Graduates of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Graduates of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Graduates of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Graduates of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National


The UAE's harnessing of AI at the national level can benefit everyone


Budoor Alrahmah
Manail Anis Ahmed
  • English
  • Arabic

January 16, 2024

The UAE has laid strong groundwork to train and develop its workforce in AI. It offers free, publicly available courses for AI for all levels of learners. It requires leading public sector employees to be trained in generative AI while more junior public sector employees receive instruction when needed. Notably, over 54 per cent of the UAE's workforce incorporates AI in their jobs in fields such as media and communications, education and training, customer service, manufacturing and operations management. An even greater number of professionals indicated their interest in receiving training in generative AI.

There is also a critical mass of the country’s existing workforce, however, that fears displacement due to the advent and popularisation of generative AI. These concerns could be alleviated by introducing foundational elements of AI training – statistics, data science, computer science, information technology development and principles of ethics and social harm – into school curricula at an earlier stage.

While AI reshapes the skills required by the workforce, it also holds the promise of teaching these same skills. The adoption of personalised AI tutors into educational systems in the country could be useful. Personalised AI tutors powered by Generative AI are a new concept, still being pilot-tested around the world. Led by pioneers in the ed tech field such as Khan Academy, a recently-released tutor ‘Khanmigo’ provides one-on-one learning by adapting content to the learner’s individual level.

A poster at the World Economic Forum WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on January 14. Bloomberg
A poster at the World Economic Forum WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on January 14. Bloomberg

According to a recent report published by Harvard Business Review: “Generative AI, if fed deliberately designed and structured prompts, has the potential to give every student a personalised tutoring experience on any topic. While there are still a number of issues with using AI for tutoring (like the substantial risk of AI-generated fabrications), the technology shows great promise as a scalable, accessible way of helping increase student comprehension.”

Collaborations with leading educational institutions and tech organisations are under way to design AI programmes

At the core of the UAE's National AI Strategy 2031 lies a commitment to upskill the workforce through specialised training, secondments and international study tours. The UAE is heavily investing in Stem education, with a current enrolment of 22 per cent of university students in Stem disciplines. The government's target is to enhance the skills of one-third of Stem graduates annually, cultivating a talent pool primed for driving AI innovation.

Simultaneously, collaborations with leading educational institutions and tech organisations are under way to design AI programmes, ensuring that students receive an education that matches real-world industry demands.

The UAE has already put into motion its agenda of upskilling for AI at the national level. These efforts span training for government employees, summer camps for school students across levels, certificates in AI skills for technical and vocational students enrolled at the Higher Colleges of Technology, and many degree programmes at the bachelor’s and master’s level where AI can be studied.

There are 24 degree-granting institutions providing in AI-related fields. Notably, the Mohamed bin Zayed University for AI (MBZUAI), established in 2019, offers graduate programmes and generous financial incentives to encourage the brightest minds to come and further the country’s AI agenda. Recently, the second batch of master’s degree holders graduated from MBZUAI. And New York University in Abu Dhabi is planning the launch of a graduate programme in Data Science after a successful experimental phase running the Data Science and AI Lab.

In addition to AI education at the degree level, there are plenty of other options for upskilling. The Higher Colleges of Technology, the Dubai Future Foundation through its Dubai Future Academy and the UAE AI Summer Camp 5.0and 42 Abu Dhabi in partnership with Ecole 42 Paris, a free global coding institution, are already educating diverse audiences such as school students as young as 10, college students, freelancers, entrepreneurs and the general public.

The National Programme for Artificial Intelligence in the UAE and the University of Oxford, while meant primarily for government officials, is also open to private sector employees and interested UAE residents, with a stated aim to build capacity towards the achievement of the 2071 centennial goals. Initiatives such as all of these demonstrate the intent and seriousness of the UAE government to upskill its population in AI and modern technology development.

All these initiatives are already yielding results. The Cisco AI Readiness Index released in November claims that 73 per cent of UAE business and IT leaders believe that their organisations have AI strategies that are well developed. However, 93 per cent admitted that their data exists in silos across the organisation. This statistic may stem from the fact that no formal AI literacy training has existed in the UAE – or elsewhere – until very recently. For the Emirates, the challenge remains to reorient the national curriculum for the future, providing skills to all citizens and residents.

Unesco provides detailed guidelines for how to integrate AI into curricula across K-12 levels, and lists the existence of the UAE Technology Subject Framework. With this, the country declares its intent to embed AI learning across the elementary, middle and high school levels. Yet, more details about this framework are not easily available to the general public.

Embedding AI-related subjects, including computer science, data literacy and ethics early into school curricula and employing AI to accelerate learning will require streamlining national human and economic development strategies, educational and business policy and effective co-ordination and implementation. Following a series of successes, this appears to be the UAE’s next challenge, and one that it is well up the task of meeting.

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

5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m

6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m

6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m

7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m

8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m

9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

The Specs:

The Specs:

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 444bhp

Torque: 600Nm

Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT

On sale: now.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

-      Don’t do it more than once in three days

-      Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

-      Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

-      Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

-      Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

-      Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

-      Manage your sleep

-      People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

-      Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

WITHIN%20SAND
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While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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

 

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E268hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E380Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh208%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

FIXTURES

All games 6pm UAE on Sunday: 
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa

EA Sports FC 25
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Family: Parents and four sisters

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah

A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls

Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction

Favourite holiday destination: Italy

Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning

Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes

Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Updated: January 16, 2024, 5:39 AM`