Fahad Al Hassawi, chief executive of du parent Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, delivering his keynote at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC
Fahad Al Hassawi, chief executive of du parent Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, delivering his keynote at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC
Fahad Al Hassawi, chief executive of du parent Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, delivering his keynote at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC
Fahad Al Hassawi, chief executive of du parent Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, delivering his keynote at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC

Four technologies set to shape the future of UAE's key industries


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

Investments in key information and communications technology verticals are expected to play a crucial role in driving the UAE’s sustainability goals as it gears up for the economy of the future, the chief executive of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company has said.

Four growing technologies – the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics – are pegged to enhance operational efficiency and productivity across various sectors, Fahad Al Hassawi told The National on the sidelines of the Envision conference in Dubai.

Envision, hosted by EITC, known as du, was held in coordination with the International Data Corporation and the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.

Implementing these technologies in key sectors – which include manufacturing, agriculture, and smart cities, among others – will help them boost efficiency, he said.

"ICT plays a crucial role in driving sustainability by enabling innovations in various sectors ... it is a cornerstone in the UAE's drive towards sustainability, with innovations spanning various sectors," Mr Al Hassawi said.

"Real-time data collection and analysis will revolutionise decision-making processes and drive innovation to new heights."

In addition, investments focused on digitalisation to implement automation, robotics, machine learning and digital twins in industries will help lead efforts to drive sustainability through less carbon emissions, he said.

"Data-driven approaches for waste management and water conservation will reduce costs annually while positively impacting the nation's gross domestic product."

The UAE is investing heavily in its technological capabilities and rolling out several initiatives as it prepares for the economy of the future.

ICT spending in the UAE is expected to hit $23 billion in 2024, marking a compound annual growth rate of 8 per cent from 2019, latest data from the Ministry of Economy shows.

AI alone is expected to contribute around $96 billion by 2030, equivalent to about 14 per cent of GDP, it said.

Globally, ICT spending is projected to hit $5.8 trillion in 2023, a 6.4 per cent annual growth over 2022, data from Statista shows.

Economic growth

Advanced technologies are also a key pillar to support the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, which calls for Dh600 billion ($163 billion) to be invested in clean and renewable energy sources in the next three decades.

"ICT solutions are not only driving economic growth but also contributing to sustainability goals," Mr Al Hassawi said.

Smart cities, which several countries are pushing to develop and implement, encapsulate the importance of advanced technologies.

In the UAE, these are "being crafted" with a focus on optimising energy consumption, transportation systems and public services, Mr Al Hassawi said.

The value of the global smart city market is projected to surge more than two and a half times to $1.52 trillion by 2030, from an estimated $594.4 billion this year, data from Research and Markets shows.

"Harnessing the benefits of technology in urban environments has led the UAE to be at the forefront of pioneering the convergence of technology and sustainability in urban development," he said.

The UAE continues to expand its manufacturing and industry sectors, with a focus on technology and sustainability.

Its Industry 4.0 initiative, announced in October 2021, was designed to help the UAE realise its economic potential by increasing the use of deep learning, machine learning, AI, additive manufacturing and the Internet of Things, into the value and supply chains that support the industrial sector.

The UAE which is hosting the Cop28 climate conference in November, is also adopting other sustainability initiatives, like the waste-to-energy projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, delivering a speech at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC
Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, delivering a speech at the Envision conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: EITC

These projects are estimated to power hundreds of thousands of homes when fully complete.

"These advancements, combined with a commitment to reducing carbon emissions, underscore the UAE's vision of a sustainable future for its residents," Mr Al Hassawi said.

In agricultural technology, innovations such as precision farming, hydroponics, IoT and data analytics are enhancing crop productivity and water conservation.

A standout application is vertical farming, with approximately 36 per cent of the UAE's AgriTech market dedicated to this indoor farming subsector, latest data from the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park showed.

"This approach is reducing the UAE's reliance on food imports, bolstering the employment market and ensuring food security," Mr Al Hassawi said.

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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

Gifts exchanged
  • King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
  • Queen Camilla -  Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
  • Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
  • Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag

Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Updated: September 06, 2023, 3:30 AM`