The UAE and Saudi Arabia are pouring billions of dollars into developing their artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, both in their own domestic economies and in key international markets led by the United States.
While the business case of some investments is not always clear, advocates of the technology say it holds enormous potential to transform existing sectors such as oil and gas exploration and production, healthcare, education and defence, as well as creating new areas of economic activity, growth and employment.
The two Gulf states have been investing in AI since at least the late 2010s, when institutions such as the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz College of Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies and Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence were being set up and the UAE was appointing a minister of state for artificial intelligence.
Leading royal players are playing a big role in making the Gulf a world leader in AI, notably including Emirati billionaire and securocrat Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,.
This is a global race, however, and while the UAE and Saudi Arabia may have taken the lead within the Gulf region, the real competition is coming from China, the US and other international markets – and is often intertwined with tricky geopolitical considerations.
Issue 1197 - 13 March 2025
Issue 1196 - 14 February 2025
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