI initiative represents a significant step in the Ministry of Interior's ongoing commitment to fostering a smart, agile, and future-ready workforce. Developed in collaboration with Inception and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the programme is tailored to serve the varied needs of MoI personnel—from strategic policymakers to frontline staff—ensuring organisation-wide AI literacy and adoption. By promoting a culture of innovation, continuous professional development, and responsible technological advancement, the initiative supports the UAE's broader objectives under the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. It reaffirms the nation's ambition to position itself as a global leader in the development and application of human-centred, ethically sound AI solutions.
Al Etihad
11-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Tahnoon bin Zayed chairs MGX's first board meeting of 2025
11 May 2025 19:51 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the MGX Board of Directors, has chaired MGX's inaugural board meeting of 2025. His Highness praised the company's rapid progress enabling accelerated technology development and innovation, and its emergence as a globally leading investor in AI infrastructure and technology that contributes to boosting productivity, enhancing quality of life, and ensuring a more sustainable and prosperous future for board reviewed MGX's financial performance for 2024, welcoming the remarkable progress achieved in the build-out of the MGX portfolio, including the latter's leading role in the establishment of the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), which recently welcomed xAI and Nvidia to the founding partnership of MGX, BlackRock and Microsoft. The board similarly welcomed MGX investments in leading large language models (LLM's) including Open AI, Anthropic and xAI. The board also approved the company's 2024 financial statements and various forward-looking budgetary approvals, as well as the company's 2025 strategic priorities including planned investments in semiconductors, globally leading technology platforms and AI native response to directions from the board and as part of its support for the UAE's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, MGX also introduced Ain, its proprietary AI-powered, voice-enabled board observer. Ain uses advanced AI models to pull data from MGX's internal systems and external data sources to provide deep, real-time insights in support of board investment decisions and risk offers clear and actionable recommendations and listens to and learns from the board and management discussions, continuously improving its understanding of the strategy and the business and helping MGX make faster and better Director and CEO of MGX, Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, said, 'Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, MGX is laying the groundwork for a new era of AI-driven investing. The launch of Ain represents a breakthrough in corporate governance, seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence into the fabric of our decision-making processes. With Ain, AI emerges not merely as a tool, but as a trusted partner in shaping MGX's future.'The board meeting was attended by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Vice Chairman of MGX, and board members including His Excellency Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Peng Xiao, Martin Edelman, and Ahmed Yahia Al was established in March 2024 by the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council in Abu is a technology investment company focused on accelerating the development and adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies through world-leading partnerships in the UAE and globally. MGX invests in sectors where AI can create broad economic value and impact, including semiconductors, infrastructure, software, tech-enabled services, life sciences, and AI infrastructure.
Campaign ME
06-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Can AI transform PR in the Middle East without losing the human touch?
Artificial intelligence has made its way into almost every part of our lives, and communications is no exception. Across the GCC, AI is no longer something we are experimenting with or cautiously exploring. It has quickly become part of the way PR professionals work every day. But let's be clear, in this part of the world, where trust, relationships and cultural understanding still matter deeply, AI is not here to replace us. It is here to help us do our jobs better, faster and smarter. In places like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, governments are serious about leading the world in AI. The UAE's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 both make digital innovation a national priority. And as those ambitions grow, so does the need for communications that keep pace. PR teams across the Gulf are adapting quickly, weaving AI tools into their everyday routines. Today, AI is already changing how we work behind the scenes. It helps us track media coverage in real time, spot shifts in public sentiment and even predict what stories are likely to get attention. It is helping personalise pitches to journalists, saving hours that would have gone into manual research. Translation tools have also come a long way, helping teams create bilingual content at speed, although, anyone who works with Arabic content knows that AI translations still need a careful human touch to get the tone right. And that brings us to an important point. AI can be incredibly powerful, but it does not always understand the nuances of language, culture and human emotion, all of which are absolutely critical here. A mistranslation, a misjudged phrase, or a culturally insensitive message can damage relationships that have taken years to build. In a market where reputation is everything, getting the small things right matters just as much as the big moves. There is also the simple truth that relationships drive business in the GCC. People want to know who they are working with. They want trust, loyalty and real connections. No algorithm, no matter how sophisticated, can take the place of a face-to-face meeting, a shared conversation, or the intuition a seasoned communicator brings to a room. Then there are new challenges around data privacy. Laws like the UAE's Personal Data Protection Law are a sign that the region is getting serious about regulating how data is collected and used. PR teams that lean heavily on AI must be even more careful about how they handle personal information and protect client trust. Even with these challenges, the upside is clear. AI is freeing communicators from the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that once ate up our days. It gives us more space to focus on strategy, creativity, crisis management and relationship building, the work that makes the real difference. It is a powerful tool, but like all tools, it is only as effective as the person using it. AI's role in GCC communications will only grow. We are seeing early signs of Arabic AI-generated video content taking off on social platforms. Reputation management tools are getting smarter, helping brands spot potential issues before they blow up. Companies are starting to think seriously about ethical AI use, not just because regulators might force them to, but because they know trust is the most valuable asset they have. Here is the simple truth. AI will not replace PR professionals in the Middle East. But those who learn to use AI well will absolutely replace those who do not. The winners will be the communicators who can blend the best of technology with the best of human instinct and creativity. The GCC is in a unique position. With bold leadership, ambitious national visions and a young, tech-savvy population, this region could set the gold standard for how AI and human storytelling come together. The future of communications here is not about choosing between human or machine. It is about using both, together, to tell better, stronger and smarter stories. Those who embrace that reality will shape not just the future of PR in the Gulf, but the future of communications across the world. By Zeeshan Masud, Director Client Experience, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Entrepreneur
