On the opening day of the 44th edition of GITEX Global 2024, themed “Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy,” HE Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, emphasized the UAE’s pivotal role in embracing artificial intelligence (AI) during his keynote address.

“The UAE is not looking back at its legacy. We are focused on the future, striving to be a global leader in artificial intelligence, as demonstrated by our strategic partnership with the United States on the AI Fund,” he said.

“Many believe our journey began then, but in reality, our investments in AI started much earlier, in the 2000s, with foundational moves such as our investment in GlobalFoundries to lead in chip manufacturing,” he added.

Al Olama highlighted the UAE’s dedication to harnessing its diverse population as a vital resource for creating AI systems that can be localized and exported globally.

“The UAE, with over 200 nationalities, offers a unique advantage in terms of the most diverse data set for AI development, which allows companies to build and deploy models that serve a global audience,” he said.

“We are investing in data centers and energy infrastructure, including nuclear power, to ensure the availability of compute power needed for AI applications,” Al Olama noted.

Looking forward, Al Olama reiterated the UAE’s focus on regulation and talent development as critical components of its AI strategy, stating, “We are committed to creating a regulatory environment that matches the agility of AI technology. Our next phase will focus on ensuring that AI is deployed effectively and that the economic and societal benefits are realized.”

The UAE aims to train one million people in prompt engineering within the next two years, emphasizing the importance of quality over quantity in talent development. “We want to build an ecosystem of the brightest and most driven talent,” Al Olama stated. This strategy places the UAE at the forefront of global AI advancements, reflecting its vision for sustainable growth and leadership in the digital economy.