Dubai a global testbed for ideas and innovations, says Sheikh Hamdan

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), on Thursday met participants of the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence’s (DCAI) accelerator programme and reaffirmed that Dubai is ever ready to welcome AI entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world.

Interacting with entrepreneurs, innovators and specialists in the AI domain during his tour of AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers, Sheikh Hamdan underscored that Dubai has always believed in providing the best platform for innovating and creating globally impactful products and solutions that can be of use to the whole world.

The AI experts gathered represent 30 startups from around the world actively involved in the final stage of the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence’s (DCAI) accelerator programme, which launched recently.

Sheikh Hamdan said: “Dubai embraces entrepreneurship and has transformed into a destination for business success and excellence. In Dubai, we have all the necessary elements, including the technological and legislative framework, to partner with the world’s leading entrepreneurs and future shapers.”

Designing the future is a specialist domain that Dubai has mastered over five decades. Today, future design forms an integral part of the emirate’s inspiring success story and its world-leading development model. Dubai continues on this path by strengthening its position as an international testbed for ideas, concepts, innovations, tools and programmes to anticipate the future, including promising AI technologies that can be harnessed to serve humanity.”

Sheikh Hamdan added: “Dubai is committed to keeping pace with the latest future trends and is an attractive destination for talents, entrepreneurs, innovators and creative minds working in the vital sectors of the future. Among these sectors is AI, which has a host of applications within the economy, education and healthcare sectors.

Dubai’s commitment to enhancing these spheres through AI technologies is part of our city’s overall goal to become a global hub that works to help create a better future for all humanity.”

Sheikh Hamdan stressed that Dubai will maintain its position as a global hub for testing and implementing AI applications in smart healthcare, smart mobility, logistics, smart supply chains, e-commerce, knowledge transfer, among other sectors that are central to the advancement of nations and societies.

Sheikh Hamdan added: “We are keen to continue building capabilities, developing skills and attracting talent brimming with future ideas and technologies, so we have the expertise needed to keep pace with rapid transformations and develop innovations to reimagine, inspire and design the future.”

Best Minds in the Business at WorkAREA 2071 is hosting the final stage of the DCAI accelerator programme, which has attracted startups from around the world including from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Egypt, Pakistan, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the UAE. These companies were selected out of 615 companies from 55 countries that had initially applied to participate in the programme.

These companies are working in cooperation with a group of Dubai government entities for a period of 8 weeks to develop innovative solutions and applications that employ AI tools for two key sectors: government services, and media and communications.

The DCAI, which was launched by Sheikh Hamdan, aims to support government agencies in Dubai to harness future technologies in a practical and effective manner in preparation for upcoming transformations in vital sectors.

The DCAI aims to train 1,000 government employees from more than 30 government entities on the uses of AI, which will contribute to raising the productivity of government employees at large, in addition to launching pilot projects and improving government services that can tap these applications.

In July, Sheikh Hamdan announced The Dubai Assembly for Generative AI, which will be organised by the Dubai Future Foundation from Oct.11-12 at the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers in Dubai.

WAM