06-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How Ecosystem Partnerships Shape MENA's Future in AI
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. "The opportunity the UAE and Saudi Arabia have is that they now can set the terms of the global conversation on artificial intelligence (AI)," says Vikas Aggarwal, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Academic Director of INSEAD's Global Private Equity Initiative (GPEI), on the sidelines of the AI Forum: Middle East organized by INSEAD in partnership with French Tech. Prof. Aggarwal is rightly highlighting that the UAE is developing one of the most cohesive and advanced AI ecosystems in the MENA region, and perhaps around the world as well. Over the last few years, the UAE has introduced several national AI initiatives, including appointing the world's first Minister of State for AI in 2017 and launching the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. Recently, the country was ranked among the top 10 countries with the most AI companies per million people, according to the Global AI Competitiveness Index, a collaborative effort between the International Finance Forum and Deep Knowledge Group that analyzed over 55,000 AI companies worldwide. Plus, the country's Ministry of Education has just announced the integration of AI as an official subject in the public-school curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 12, starting from the 2025-2026 academic year. "In the Middle East, we now have a very unique confluence of government vision, public investment, and an ecosystem of AI players. For AI entrepreneurs to survive, you need this broader ecosystem not only locally, but also internationally," says Prof. Aggarwal. "Corporate partnerships, like what G42 has with Microsoft, are very good examples of how developing a broader partnership ecosystem can create a framework within which entrepreneurs can flourish." "I think the UAE is in a very unique position because, in contrast with many parts of the world where there is less clarity on regulatory frameworks, here you have a very favorable structure for innovation. That is why I think the UAE's AI entrepreneurs will play a central role in driving the adoption of AI worldwide. When it comes to AI, there is not going to be one player, but an ecosystem of players." Prof. Aggarwal is no stranger to witnessing (and taking part in) the emergence of startup ecosystems. Following his Silicon Valley startup experience, where he worked with the founding team of to grow the company through multiple rounds of venture financing, he also worked as an independent consultant to a range of tech firms. Today, he focuses on venture capital-backed startups, as well as larger firms experiencing significant environmental change. "A lot of the businesses we saw in the Middle East from 2010/2012 until this current AI boom were very much local/regional solutions to problems that exist globally, and for which other firms created local solutions [in other parts of the world]; but the big question for me now is to what degree the local and regional AI firms of today will have a global impact." he says. Prof. Aggarwal led a panel entitled "AI Startups in MENA: Fueling Innovation, Competing Globally", held as part of INSEAD Global AI Forum Series. The session explored the opportunities and challenges that AI startups face across the region, with a special focus on the UAE and Saudi Arabia as rising global hubs for innovation. His first piece of advice for AI startups is to be open to partnerships. "They need to recognize that they are operating in an environment where ecosystem relationships are key. Following government regulations and frameworks, finding corporate partners, and thoughtfully structuring relationships, are all important and very interdependent imperatives that AI entrepreneurs cannot pursue in isolation." A panel entitled "AI Startups in MENA: Fueling Innovation, Competing Globally", held as part of INSEAD Global AI Forum Series in Dubai. Source: INSEAD The INSEAD event in Dubai also coincided with the launch of INSEAD's Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII), whose mission is to understand and shape the evolving partnership between humans and machines in business and leadership. Prof. Aggarwal expands his support to ecosystem partnerships by pointing to the need for academic research and partnerships, via initiatives such as HUMII, to play an crucial role in the AI ecosystem. "The institute is tasked with bringing together participants from across our portfolio of programs to better understand how we can put humans at the center of future developments," he explains. "Academic institutions are a great opportunity to serve as a hub to bring people together. Given the importance of ecosystems, particularly in AI, entrepreneurs should focus on developing closer relationships with universities because they can play a catalyzing role in driving the success of their entrepreneurial ventures." The UAE recently expanded its Golden Visa regime, a long-term residence for foreign talents, to tech and AI specialists and founders, inviting them to live and build their solutions in the UAE. "One of the great things is that the UAE and Saudi Arabia have the ability to attract the best talent, from Europe to Southeast Asia to other parts of the world. That was happening even before the AI boom, and I think that was quite necessary for this AI boom in MENA to really take off," Prof. Aggarwal says. Investors have been increasingly supporting the AI vision of regional governments, such as Saudi Arabia aiming to derive about 12% of its GDP from the AI industry by 2030, or the UAE aiming to increase digital economy-related contributions to its GDP to over 20% by 2031. To AI startups looking to raise funds, Prof. Aggarwal advises finding a way to revenue and scalability "very quickly." He adds, "Startups need to figure out how they can quickly get to the point where the business model is clear and where there is a clear path to scaling. I don't think there is a shortage of capital; rather there is a need for entrepreneurs who bring together their vision with a scalable business model and execution capability, as well as the ability and willingness to work in the context of partnerships. If you as an entrepreneur have that magic combination, the capital will come." "The track to revenue is critical, particularly with AI. Who are you partnering with? What is the vision? I think one of the things that VCs always want to understand is whether you are someone who is very tied to their vision or somebody who can pivot and move and is willing to say, 'ok, let's evolve.' As an entrepreneur, you have to be open to the process of learning, and that's what VCs are looking for. It's not just about the idea, but about the way in which you approach feedback from the market," Prof. Aggarwal concludes.
