Arif Patel - How (AI) Artificial Intelligence Will Shape Dubai’s Future. Arif Patel Dubai, UK Preston Talks on Artificial Intelligence In Dubai, UAE. It was not long ago when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had announced on Twitter about his plans for the Centennial 2071 project¹: “Brothers and sisters, today we launched the UAE Centennial 2071 project to put in place a vision that extends to five decades and to prepare the nation for future generations.” The Centennial 2071 project plans to make UAE the best country in the next 50 years and hopes to enable future generations to live a happier life with a better overall environment, bigger growth opportunities, and stronger communication links with the world. The Centennial 2071 project focuses on four aspects: Economy, Education, Government Development, and Community Cohesion. UAE has since then increased its focus on the adoption of advanced technologies for the development of its society. A 2019 report on the ‘Government Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index’², which examined over 190 countries worldwide to determine its rankings, has also placed UAE at the top of the Arab world for its readiness to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Why is UAE focusing on AI? The UAE Government first launched its Artificial Intelligence Strategy in 2017, which marked its government’s reliance on various future services, sectors, and infrastructure projects utilizing AI. With this initiative, UAE aims to be the world leader in AI by 2031 and expand the use of AI across sectors like education, energy, transportation, space, and technology, etc. The country has set up an AI ministry to create a long-term AI strategy. The ministry has proposed to adopt an AI curriculum and launch six smart platforms to integrate technology within the education system. Around 600 schools with nearly 275,000 students and 21,000 teachers will work on these platforms. UAE aims to boost its GDP by around 35% ($96 billion) using AI technologies. It will help the country cut down government spends by up to 50%, saving approximately $3 billion. Pro-tip: Want to understand the many facets of AI’s impact on the UAE and the Middle East? Download your free copy of the ‘AI in the Middle East’ eBook to learn more about the future of AI in the UAE. 7 Ways UAE is Leading the Way with AI Technology. Setting up an AI ministry The Ministry for AI, which was set up in 2017, will focus on implementing AI tools and technologies across various fields of work. The ministry has started its ‘Think AI Initiative’ to develop an “integrated system that employs artificial intelligence in vital areas in the UAE”. Incorporating AI technology in healthcare AI has a lot of applications in healthcare, especially during the current global pandemic (more on this later). The Dubai Health Authority has outlined plans to use AI and robotics to automate surgeries and other procedures. The aim here is to minimize chronic, dangerous diseases by analyzing data to identify genetic information that would make someone prone to a particular disease. Integrating AI technology in Aviation In 2018, the UAE’s aviation authority signed an agreement with Searidge Technologies to explore the use of AI in air traffic management. They have also deployed automated robots on airports to detect faces of suspected criminals. Bringing AI to Education Recently, UAE has partnered with technology companies to integrate its digital education programs in several major schools across the country. The primary focus is to cut costs and enhance the desire for education amongst the population. Extending Support to AI Startups With 78 AI startups registered in Dubai alone (as per the latest data in April 2020), UAE has been extending extensive support to startups in this field. Utilizing AI in the Fight Against COVID-19 Al is playing a crucial role in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the UAE. The UAE government has used AI to limit the movement of Dubai residents by using a program called ‘Oyoon’. This program monitors the permits of residents who leave their homes by using facial, voice, and license plate recognition. The police are using smart helmets equipped with thermal cameras to detect infected patients from a distance. Robots and drones have also proven helpful in sanitizing the streets and dispensing hand sanitizers. Promoting AI Talent In January 2020, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched two AI to accelerate the adoption of AI technology. These initiatives (including the “AI Talent Hunt Programme”) were launched to support AI expertise and talent, and make UAE the first choice for “AI technology companies and talents from around the world.” AI Career Opportunities in the UAE With the implementation of AI technology, job opportunities in this field are expected to rise exponentially. A World Economic Forum report from 2018 predicts the creation of nearly 133 million new jobs by 2022 in AI and Robotics related fields. Given the recent headways made by the UAE government, it is safe to assume that the UAE will grab a large share of these global AI opportunities. In fact, another 2018 study by McKinsey projects that by 2030, 45% of existing work in the Middle East has the potential of being automated. With this strong focus and precedence placed on developing AI technologies, AI career opportunities in the UAE are also growing at a rapid pace. It is expected that skills in Artificial Intelligence, Data Sciences, Robotics, and Machine Learning will top the list of specializations required to succeed in the technology sector in the coming years. Even in the present time, an entry-level Artificial Intelligence Engineer (1–3 years of experience) at AI companies in the UAE can earn an average salary of 239,854 AEDā¹. On the other end, a senior-level AI Engineer (8+ years of experience) can earn an average salary of up to 425,053 AED. As a result, many UAE professionals are now looking towards online AI certifications to build the requisite skill-set.
