A starting gun fired this summer, but many of us didn’t hear it. On July 18, when the US unveiled its National AI Action Plan, it wasn’t just another policy document. It was a declaration, signalling the start of what could be humanity’s ultimate race: a global contest to build the digital foundations of the 21st century and, in the process, redefine the very meaning of national power.
For centuries, nations have vied for territory, resources and influence. This new competition is of a different order entirely. It is a sprint to embed artificial intelligence into every sector, every institution and every decision-making layer of society. AI is no longer a far-off concept from science fiction; it has become the invisible infrastructure of our present, the operating system of modern life. With its plan, the US has made its intentions clear: it is mobilising to win.
The American strategy is breathtaking in its scale and speed. This is not a cautious roadmap but a full-scale mobilisation of capital, talent and government will. The plan accelerates the National AI Research Resource, a flagship initiative backed by an initial $110 million to arm the nation’s researchers with the raw computing power needed to innovate. Yet this public push is dwarfed by the staggering ambitions of the private sector.
Elon Musk’s xAI is building a $10 billion “Gigafactory of Compute”, a cathedral of processing power designed to run on 100,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced chips. Not to be outdone, Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly planning a $100 billion data centre project codenamed Stargate.
These are the moonshots of our time. And their impact is already filtering down into the machinery of government, where AI is being used to slash medical backlogs for veterans and help reduce the nearly 43,000 annual roadway deaths. This isn’t just automation; it’s a fundamental rewiring of the state into an entity that can learn and adapt in real time.
But America is not running this race alone. For every move the US makes, China has a powerful and increasingly sophisticated countermove, often executed with a different philosophy. While the US champions a public-private partnership model, China’s state-led industrial policy delivers breakthroughs with stunning speed.
Consider the shockwave sent through the robotics world this year by Unitree, a Chinese firm that launched a sophisticated humanoid robot for just $16,000. It was a watershed moment, transforming advanced robotics from a high-cost industrial tool into something approaching a mass-market product.
This focus on tangible, real-world applications is complemented by a brilliant software strategy. While American giants often keep their most powerful models proprietary, Beijing-based DeepSeek AI recently released its powerhouse DeepSeek-V2 model completely open-source. In doing so, it invited the world’s developers to build on its technology, a clever play to win the hearts and minds of the global tech community.
In this global digital race, there may be no prize for second place
However, this digital arms race is running headfirst into a very physical wall: energy. AI is insatiably power-hungry. By 2030, Nvidia’s AI servers alone are projected to consume more electricity annually than the entire country of Finland. Mr Musk predicts that within a year, the primary constraint on AI development will shift from a shortage of chips to a shortage of electricity.
Here, the competition becomes one of concrete and power grids. The US AI sector is projected to require 50 gigawatts of new power capacity by 2028. In 2023 alone, China added more than 400 gigawatts of new capacity, more than the rest of the world combined. The lesson is stark: winning the AI race isn’t just about designing algorithms in the cloud; it’s about having the industrial might to power them on the ground.
For those of us in the Middle East, the sound of this starting gun should echo with a particular urgency. Regional ambitions are high. The UAE has pioneered world-class Arabic language models and the use of AI in government applications, while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is reportedly planning a $40 billion fund to invest in AI.
But the actions of the US and China reveal a new truth: ambition is no longer enough. Success now demands execution at a national scale, requiring the sovereign capabilities – computation, talent and especially energy – to sustain it.
The global race has begun. It is a contest not just for technological dominance, but for the right to shape the future of trade, security and society itself. And in this race, there may be no prize for second place.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
New schools in Dubai
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
