GCC countries competing to lead the world in AI

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Several GCC countries have formed AI policies to support their national goals.
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  • The Middle East AI market is growing at a rate of 20-34 percent per year, according to a PwC report
  • Saudi Arabia is lavishing $500 billion on the NEOM’s project, which will offer ultra-connectivity, and is trialing air-taxis

Having realized the necessity of diversifying the economy, the Gulf Cooperation Council has boosted its spending on technology, notably in the public and private sectors.

Governments have also hastened to develop artificial intelligence applications.

For AI investments, management consulting company Oliver Wyman’s AI Center of Intelligence for Qatar report predicts an international annual growth rate of 37.3 percent through 2025, while the global market will reach $126 billion.

Regarding the GCC, the spending will climb 19 percent by 2030.

Several GCC countries, including the UAE in 2017, Qatar in 2019, and Saudi Arabia in 2020, have formed AI policies to support their national goals after this technology demonstrated its ability to serve in several areas, including health, food security, economy, and industry.

Middle East expectations

On the other hand, and according to PwC, only 2 percent of the $15.7-trillion global AI economy is expected to come from the Middle East by 2030.

Despite this, some experts believe that Gulf countries — mainly the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia — are preparing to surpass global competitors.

The Middle East AI market is growing at a rate of 20-34 percent per year, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the way, according to a report from PwC.

By 2030, more than 10 percent of each country’s GDP is expected to come from AI.

Lead By UAE

The UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) was unveiled in October 2017, aiming to implement an integrated intelligent digital system that can overcome obstacles quickly and efficiently and create a new vital market with high economic value.

The UAE has been using AI in several sectors for more than four years, and promoting new technologies in reducing Covid-19 infections.

In addition, data analysis has been used to assist medical and nursing staff in monitoring patients.

The UAE government was eager to support new businesses and initiatives in the industry, for example, by empowering individuals and institutions through the Industry 4.0 program launched by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MITA) within the 50 Projects initiative.

In addition, it helped Emirati industrialists prepare for the digital revolution and advanced technologies of the future.

Currently, robots are roaming around Expo 2020 in Dubai, which might be looked at as a sign of the GCC’s success using AI, especially where new cities are being built from scratch with artificial intelligence at their core.

Furthermore, the 5G-enabled communication channels in the expo has made it a “city of the future” and tech-industry hub.

The neighboring efforts

At the same time, Saudi Arabia is lavishing $500 billion on NEOM, a brand new next-generation Red Sea tech center that is expected to offer ultra-connectivity to its planned population of 1-million-plus, and is trialing air-taxis.

AI is also at the heart of other Saudi developments, one of them is the Red Sea Project, a new tourist area that will use intelligent systems to observe the environmental effects and visitor movements.

Experts expect the Gulf countries to raise their investments in AI to compete with big countries like the United States, China, and Russia to grow their economy and improve infrastructure.

AI in Qatar: Challenges and opportunities

A big push for AI adoption is already taking place in Qatar’s public and private sectors.

The Smart Qatar TASMU digital transformation program — a significant driver of AI adoption in Qatar — is a part of the National AI Strategy.

TASMU utilizes AI and analytics in various industries to positively influence national issues.

For instance, the new analytics platform supporting the national food security policy has been used to monitor vital products throughout the pandemic and has received national attention.

In addition, Microsoft’s new cloud hub will be based in Qatar, another considerable triumph for the country.

According to Wyman’s assessment, Qatar has to put AI governance at the top of its agenda.

To ensure that AI project development in the public and private sectors does not occur in silos, players in the digital ecosystem will need to share more resources and information.

At the same time, establishing direct projects ownership among all parties can avoid delays and inefficiencies in the development process.

In the end, previous AI experience has shown that solid institutional AI leadership and competence yield the best results.

Therefore, local institutions and governmental organizations will benefit from the AI CoE (Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence), established as a central agency to provide knowledge.

According to the AI Center of Excellence in Qatar report, the private and public sectors will also find other uses of AI technology, prioritize its application, and deliver scalable solutions.

Furthermore, that CoE is expected to ensure that these solutions fit national AI agenda priorities in Qatar’s scenario.

For example, they’d be responsible for managing various stakeholder mandates, attracting local and international talent to promote data interchange and nurture AI development in the region, supporting AI leadership, and guaranteeing best practices.

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