TLDR:
• Google launches largest MENA AI initiative
• Dubai reinforces digital transformation goals
• Ruth Porat champions AI growth in MENA
DUBAI (The Thursday Times) — In a high-profile meeting today, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, welcomed Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google. The leaders explored future avenues to fortify Dubai’s strategic partnership with the global technology giant, emphasising a joint vision to propel digital innovation and sustainable economic growth. This dialogue reinforced Dubai’s emerging role as a global hub for technology collaboration, guided by the integration of advanced digital tools.
Sheikh Hamdan emphasised Dubai and the UAE’s ambition to be pioneers in global digital transformation, embedding cutting-edge technology across critical sectors. With a robust infrastructure and innovation-friendly environment, Dubai has successfully attracted the world’s foremost tech players, nurturing growth and pioneering solutions that set new global benchmarks. The emirate’s forward-thinking economic policies, he stated, aim to deliver transformative change in key industries, aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33’s objective of creating economic value worth AED100 billion annually through digital transformation.
Porat’s visit coincided with the announcement of Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative, the company’s most ambitious AI-focused project in the MENA region. With $15 million pledged to enhance AI accessibility, the initiative aspires to provide half a million people with AI skills over the next two years. Google’s long-standing commitment to the region has evolved significantly, as evidenced by its decision to launch the largest regional AI initiative in Dubai. Since its establishment in 2008, Google’s regional headquarters in Dubai has overseen operations across the Middle East and North Africa, playing a pivotal role in advancing AI and digital literacy.
Dubai’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Sultan Al Olama, and other senior officials joined the meeting, discussing the alignment of Dubai’s strategic vision with Google’s plans. Central to these discussions was the emphasis on Artificial Intelligence as a key pillar for Dubai’s economic ambitions. The Sheikh noted that AI remains crucial for achieving sustainable growth, given its potential to revolutionise how industries operate and impact the overall economy.
AI opportunity initiative
Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative is set to bridge the AI skills gap by offering new education programs, including an Arabic AI curriculum under the Maharat min Google platform. Collaborating with Coursera, this training will teach skills like prompt engineering. Additionally, the initiative places a strong emphasis on empowering underserved communities. Through Google.org, funding will support early-stage entrepreneurs and business organisations across countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The effort focuses on creating opportunities for women, youth, migrants, and rural populations, aiming to foster a more inclusive AI workforce.
Village Capital, a non-profit supporting entrepreneurs, will be a major beneficiary of this funding, working to elevate local Business Support Organisations (BSOs) and enhance AI skills among marginalised groups. In parallel, Google DeepMind and the Raspberry Pi Foundation have teamed up to deliver AI safety education in Arabic, targeting students aged 11 to 14. This initiative will prioritise teacher training and the integration of responsible AI education.
Expanding AI R&D
The meeting underscored Google’s investment in AI research, including a new AI research fund that will support university-driven projects in healthcare, climate change, and education. Google.org has pledged to partner with NYU Abu Dhabi’s startAD accelerator to address healthcare accessibility challenges. These AI-powered solutions will focus on enhancing healthcare access for underserved populations, such as low-income families and senior citizens, in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Google’s infrastructure investments are also expanding, with plans to bolster Google Cloud’s regional presence in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. This includes a collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to create an AI hub in Dammam, aimed at advancing Arabic-language AI research and creating high-skilled jobs.
Ruth Porat highlighted the significant impact of AI on the MENA region’s economy, projecting that AI could add $320 billion by 2030. Google’s services, which generated over $12 billion in economic activity in the UAE and Saudi Arabia last year, are poised to contribute even more in the coming years. Google’s commitment is rooted in empowering communities, and this latest initiative reinforces its strategic focus on education, upskilling, and research.
The AI Connect event at the Etihad Museum saw high attendance from government officials and industry leaders, emphasising AI’s transformative role in the region. With Arabic-language features in its AI-powered assistant Gemini, Google continues to enhance digital tools to serve MENA users better. Innovations such as AI-powered image generation and enhanced Gemini features for Arabic dialects are part of this vision.
