The new provost at Abu Dhabi’s pioneering artificial intelligence university is putting together a playbook to compete with the world’s top institutions of higher learning.
Prof Fakhreddine Karray joined Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, or MBZUAI, this month. His list of priorities is short but ambitious: recruit world-class faculty, produce research with commercial applications and promote an entrepreneurial culture among students.
“We are aiming to have a calibre of excellence that is matched by some of the top universities around the world,” Prof Karray told The National.
But the opportunity is not only to build another prestigious academic programme, he said. Abu Dhabi has a unique role to fill as a regional leader in the field of AI, and is the only graduate-level university in the world singularly developing AI tools.
We are reaching out to some of the top scholars in the field of AI from all over the world to come here to join us to work with us as visiting professors or as affiliated professors, or to hire them outright
Prof Fakhreddine Karray
With more than 100 graduate degree programmes in AI globally, the technology’s development and education centres are largely concentrated in North America, China and the UK.
“We aim to make MBZUAI one of the icons in the field of AI in this particular region through publishing research ... and also by generating prototypes [and] start-ups out of the ideas of the professors and the students,” Prof Karray said.
“We are reaching out to some of the top scholars in the field of AI from all over the world to come here to join us to work with us as visiting professors or as affiliated professors, or to hire them outright,” he said. Some of them are former colleagues of his and of university president Eric Xing.
“Our aim is for quality, quality, quality for faculty and for students ... we are focusing on faculty members’ excellence, generous funding from the government and outstanding students that could help support what we want to establish here,” he said.
“That whole ecosystem will make MBZUAI unique in its outreach to the society, to the economy and to the academic world as well.”
A renowned researcher of self-aware machines and autonomous systems, in his previous post Prof Karray was the founding co-director of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
The University of Waterloo has the world’s biggest co-op programme, short for co-operative education, which matches classroom theory with hands-on learning through full-time employment prior to graduation. Prof Karray, who is Tunisian, said he wants to “import” those practices to the region, to build partnerships with corporations and governments and provide real-world experience to students.
Some of Prof Karray’s most recent research projects include autonomous detection systems for distracted driving, remote monitoring of elderly patients through home-based systems of sensors and forecasting price fluctuations in supply chains for food. He is eager to replicate and expand upon that work in Abu Dhabi.
AI is expected to add 14 per cent to the world’s gross domestic product by 2030, equivalent to $15.7 trillion (Dh57.7tn), according to business consultancy PwC. Experts estimate that AI’s contribution to the UAE economy will match the global increase of 14 per cent – the largest GDP share in the Middle East – in the same time frame. The country ranks 19th worldwide on the government AI readiness index, first in the region, according to Oxford Insights.
The university’s curriculum is currently focused on three areas: machine learning, which provides the mathematical foundation of AI, and computer vision, which takes machine learning a step further to identify and analyse pictures and videos. The third course, natural-language processing, was added this semester, with students developing tools to allow computers to communicate with people using everyday language.
Prof Karray said in coming years the university will expand its offerings to include robotics in health care and energy, aimed at applications that can benefit the UAE.
As AI becomes more sophisticated, there is growing concern over bias and ethical grey areas in its development. Increasingly, governments, research bodies and companies are laying out principles to inform its development and responsible use.
Prof Karray said it was still too soon to formalise AI ethical frameworks. He plans to build an advisory board to take on ethical concerns about the university's research, privacy, and access to and use of data. He said the board would operate on a project by project basis.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3 (Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
