Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Innovation (February 2021)

UAEECONOMICBULLETIN

UAE TAKES GLOBAL LEAD IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE
INITIATIVES
The UAE is one of the first
countries in the world to draft its
own National Artificial
Intelligence Strategy 2031, which
aims at positioning the UAE as a
global leader in AI by 2031.
The UAE has a clear strategy, AI
Strategy 2031. The strategy
outlines the need for AI to be
deployed across key sectors such improve the lives of its citizens
as logistics, healthcare, education and focus on delivering benefits
and so on. The overall objective to citizens and businesses through
of UAE’s push towards AI is to AI applications. - A study
transform the UAE economy to conducted by Microsoft and EY,
become transparent, paperless AI Maturity Report in the Middle
and automated. The government East and Africa, reports that “the
has also launched several
UAE is the second highest
initiatives such as the facial
investor in AI over the last
recognition initiative at the
decade having invested US$2.15
airports and public transport to billion. success rate.
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The Strategy means to:
• accomplish the objectives of
UAE Centennial 2071
• support government
execution at all levels
• utilize an integrated smart
digital system that can conquer
difficulties and give snappy
effective solutions
• make the UAE the first in
the field of AI investments in
different areas
• make a new fundamental
market with high economic
worth
The strategy incorporates eight
goals, including setting up an
incubator for AI
advancements, the work of AI
in customer service, drawing
in and preparing AI ability and
research capacities and giving
a data-driven framework to
help AI experiments.
The UAE’s strategy
additionally incorporates a
plan to “construct a wellsettled
UAE brand of artificial
intelligence” through exercises
DEWA EMPLOYS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Dubai Electricity and Water
Authority (DEWA) has
registered a new patent for its
Hydronet project, adding to its
track record of achievements.
The Hydronet Project uses
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
Deep Learning to monitor and
control the water network in
Dubai remotely, the DEWA
statement explained.
The project can be integrated
with any SCADA system and
provide real-time insights on
the current state of the
network. It can also fix leaks
in seconds without human
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intervention. This increases the
efficiency of the water network
and the pipeline isolation in
Dubai and saves time and effort,
it added.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD
& CEO of DEWA, highlighted
DEWA’s commitment to adopt
innovation to enhance its global
position as one of the most
innovative utilities worldwide.
” DEWA’s adoption of
excellence standards has helped it
surpass leading European and
American companies over the
past years. It has reduced losses
in electricity transmission and
distribution networks to 3.3
percent, compared to 6-7 percent
recorded in Europe and the USA.
Water network losses were 5.2
percent, compared to around 15
percent in North America,” he
added.
The innovative Hydronet project
will save $1.44 million per
annum. The project has won the
silver Team Idea of the Year
award at Ideas America 2020, the
statement concluded.
WORLD’S FIRST
AI-POWERED
RAPID COVID-19
ANTIGEN TEST
LAUNCHED IN
THE UAE
YAS Pharmaceuticals and Pure
Health will be working with the
Ontario-based Internet of Medical
Things (IoMT) specialist to
launch the “world’s first”
artificial intelligence (AI)-
powered rapid COVID-19 antigen
test.
Currently being showcased at the
2021 International Defence
Exhibition & Conference (IDEX)
in Abu Dhabi, the LooK SPOT
features a lateral flow
immunoassay intended for the
qualitative detection of
nucleocapsid protein from SARS-
CoV-2 in nasal swabs. The
cassette is then connected to a
smartphone in order for a special
application to scan for signs of
COVID-19.
“LooK SPOT's AI Algorithm has
high accuracy and can identify
the colour signal on tests in low
positive cases when human eyes
cannot, therefore eliminating the
human error and manual process
done with other antigen tests
available in the market,” said
Diego Lai, co-founder and CEO
of Laipac
Results are apparently delivered
within five to eight minutes, with
97.4% sensitivity and 98.3%
specificity in detecting the SARS-
CoV-2 virus. According to the
company, the test is also able to
detect the new variant of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus which was
reportedly first identified in the
United Kingdom and South
Africa.
The LooK PASS app is available
on both Android and iOS.
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release subsequently issued on
February 2, 2021 – by the
UAE EMERGES THE FIRST & THE WORLD’S BIGGEST.
“SOLAR POWERED” ALUMINIUM PRODUCER
The UAE has claimed to be the
first country in the world to
produce certified solarpowered
aluminium, all thanks
to the mammoth Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar
Park south of Dubai.
The emirate's national
aluminium manufacturer was
already producing ‘Celestial'
metal thanks to the 1,013 MW
of photovoltaic generation
capacity already installed at
the vast solar field.
“DEWA will supply EGA’s
smelter with 560,000
megawatt-hours of solar power
yearly from the Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar
Park, sufficient to make 40,000
tons of aluminium in the first
year with the potential for
significant expansion,” a press
Hill+Knowlton PR agency
used by DEWA – named
BMW as the first Celestial
customer and stated: “EGA
began production of Celestial
earlier this month.” A
spokesperson for
Hill+Knowlton confirmed
“this month” referred to
January.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum Solar Park is set to
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achieve 5 GW of photovoltaic
and concentrating solar power
generation capacity in 2030.
Remarking on the solarpowered
aluminium, Saeed
Mohammed Al Tayer –
managing director and CEO of
DEWA and vice chairman of
Emirates Global Aluminium –
said: “The new achievement
contributes to supporting our
efforts in reducing carbon
emissions through the Dubai
Carbon Abatement Strategy.
