Microsoft says the UAE is playing an increasingly important role in the company's success and turning the many promises of AI into reality.
“It's a growing hub of innovation,” said Doug Dawson, the company's vice president of global communications, during an exclusive interview with The National near its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
Mr Dawson noted that the country was among the first in the world to start a university dedicated to artificial intelligence, MBZUAI, back in 2019.
“The UAE was very proactive in making AI investments,” he said.
“To have that foresight to make the investments in advanced technology like that, the UAE is a hugely important hub.”
Mr Dawson also reflected on Microsoft's $1.5 billion investment in the UAE's artificial intelligence and cloud company, G42, last year. The UAE's emphasis on AI so many years before it went mainstream gave the company confidence, he said.
The UAE has shown tremendous interest in all aspects of AI, ranging from solutions in science and health care, to the energy needed make the burgeoning technology possible, he added.
“The infrastructure needed for all the advanced compute power is an opportunity where the UAE has been quite forward in thinking about 'how can we tap our natural resources like sunshine to help power AI centres',” he said.
Mr Dawson's comments come several weeks before the company's chief executive Satya Nadella is expected to visit the UAE for a Microsoft AI tour in Dubai, where he will also give a keynote address on the potential of the technology and the progress made.
Inside Microsoft's Redmond headquarters, Mr Dawson's comments about the UAE were echoed by Somanna Palacanda, the head of country-specific social impact strategies at the company.
“It's one of the first countries in the world to set up a minister for AI,” he said, referring to Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.
Mr Palacanda also pointed out that the UAE has trained government employees on various aspects of AI, and that Microsoft had also opened its first Middle East “AI for Good Lab” in Abu Dhabi.
“They're creating a whole ecosystem, and that's what you need,” he said.
“I think in terms of government regulations, the UAE clearly looked at AI as a tool to help them become more competitive in the global space.
“They invested in changing the curriculum of the schools to make sure that future generations are more competitive. They're creating, you know, favourable work environments for innovators to move to the UAE to create companies on AI with the golden visa.”
The UAE's golden visa is designed to make residency more accessible and the process faster.
According to online learning platform Coursera, people in the UAE and the Middle East overall are seeking to stay ahead of the AI learning curve this year, based on course enrolments.
In recent years the UAE, the Arab world’s second biggest economy, has expressed its desire to be a front-runner on AI as it diversifies away from oil.
The country’s efforts have resulted in the establishment of several start-ups, partnerships and investments from industry leaders.
The UAE has also created several large language models, such as Jais, seen as the backbone of the technology.
For Microsoft, AI has helped to boost the company’s bottom line through products such as Copilot assistant and its Azure cloud computing platform.
For many consumers, AI has led to a renaissance for Microsoft, a company previously known for operating systems and office productivity software.
Eric Boyd, Microsoft's corporate vice president for the Azure AI platform, also spoke about the company's affinity for the UAE and the Middle East.
“I think there's a huge opportunity to continue to grow and do more there,” he said.
“The Gulf area economically is a massive growth area because there's a good amount of money but also because amount of interest in how they can do things with AI and build the economy in that area, so it remains a major focus for us.”
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Jawan
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Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
