At the forefront of this movement (and as far back as 2017), the UAE government released a first-of-its-kind strategy setting a clear roadmap for developing its regional capabilities and becoming the world's premier AI destination. The UAE Strategy For Artificial Intelligence has set out its priority sectors, which include: resources and energy, logistics and transport, tourism and hospitality, healthcare, and cybersecurity. However, the sheer depth of data available means that AI and machine learning can potentially leverage insights from real-world usage to create smart medical devices, such as diagnostic imaging systems and sensors that can detect conditions such as heart disease and lung cancer. For example, researchers at a UK hospital have developed an AI system that can diagnose heart scans with greater accuracy than human cardiologists, who typically misdiagnose one in five cases. AI is a perfect match for some of cybersecurity's most complex issues, and due to its ability to analyse traffic and patterns, it can detect potential threats and take preventative action more effectively than software-based solutions.

There's no question that the world around us is getting smarter. In recent years, the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has created an increasing demand for AI solutions across a broad range of industries. Accelerated in part by the global pandemic, businesses and governments around the world are recognising the benefits of becoming early adopters of AI as part of ongoing digital transformation. A regional hub for AI entrepreneurs At the forefront of this movement (and as far back as 2017), the UAE government released a first-of-its-kind strategy setting a clear roadmap for developing its regional capabilities and becoming the world's premier AI destination. And it's looking to become a game-changer, with the region as a whole estimated to accrue 2 per cent of the global benefits of AI – $320bn by 2030.