The UAE is making impressive strides in artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a global leader in this cutting-edge technology. With a strong focus on achieving sustainable development goals, the UAE is leveraging AI to advance its objectives even more effectively. To foster further growth in the AI sector, organizations in the UAE will now benefit from the support provided by Google.

During an event held at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) campus on Thursday, Google revealed its intention to form strategic partnerships with prominent institutions such as MBZUAI, the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, and the Ministry of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.

The global tech giant unveiled three initiatives, with the first being the recognition and support of the faculty members at MBZUAI for their research contributions. This initiative aims to strengthen the presence of AI foundation models in the Arab world, specifically addressing sustainability and climate change challenges and their impact on the region.

In addition, Google has set its sights on supporting the UAE across various sectors, including financial banking, cloud computing, data analytics, and machine learning resources. This comprehensive support from Google will enable the UAE to further expand its capabilities and expertise in these critical domains. Faculty members at MBZUAI can share knowledge with Google’s researchers and engineers.

As part of the second initiative, the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi will join forces with Google to introduce ‘Project Green Light.’ This collaborative project aims to alleviate stop-and-go traffic by utilizing machine learning technology to optimize traffic lights. By implementing this initiative, the UAE seeks to reduce vehicular pollution in urban areas, ultimately improving the overall air quality within the city.

In their last initiative, Google and the UAE Ministry of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications will host quarterly private Majlis sessions.

To advance AI policies in the country, Google and the UAE Ministry of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications will organize the “AI Majlis Series.” These sessions will bring together leaders from Google, the government, academia, and the business sectors in the UAE.

Karan Bhatia, global VP of Public Policy and Government Relations at Google, said, “Building this transformational technology responsibly must be a collective effort that involves researchers, social scientists, industry experts, governments, and people. There is so much we can accomplish, and so much we must get right- together.”