Dubai Establishes AI Retreat as Annual Event to Cement Global AI Leadership
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that the AI Retreat, organized by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence and the National Program for Artificial Intelligence, will be an annual event in Dubai. The next retreat is scheduled for 29 April 2025.
The AI Retreat 2024, the first event held as part of the Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI), which concluded today in Dubai, was aimed at strengthening the city’s position as a global AI hub.
H.H. said:
“We envision this retreat as an annual platform for examining the significant and far-reaching transformations that AI brings to all sectors. It will serve as a forum for preparing to seize AI's diverse opportunities, added value applications, and the qualitative leaps it promises in education, health, development, research, and future design.”
H.H. added:
“The forward-thinking approach imparted by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in embracing innovation has empowered us to swiftly transform AI opportunities into tangible outcomes in Dubai. We are now eager to accelerate the shift from merely exploring AI possibilities to implementing them practically.”
Sheikh Hamdan attended the AI Retreat 2024 with over 2,500 leaders, including 50 CEOs from top tech firms. The event launched new initiatives and partnerships. Sheikh Hamdan emphasized leveraging AI outcomes for government efficiency and met with Dubai's AI officers, urging accelerated AI integration in the government sector.
Sheikh Hamdan announced plans to double AI's positive impact for humanity through the annual 'Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI,' enhancing Dubai's economy, resilience, quality of life, and future-readiness. Following Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision, Dubai will leverage AI to boost human capabilities, operational efficiency, productivity, and serve humanity.
Meaningful dialogue
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed attended some roundtables at the AI Retreat 2024, focusing on funding, digital infrastructure, data regulation, and talent in AI. Workshops and events by major tech companies showcased AI trends.
A strategic partnership between du and Oracle for advanced AI solutions was announced. His Highness highlighted Dubai's role as a platform for future innovation.
His Highness said:
“Dubai will continue to support all AI initiatives and encourage and accelerate the organised and thoughtful adoption of its uses, thus strengthening its position as a preferred global destination to live, work, innovate, and design the future.”
Oracle Alloy enables du to offer over 100 OCI services, becoming the first local hyperscale cloud provider with branded cloud services. The AI Retreat in Dubai, featuring a keynote by Omar Sultan Al Olama, highlighted the Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI and discussed scaling local unicorns and government roles in AI innovation. The plan, launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan, aims to enhance well-being and economic growth through AI adoption.
DUB.AI aims to shape the ideal ecosystem for AI startups and global talent. In addition, it seeks to position Dubai as a global leader in adopting AI in government work, and a testbed to regulate and optimise AI utilisation across strategic sectors.
The annual Dubai plan supports the acceleration and adoption of artificial intelligence applications to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to generate an annual contribution of AED100 billion from digital transformation projects to the emirate’s economy. The plan also supports the achievement of the other key objectives of the D33 agenda, including establishing Dubai as one of the world’s top three urban economies and increasing economic productivity by 50% through innovation and the adoption of digital solutions.
News Source: Emirates News Agency