The UAE aims to become a leading voice in the global “battleground” for artificial intelligence policies, as adoption of the technology continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq said.
Such policies – which are also being adopted in other major economies such as the US, Europe and China – are crucial for supporting economic development, Mr bin Touq said at the Gitex Global technology conference in Dubai on Monday.
“The government is pushing – there's a lot of building capacity, engaging with companies and working on so many challenges,” he said, adding that the policies have also served as guidance for investors on where to concentrate their finances.
The UAE is aiming to grow its economy by 7 per cent each year to hit Dh3 trillion ($816.7 billion) by 2030. New technologies – those which would have an impact in the near to medium term – will play a key role in achieving this, Mr bin Touq said.
“Every industrial revolution had one thing, which is [building] efficiency in humans. AI is doing that as well – 10 times more. That's an important aspect … moving forward,” he said.
Mr bin Touq's comments come after the UAE Cabinet on Friday revealed an international policy on artificial intelligence to help to prevent the misuse of the technology. Under this, the UAE will participate in international forums to help develop the use of AI, advocate for transparency to enable governments to enforce ethical and accountability standards, and support the establishment of international alliances for governing AI systems.
In May, the UAE Cabinet also approved the establishment of a chief executive for AI in all major federal entities, which experts said highlights the level of preparation required to achieve long-term benefits and position the country as a leader in technology.
The UAE's regulations rank among the highest in terms of standards, having accomplished a lot in a short period of time “because there was a focus, direction and a target to reach”, Mr bin Touq said.
Driving into the future
Meanwhile, the future of autonomous transport in the UAE is expected to happen seamlessly, and there will be no negative effects on the country's transport workforce, Mr bin Touq said.
“I don't think we have the challenge of labour, logistics and transportation. Actually, the UAE is the best place for autonomy,” he said, noting that the country will be able to utilise driverless transport more efficiently compared to other larger countries like the US.
There will also be the benefit of reduced costs for companies and carbon dioxide emissions, also in line with the UAE's sustainability agenda, the Minister added.
The UAE has been focusing on boosting smart mobility. Chinese company WeRide was granted the first preliminary national licence for self-driving cars by the UAE Cabinet in July 2023.
Last month, ride-hailing company Uber Technologies said it will begin using self-driving cars from WeRide in its Abu Dhabi fleet later this year.
In October last year, Abu Dhabi unveiled the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (Savi) cluster at clean energy hub Masdar City, aimed at establishing the emirate as a major centre for the development of high-tech vehicles.
It is also aimed at helping the emirate diversify its economy and create thousands of jobs: the hub is expected to contribute between Dh90 billion and Dh120 billion ($24.5 billion and $32.7 billion) to the UAE's economy and generate up to 50,000 jobs, officials said at the time.
Meanwhile, Dubai also began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year after US self-driving tech company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors and Honda Motor, was issued with a trial permit.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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.
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Results
Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.
Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).
Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.
Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
