H.E. Amb Hazza AlQahtani discussing with Students and Lecturers
H.E. Ambassador Hazza AlQahtani of UAE (United Arab Emirates) today discussed Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Students & Lecturers at the University of Kigali. Read his presentation below:
I want to sincerely thank the Co-founder & Chairman of the Board of this university Mr. Afrika, for giving me this opportunity to speak to you about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how the UAE has a policy objective to become a leader in the responsible use of AI and its tools, globally. 
HE Hazza With University of Kigali with Staff and Students.
I look forward to hearing from you and I hope we have interesting discussions today.
The United Arab Emirates:
Before I talk to you about artificial intelligence in the UAE, I want to first give you some brief background about my country, the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE was founded in 1971 and is made up of seven Emirates that include Abu Dhabi the capital and Dubai the economic capital.
The UAE is located in Western Asia, at the Eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and borders Oman & Saudi Arabia. It has a surface area of 83,600 square km.
The UAE has a population of approximately 10million, with 90% being expatriates (foreigners, who come to live, study & work in the UAE).
The UAE’s main exports are oil and natural gas, pearls and other precious metals & stones. Today, I want to briefly talk to you about the UAE’s development in the field of Artificial Intelligence and how it is fast becoming a powerful tool in today’s world.
Students attentive during the discussion.
• AI is expected to add 14 per cent to the world’s gross domestic product by 2030, equivalent to 15.7 trillion US Dollars.
• In 2017, the UAE government rolled out the UAE National Strategy for AI 2031, which aims to make governance more efficient and transform eight sectors including space, renewable energy, water and education.
• The UAE ranks 19th worldwide on the government AI readiness index, first in the region. But what is A.I? In 1956 American computer scientist John McCarthy first coined the term “artificial intelligence” when he invited a group of researchers from a variety of disciplines including language simulation, neuron nets, complexity theory and more to a workshop called the ‘Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence’ to discuss for the first time what would become the field of Artificial Intelligence.
The study proceeded on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it. An attempt will be made to find how to make machines use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve problems now reserved for humans, and improve themselves.
Today A.I is understood to be the design of systems that augment the perception, cognition, and problem-solving abilities of people. Examples include the use of A.I technologies to help physicians make more timely and accurate diagnoses and assistance provided to drivers of cars to help them to avoid dangerous situations and crashes. The development of A.I is fueled by data, computation, and advances in algorithms for machine learning which promise great value to people and society. Artificial Intelligence a UAE Government Policy Objective
• The UAE has a vision to become a world leader in AI by 2031, creating new economic and social opportunities for citizens, governments and businesses with a goal of generating up to AED 335bn in economic growth.
• The strategy is the first of its kind in the region and the world.
• The UAE National Program for Artificial Intelligence is dedicated to understanding, developing and embracing advances in AI and Robotics for the UAE.
• The AI Office at the National Program for Artificial Intelligence oversees UAE government funding which enables experimental pilot projects. For example, private sector companies have received funding to develop projects, which use quantum computing to support health diagnostics and global energy supply management.
• The AI Office oversees a database of AI, IoT (Internet of Things), Blockchain and Data Science organizations in the MENA region in order to create an environment for collaboration and foster an emerging technology ecosystem.
• His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama was appointed Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in October 2017 and is the world’s first. The UAE has over the past years held several AI program initiatives. They include:
• AI Everything Summit in April 2019 – an AI Summit for governments, businesses, social enterprises and the creative economy.
• UAE AI Internship Program 2018 – 500 Emirati students were trained in AI via an internship program in partnership with Dell.
• UAE India AI Bridge – A partnership committee that meets annually with the aim of increasing investment in AI start-ups.
• UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021 – 50% of government transactions on the federal level will be conducted using blockchain technology by 2021.
• The UAE Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy, the first of its kind globally, was designed to provide a practical framework for policy makers as well as supporting national efforts in adopting advanced technologies. The strategy aims at transforming future challenges into opportunities that better serve the country.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a technological revolution that merges physical, digital and biological technologies in order to deliver unprecedented products and services in new and emerging sectors.
• The UAE Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy, focuses on various sectors including; innovative education, artificial intelligence, intelligent genomic medicine and robotic healthcare, efficient government, sustainability and smart cities. UAE Centennial 2071
• UAE Centennial 2071 is a long-term, full-vision plan to fortify the country’s reputation and soft power. The plan is focused on future generations, preparing them with the skills and knowledge they will require to face rapid changes and to make the UAE the best country in the world by the next centennial in 2071. This will only be possible with the robust application of AI technology across sectors.
H.E AlQahtani awards the four best academically performing students
Dubai Future Foundation
The Dubai Future Foundation is an independent research think tank based on the Dubai Future Agenda that facilitates numerous programs and initiatives such as; – Dubai Future Accelerators which facilitates partnerships between entrepreneurs, private sector organizations and government entities to co-create future focused solutions. – UAE Drones for Good and the UAE AI & Robotics Award for Good. – World’s first 3D printed office in Dubai – Global Blockchain Council, which includes 42 government entities and private companies and; – The Museum of the Future Blockchain Strategies
• The Dubai Blockchain Strategy was launched in 2018. The strategy aimed to make Dubai the first city fully powered by blockchain by 2020 and was based on 3 strategic pillars; Government Efficiency, Industry Creation, and International Leadership.
• What is Blockchain? Blockchain is a technology that underpins digital currency. The technology allows digital information to be distributed, but not copied. That means each individual piece of data can only have one owner. Blockchain can be described as a “digital ledger” stored in a distributed network. Governments can use blockchain to protect data, streamline processes, and reduce fraud, waste, and abuse while simultaneously increasing trust and accountability. Mohamed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence (MZUAI)
• Technological changes will render many job qualifications obsolete in the future. Education must match the future job market.
• To compete with more than a hundred graduate degree programs in AI – mainly in North America, China and the UK – MBZ UAI offers full scholarships to all students.
• MBZ UAI began classes in September 2020 and has attracted students from around the world to advance AI technology and propel the UAE’s economic diversification efforts.
• The university offers master of science and PhD programs in three of the fastest-growing areas of AI: machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing.
• As I conclude, for Artificial Intelligence to be fully utilized, Education is a key pillar of the UAE’s national agenda. (End)