Fast Company Middle East

Fast Company Middle East Grill at GITEX, powered by Solutions+ UAE, served as a platform for discussions on AI and sustainability, where participants addressed the challenge of balancing AI's increasing energy demands with the urgent need for carbon reduction. Key topics included innovative strategies for leveraging AI to meet environmental targets, the responsibilities businesses have concerning AI's impact, and how to ensure sustainability in AI innovations from design to deployment. Speakers: Adam Hoult, MBA, Commercial Manager – ESG, Solutions+ Amy Lehoczky, Director - Environmental, Social and Governance, G42 Jér?me Viricel, Managing Director, RECAPP by Veolia Near & Middle East Professor Tim Baldwin, Provost & Professor, MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence) Ziad Samaha VP of New Business, Khazna Data Centers

The?world’s second Sphere?is planned to be built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after the opening of the?first giant dome entertainment complex?in?Las Vegas. Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Sphere Entertainment Co. announced the plan to bring a Sphere to the Middle East.

Entire businesses are constructed around the release-today-refresh-tomorrow model, not because consumers wouldn’t prefer longer-lasting products, but because companies an get more from their clients by doing so.

Join Lebanese actress and Miss Lebanon 2004, Nadine Njeim, at Fast Company Middle East’s Next Big Things in Retail in Riyadh on November 12 for an engaging fireside chat, where she’ll discuss how celebrity brands navigate key retail challenges. For more information, click here: https://lnkd.in/gUvppSjb

As AI (artificial intelligence) leaps into the future, it’s not just the robots getting sharper—our energy bills are rising, too. With complex models demanding ever-increasing amounts of power, AI’s appetite for energy is soaring. But as businesses navigate this path, they must find ways to balance sustainability while advancing toward a greener future, ensuring that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of the planet. Eng. Yousif Al-Ali, CEO of Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE), discusses AI’s impact on energy infrastructure, lower tariffs’ role in supporting business growth, and the importance of collaboration and energy-efficient models in building a more resilient future.

Over the next four years, Microsoft and its partners will invest $5.1 billion in the?UAE’s?data center regions, boosting local economies through cloud-based services. This investment is expected to fuel growth for businesses using cloud and AI technologies to stay competitive. Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem is?projected to create 152,530 jobs in the UAE by 2028, including 41,800 highly skilled IT roles.

Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President of Market Development, EEMEA at Mastercard, emphasizes the importance of innovation, inclusivity, and creativity in driving growth. She explains how these principles are central to Mastercard's strategy across the EEMEA region, helping to shape the company's approach to market development. Here's the full interview - https://lnkd.in/dgamXUMi

Robots are having a moment. Multiple technology manufacturers have increased demand for their robots, from drone-like machines that can roam hallways to make deliveries and AI-powered customer service software to increased use of self-service checkouts at supermarkets. At the ongoing Gitex Global 2024, UAE-based Yango Robotics is showcasing innovative automation solutions that transform warehouse operations. One such solution is the AI-driven Picker, which is designed for efficient pick-and-place tasks and thereby streamlines object handling with precision. Alexei Filippov, Head of Global Business Development at Yango Robotics, says that the company plans to deploy a significant number of robots by the end of 2025. Furhat Robotics is displaying “social robots,” which are conversational. People can develop applications for them across industries, such as customer service or front desk. Samer Al Moubayed, CEO of Furhat Robotics, says, “There is a strong appetite to test new technologies and use the UAE and the Middle East region as a test bed for new technologies. People have grown to expect to see technologies that haven’t fully matured in other parts of the world tested in the region. The UAE is definitely on the leading front.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dj9bd7jq

Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and the UAE Space Agency (UAE SA) have partnered to create a quantum communication infrastructure to enhance national security and protect critical data from cyber threats. Announced at GITEX GLOBAL Largest Tech & Startup Show in the World, this collaboration utilizes UAE-developed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies to pave the way for unhackable quantum communications.

On the second day of GITEX GLOBAL Largest Tech & Startup Show in the World, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, and Emirates Airline and Group, unveiled a new tool designed to improve oversight of the civil aviation sector in Dubai’s airspace. The first phase of the unified Dubai Sky Map consolidates all maps related to DCAA services into a single system, facilitating the tracking of air transport vehicles, cranes, and more.