Traffic on Al Saada Bridge in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Traffic on Al Saada Bridge in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Traffic on Al Saada Bridge in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Traffic on Al Saada Bridge in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Google AI to help improve traffic flow in Abu Dhabi


Kelsey Warner
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Google is working with Abu Dhabi's transport authority to boost the number of green lights in the emirate, using machine learning technology to reduce stop-and-go traffic and, in turn, cut down on air pollution.

The US-based tech company announced several ways it plans to collaborate with the UAE on artificial intelligence initiatives at an event hosted at the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

“We’re at an exciting inflection point” in AI development, said Karan Bhatia, global vice president for government relations and public policy at Google.

“Building this transformational technology responsibly must be a collective effort that involves researchers, social scientists, industry experts, governments and people.”

Project Green Light is a pilot programme, also under way in Hamburg, Germany, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to gather data on traffic patterns and build AI models that can make recommendations – for example, increasing the number of seconds of green time between certain hours.

Such modifications can help reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and also improve the flow of traffic and air quality in the city.

Along with the traffic pilot, Google plans to offer research awards to the faculty at MBZUAI to help improve Arabic representation in AI foundation models, with a focus on identifying research that has a societal impact in sustainability and climate change.

In addition to the financial support, MBZUAI faculty will be able to request in-kind support in Google cloud computing.

“AI research and development is central to the UAE’s economic diversification, sustainable growth and global competitiveness strategy, and partnerships with key industry leaders are important for the continued application of the university’s pioneering research,” said Sultan Al Hajji, MBZUAI vice president of public affairs and alumni relations.

This week, Google will also co-host its first quarterly Al Majlis event with the UAE Ministry of State for Digital Economy, AI and Remote Working System, to discuss and advance AI principles and policies.

The event will cover the topic of responsible innovation with leaders in government, academia and businesses in tourism, media and publishing, retail and telecoms.

Future Majlis discussions will address AI's impact on sustainability, health care and the future of work.

“There is so much we can accomplish and so much we must get right – together. There's significant value in collaborative leadership in AI and we look forward to doing more with local partners in the UAE and to help advance AI research and solutions that meet the needs of the country,” Mr Bhatia said.

From left, Google executive Karan Bhatia with Sultan Al Hajji from MBZUAI and Mohamed Karmastaji from Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre. Photo: Google
From left, Google executive Karan Bhatia with Sultan Al Hajji from MBZUAI and Mohamed Karmastaji from Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre. Photo: Google
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

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You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Updated: May 25, 2023, 1:58 PM`