Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, delivered the keynote at Dubai's 2024 AI Retreat. Photo: Dubai Future Foundation
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, delivered the keynote at Dubai's 2024 AI Retreat. Photo: Dubai Future Foundation
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, delivered the keynote at Dubai's 2024 AI Retreat. Photo: Dubai Future Foundation
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, delivered the keynote at Dubai's 2024 AI Retreat. Photo: Dubai Future Foundation

AI is a necessity not a luxury, says UAE minister Omar Al Olama


Cody Combs
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  • Arabic

Governments around the world need to make sure their services and workforces are adapted to and on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, said Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, at Dubai’s AI Retreat.

“AI is not a luxury, it is a necessity in this day and age,” he told the retreat at Museum of the Future, which was attended by more than 1,000 AI experts, policymakers and industry leaders.

Mr Al Olama emphasised that AI is making a significant impact worldwide, despite many people not fully recognising it. While AI is often portrayed as a technology of the future, it is already present and actively shaping our world, he said.

“Each and every single one of you with your phones out right now, if you're recording, if you're texting, and even if you're just going from point A to point B, AI is playing a role in making that happen,” he said, before pivoting to the concept of AI literacy in government and the private sector.

“We want to ensure that the private sector chooses Dubai to invest in talent, deployment and to ensure that AI is built out of this city,” said Mr Al Olama, who in 2017 was appointed the UAE’s first AI minister.

Mr Al Olama also humorously noted that the last two letters of Dubai are AI. “It’s not a coincidence,” he told the audience. “It’s meant to be.”

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, the event highlighted the objectives of Dubai’s Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence.

Announced in April, the blueprint seeks to accelerate the implementation of artificial intelligence throughout the emirate and, in turn, bolster economic growth by making Dubai a leading city for AI adoption.

The 2024 AI Retreat comes days after Sheikh Hamdan announced the appointment of 22 chief AI officers to government departments such as Dubai Police, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Department of Economy and Tourism.

“This move will support Dubai’s journey and expertise, and transform its horizons in developing innovative solutions built on advanced technology,” he posted on social media.

“The appointment of the new chief AI officers in the Dubai government is a step in the process of achieving our vision for the future of government work, in line with the Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI,” he added.

Mr Al Olama gave more details about the 22 chief AI officers and their process to secure the roles.

“We didn't just take IT professionals and call them AI officers,” he said. “Each and every single individual went through a rigorous exercise of understanding the knowledge and capabilities of this technology [AI], and also the blind spots of it, because we want to ensure that every adviser in every government department is aware, is capable and is able to make the vision a reality.”

In addition to the keynote speakers and panel discussions at the AI retreat, companies such as Microsoft, Google, IBM, Oracle, Nvidia, SAP and Samsung held workshops for attendees.

Roundtable discussions included themes around computing and digital infrastructure, data regulation, and AI talent ecosystems.

AI-focused companies such as OpenAI and InstaDeep also had a presence at the event.

During a roundtable discussion on the government's involvement in advancing AI technology, Rod Solaimani, Middle East policy and partnerships lead at ChatGPT maker OpenAI, expressed his strong belief in the profound impact that AI will have on society in the near future.

Panel discussions at the AI Retreat in Dubai sought to demystify artificial intelligence and show how it can be applied to government services and the private sector. Photo: Cody Combs
Panel discussions at the AI Retreat in Dubai sought to demystify artificial intelligence and show how it can be applied to government services and the private sector. Photo: Cody Combs

“I think in a few years' time we’re looking at a world where each of us has four or five highly capable digital assistants,” he said. He said these assistants will possess the ability to operate at a level equivalent to that of a PhD.

“We used to think that was 10 years out, but this paradigm shift is much closer than what we thought,” he said.

The UAE aims to emerge as a frontrunner in the artificial intelligence industry as it diversifies away from oil.

Its efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous start-ups, partnerships, and investments from industry leaders.

In April, Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence and cloud company G42 received a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, which will help to strengthen the UAE's position as a global technology hub.

In 2019, the country announced Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first dedicated artificial intelligence university.

In recent years, the UAE has also been able to create several large language models, which are often seen as the backbone of AI implementations.

A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

Types of policy

Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO

Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke

Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke

Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO

Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision

Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision

Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO

Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)

Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)

Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision

Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke

Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO

Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Updated: July 10, 2024, 4:52 AM`