Dubai reduced 22% in carbon
to business as usual. The
results achieved exceeded the
targets set in the Dubai Carbon
Abatement Strategy, which
aims to reduce carbon
emissions by 16% by 2021.”
SHARJAH PARTNERSHIP FOR CLEAN ENERGY
A UAE company plans to
repurpose a landfill into a solar
farm in Sharjah - and the first
such in the country. Emirates
Waste to Energy Company - a
joint venture between Sharjah's
Bee’ah & Masdar of Abu
Dhabi
- will be developing such a
project will be delivered across
3 phases, the first due for
completion in 2023. The solar
photovoltaic (PV) project will
comprise up to 120 megawatts
(MW) and constructed on top
of Bee’ah’s Al Sa’jah landfill
in close proximity to the
Sharjah waste-to-energy. The
power plant will divert
approximately 300,000 tons of
solid non-recyclable waste
from landfill each year.
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The “Thrive in Abu Dhabi”
programme promotes longterm
Golden Visas and a
pathway to citizenship for
international talent working,
creating, studying, excelling
and investing in key sectors
and specialties in Abu Dhabi.
The opportunity is available in
the capital of UAE for
international investors and top
talent from around the world,
providing them with visas for
up to 10 years.
This includes professionals
and researchers in the fields of
science and knowledge such as
doctors, specialists, scientists
and inventors. It is also open to
talented creative and sporting
individuals, and business,
start-up and real estate
investors in the emirate.
Who is eligible for the ‘Thrive
in Abu Dhabi’ golden visa
programme?
1. Investors (includes real estate)
2. Entrepreneurs
3. Student with Promising
Scientific Ability (includes high
school students and university
graduates)
4. Special Talent
• Doctors
• Scientists
• Creatives (Art and Culture)
• Innovators
• Executive Directors
• Educators (in priority fields)
• Sports
• PhD Holders
• Engineers
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ABU
DHABI'S
ADQ ASSETS
ESTIMATED
AT $110
BILLION
Abu Dhabi’s
state holding
company
ADQ is worth
$110 billion,
sovereign
wealth fund
tracker Global
SWF said – the
first publicly
available
estimate of
ADQ’s assets
under
management.
Established in
2018, ADQ
has gained
prominence
over the past
year as Abu
Dhabi
consolidated
several
government assets
under its banner.
ADQ, owns Abu
Dhabi Ports, Abu Dhabi
Airport and bourse operator
ADX.
It has also built up a portfolio of
food and agriculture businesses
and last year agreed to acquire an
indirect 45% equity stake in
commodities trader Louis
Dreyfus Co.
Global SWF said on Monday that
ADQ, the third-largest sovereign
fund in Abu Dhabi, has $110
billion in assets under
management, most of them
domestic.
Oil-rich Abu Dhabi manages
more than $1 trillion in sovereign
wealth capital and is the world’s
largest employer of sovereign
wealth fund executives, the report
said.
Abu Dhabi’s largest fund is the
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
(ADIA), with $700 billion in
assets under management, based
on Global SWF estimates. State
investor Mubadala manages more
than $230 billion in assets.
After the 2014-15 oil price crash,
Abu Dhabi has embarked on a
consolidation strategy, which
among other things resulted in
Mubadala absorbing the
International Petroleum
Investment Company and Abu
Dhabi Investment Council.
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every year, while the Dubai
Municipality saved 20.9 million
sheets; the Dubai Sports Council,
408,623; and the Dubai Statistics
Centre 172,129 sheets.
“The Dubai Paperless Strategy
has come a long way and is
advancing rapidly towards its
primary goal of digitising all
internal government operations
and services offered to the public.
The strategy is an important
milestone in the Dubai
Government’s digital
transformation, and a key factor
in the effort to make Dubai the
smartest and happiest city on
Earth,” Al Nasser added.
“On paper, the strategies and
focus of ADIA, Mubadala and
ADQ could not be more different.
ADIA is forbidden from investing
domestically; ADQ is meant to
invest only domestically, and
Mubadala is somewhere in the
middle,” Global SWF said.
The Dubai Government is on
track to become the first in the
world to go completely paperless.
No Dubai Government entity will
issue any internal or external
paper documents after December
12, 2021, running completely
paperless transactions.
This came as Smart Dubai
announced the latest updates on
the progress of the Dubai
Paperless Strategy.
The total decrease in paper
consumption for all entities
implementing the strategy was
82.82 per cent, saving 269.8
million sheets of paper. Overall,
the strategy has helped save
Dh1.13 billion, over 12.1 million hours
of labour, and 32,388 trees
that would have been cut down to
produce paper.
Collectively, 'Large Entities' cut
their paper consumption by 83.86
per cent by December 2020,
helping save 232.07 million
sheets of paper. 'Medium Entities'
reduced their consumption by
76.23 per cent, saving 10.64
million sheets; whereas 'Small
Entities' achieved a 77.3 per cent
reduction rate, helping save 27.17
million sheets of paper.
A '100% Digital Stamp' has
already been awarded to the
Dubai Electricity and Water
Authority (Dewa), Dubai
Municipality, Dubai Sports
Council, and the Dubai Statistics
Centre.
The Dewa saved 22.63 million
sheets of paper it normally uses
Wesam Lootah, CEO of the
Smart Dubai Government
Establishment, said: “We
appreciate the efforts made by all
participating entities to advance
Dubai’s digital transformation
and offer government services via
100 per cent digital channels.
This, in turn, helps save
significant amounts of paper as
well as hours of labour, cutting
costs for the Dubai Government
and promoting happiness among
the people."
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