What do your eyes say about you? If it’s an artificial intelligence (AI) tool scanning your retina, chances are you’ll quickly find out if you’re at risk for diabetes, anaemia, hypertension or age-related macular degeneration. As of October, more than a dozen patients at Dubai’s Medcare Hospital Al Safa learnt their eyes showed early signs of cardiovascular and diabetic disease thanks to Airdoc, an AI system that spots and analyses tell-tale signs of up to 35 illnesses. Traditional diagnostic methods wouldn’t have delivered the same results, the hospital said – nearly 7 per cent of the 211 patients examined were asymptomatic.
This sort of early detection could turn the UAE into a global destination for high-quality healthcare, says Dr Shanila Laiju, Group CEO, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, and AI is a big investment area for the brand.
“Using AI in healthcare has major potential to tackle some of the most challenging diseases that people are facing today,” she says.
“The UAE government’s focus on disease prevention and promoting a healthier lifestyle is leading to the fast integration of AI into predictive diagnosis and analytics. Early detection and predictive analytics will enhance diagnosis accuracy, improve patient experiences, and optimise medical care to be delivered by doctors, making the UAE the hub for quality healthcare.”
Encouraged by public health boards in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, hospitals such as Medcare are embracing AI to improve operations and patient care. Beyond diagnosis, chatbots now streamline bookings and patient engagement, while AI-enabled navigation supports robotic surgery.
But healthcare – and medical tourism – is just one economic sector being modernised by AI. From finance and education to traffic management and surveying oilfields, the technology is becoming the backbone of the UAE’s economy, while helping to position the nation as a front-runner in the global AI industry.
In September, advanced technologies and AI were central to discussions between President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Joe Biden. The two nations agreed to collaborate closely on AI, including by aligning regulatory frameworks. During the visit Shaikh Mohammad also discussed AI’s role in supporting economic growth with the chief executives of Microsoft, Nvidia and asset manager BlackRock.
Abu Dhabi-based G42 is at the centre of the Emirates’ new AI economy. With chipmaker Nvidia, the Emirati powerhouse recently announced a Climate Tech Lab in the capital to improve climate science. Alongside, its ventures with Microsoft are strengthening the UAE’s position in building the high-tech cloud infrastructure that is so important to AI services.
Meanwhile, chipmaker AMD has partnered with Core42, a G42 subsidiary, to explore AI and confidential computing solutions within the UAE. “The strategic collaboration agreement AMD signed with Core42 in October is an important step forward for the regional rollout of AI and machine learning,” says the company’s META Senior Commercial Lead Zaid Ghattas.
Its strategy includes providing UAE companies with a broad portfolio of high-performance computing solutions, an open software platform to deploy hardware easily, and strong partnerships to drive AI solutions at scale. Core42 will test AMD Instinct accelerators, designed for high-demand AI and computing tasks, with features like large memory density and high bandwidth.
A hub for advanced technologies
In October, the G42 group unveiled an intelligence grid – a kind of infrastructural backbone for AI that Talal M. Al Kaissi, EVP, Chief Government Affairs & Partnerships Officer, Core42, likens to the electrical grid. Such a backbone could connect companies and nations, ensuring AI intelligence flows freely to those who need it.
“By offering scalable, affordable, and tailored AI solutions, we empower businesses to overcome traditional technological barriers and drive innovation,” Al Kaissi says.
“Our priorities will include regional and international expansion, with a particular emphasis on enhancing our AI capabilities and sovereign cloud solutions, especially for compute-intensive applications and data sovereignty. On the global stage, we plan to continue scaling our cloud and AI solutions internationally, replicating successful models from the UAE. These efforts support the UAE’s vision of becoming an international AI hub, advancing the nation’s digital future and leadership.”
Among those helping to fund this projected economic shift is the UAE’s MGX, a technology investment company set up in March and backed by the emirate’s sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Company.
With an initial $30 billion (Dh11 billion) from BlackRock and Microsoft, it will mobilise up to $100 billion in AI infrastructure, including data centres and energy infrastructure.
MGX is also an investor in OpenAI, the US company behind ChatGPT, Dall-e and Sora models.
“The UAE is rapidly becoming a global leader in AI, supported by its National AI Strategy 2031 and significant public-private investment,” says Jason Schloetzer, an expert on the use of AI in business, who is also Associate Professor on the Dubai Executive MBA programme at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. “As the first country to appoint a minister for AI, the UAE is advancing in global AI rankings.
“The UAE’s AI initiatives in healthcare, renewable energy and finance align with global priorities for sustainable growth. Innovations like predictive healthcare analytics, energy optimisation, and digital finance platforms enhance its economic influence and attract global partnerships.”
Last month, the Emirates ranked fifth globally and first in the Middle East among 36 AI-forward countries on the Global Vibrancy Tool 2024. The ranking, developed by the Stanford Institute for Human-centred AI, analyses 36 countries on 42 AI-related parameters, including research, infrastructure and private investment.
The UAE first unveiled an AI strategy in 2017 with a view to leveraging AI solutions across the economy. Several subsequent initiatives and policies support the adoption of AI as an economic enabler, both domestically and internationally.
PwC sees AI contributing 13.6 per cent to the UAE economy by 2030, about $96 billion. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General of the UAE’s Advanced Technology Research Council and advisor to the UAE President, described the country’s AI strategy as two-pronged during a discussion at this year’s Gitex trade fair. First, the UAE collaborates with global AI leaders to advance existing technologies. Second, it also focuses on driving its own AI innovations, ensuring the country maintains autonomy in its development. This approach ensures the UAE remains at the forefront of global AI development.
As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in February, the UAE could become the world’s regulatory sandbox to test new AI technologies. Businesses of all sizes are racing to onboard AI, develop applications of their own or market intelligent products to regional and global customers.
Last month, Dubai start-up Vissibl launched an AI-driven compliance platform to help regional businesses in sectors such as construction and energy to accelerate ISO certification by up to 90 per cent.
“AI drives efficiency, innovation and competitiveness at scale, transforming industries and advancing economic diversification in the UAE. By 2030, we see that it will be a key driver of long-term success for companies based here, positioning the UAE as a regional leader in technology through their continued investments,” says CEO Sean Hurley.
Clusterlab, a Tunisia-founded start-up headquartered in the UAE since 2022, develops AI voice agents such as Callab.ai and Arabic language models.
“We chose the UAE for its trustworthiness in legal frameworks, which is crucial for investors. This environment allows us to raise funds and establish partnerships, laying the foundation for our growth,” says Haithem Kchaou, its CEO and Co-founder.
“Operating from the UAE has significantly boosted our global and regional reach.”
