The Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have joined forces to launch a new cloud innovation centre in the capital that will help spur innovation in the public and private sectors.
The AWS Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC) is part of a three-year partnership that will enable companies based in Abu Dhabi to create solutions using next-generation technologies, aimed at supporting residents, businesses and the economy, Adio said in a statement on Thursday as part of Gitex Global in Dubai.
AWS — the cloud computing unit of Amazon, the world's biggest online marketplace — has more than a dozen CICs globally. Its Abu Dhabi unit will support innovation challenges with up to $1.5 million worth of AWS credits, it said.
"With its focus on innovative solutions, the centre will be a meaningful addition to Abu Dhabi’s growing technology ecosystem, equipping organisations with tools to transform rapidly and successfully," Abdulla Al Shamsi, acting director general of Adio, said.
"We see massive potential for innovation to make a difference across multiple industries ... that will propel businesses to success and transform the lives of citizens.”
Abu Dhabi's drive to promote digital transformation is reflected in several initiatives that encourage the use of emerging technologies to expand its entrepreneurship base and contribute to the economy.
Adio, the government body responsible for attracting investment to the emirate, launched a Dh2 billion ($545m) Innovation Programme in 2020 and has been constantly attracting organisations into its fold.
This week, Adio and Siemens Energy went to partnership for an innovation centre to be set up by the German company in Abu Dhabi, as a part of efforts to accelerate its journey into net zero in the UAE and globally.
Last month, Adio joined forces with cloud health company Innovaccer to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of health care in the UAE and Middle East.
Global companies are flocking to Abu Dhabi to set up shop. Last month, US software company Oracle opened a technology collaboration centre on Reem Island that aims to help organisations boost their bottom lines.
Amazon, meanwhile, has been actively investing in the UAE. In August, it launched its second Middle East cloud region in the UAE in partnership with Adio, while in June it opened its largest delivery station in Abu Dhabi as it scaled its operations.
AWS's CIC in Abu Dhabi was developed in line with the UAE's national agenda focusing on the future economy, and is expected to accelerate the UAE's journey towards becoming a "hotbed" for technology-driven entrepreneurship, said Wojciech Bajda, head for the public sector in the Middle East and Africa at AWS.
"The CIC will provide an opportunity for organisations to collaborate with the public and private sectors to address their most pressing challenges, test new ideas and access technology expertise," he said.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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.
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5