In a visit to the UAE, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the profound impact of AI in driving innovation and growth, not only globally but also in the UAE. Speaking at the Microsoft ‘AI, a New Era’ event in Abu Dhabi, Nadella engaged with local business leaders, government officials, and developers, underscoring AI’s pivotal role in unlocking opportunities and accelerating the UAE’s digital economy while enhancing the lives of its citizens.
Nadella expressed his admiration for the growing number of developers and businesses in the Emirates actively harnessing AI to address both business and societal challenges. During his visit, he personally witnessed the latest advancements in cloud and AI technologies supporting UAE organizations across various industries.
Microsoft has been a part of the UAE’s technology landscape for over three decades and chose the country as the location for its inaugural data centers in the Middle East. These cloud regions are instrumental in propelling the nation’s digital transformation, serving as the bedrock for deploying cutting-edge technologies, including AI.
A recent PwC report predicts a burgeoning $320 billion AI industry in the Middle East by 2030, with the UAE poised to hold the largest percentage share of AI in its economy among all regional nations, approaching 14% of the 2030 GDP.
In his keynote address, Nadella unveiled the imminent launch of Azure OpenAI Service, hosted in Microsoft’s UAE-based cloud data centers. This service will grant access to a suite of potent AI models, including GPT-4, Codex, and DALL-E 2, empowering the development of innovative AI applications, ranging from virtual assistants to content generation, code creation, image editing tools, and more.
Nadella also highlighted some remarkable instances of UAE organizations leading the charge in AI transformation and innovation across pivotal industries:
- The UAE Ministry of Education’s collaboration with local startup ASI to create a personalized AI tutor, catering to Arabic and English-speaking students. This AI tutor, designed to enhance learning beyond the classroom, will be rolled out across the nation’s schools, aligning with the ministry’s commitment to integrating AI into the educational system.
- The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi is spearheading the development of a unified digital patient experience, enabling comprehensive on-demand healthcare services in the emirate. An AI-powered patient assistant, operating on Azure, will provide instant access to unified medical records, simplifying the process of finding doctors and scheduling appointments.
- G42’s release of the Large Language Arabic Model, Jais, available through Azure Services, promises to elevate the creation of original Arabic content, catering to nearly 100 million underserved Arabic-speaking internet users.
- DeepOpinion, co-founded by Dr. Ahmed Al-Ali, is integrating AI models into existing automation workflows hosted on Microsoft Azure, along with integration with the Microsoft Power Platform. This integration empowers organizations to reduce repetitive tasks and mitigate workplace accidents stemming from human error.
Satya Nadella’s visit underscores the pivotal role of AI in shaping the future of the UAE, catalyzing innovation, and advancing the nation’s position in the global technology landscape.
