E-Paper
Sign In
Tue, Nov 18, 2025 | Jumada al-Awwal 27, 1447 | Fajr 05:17 | DXB 
23.2°C
iPhone | iPad
Android
People, not just platforms: UAE's digital transformation
The UAE shifts the digital conversation from machines to mindsets, proving that the real power behind transformation lies in people, not platforms
The hum of innovation returns to Dubai this October as GITEX Global 2025 prepares to open its doors, not just as a showcase of technology but as a reflection of a world learning to put people back at the centre of progress. Amid the glow of holographic displays, AI powered labs and bustling startup corridors, the real conversation this year is not about machines. It is about mindsets.
Digital transformation, once measured by how fast systems could compute or how far data could travel, is now being redefined by something far more personal: creativity, adaptability and human connection. The UAE, a nation that turned ambition into infrastructure, is now turning infrastructure into intelligence, proving that the next phase of the digital revolution will be written not in code but in collaboration.
Recommended For You
Across forty halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre, GITEX 2025 brings together pioneers of artificial intelligence, energy technology and digital design. But beneath the glitter of innovation lies a deeper truth. The success of any transformation depends not on the technology itself but on the people who dare to use it differently.
This year, the UAE is not merely showcasing its digital achievements. It is demonstrating a philosophy that technology serves best when it serves people first.
From digital strategy to human strategy
In Abu Dhabi earlier this year, the UAE Cabinet approved a sweeping National Digital Economy Strategy, aiming to double the sector’s contribution to the non oil economy from 9.7% to nearly 20% within a decade. The plan includes more than thirty initiatives targeting AI, clean technology, cloud computing and data infrastructure.
“The data reflects positive momentum in the national economy and signals progress towards building an innovative, knowledge based economy aligned with the UAE’s long term development strategies,” Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said.
The move is both symbolic and strategic. It reflects a shift from seeing digital transformation as a collection of tools to viewing it as a human capital movement that depends on education, cross border partnerships and the cultivation of a new digital mindset.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, underscored this vision when announcing reforms in higher education, noting, “We need to improve the output of the education sector, sharpen skills and prepare for a future full of challenges.”
The talent behind the transformation
The UAE’s digital evolution is as much about talent as it is about technology. The country’s position among the top 25% of nations on global digital indicators reflects not just investment in infrastructure but in people, from data scientists and AI developers to educators re skilling for a new era.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, has long emphasised that the real value of AI lies in its human application. “AI is going to be the new lifeblood, the new foundation for most governments and for the private sector as well,” he said. “We need focused government positions that can steer its impact.”
That human focus is visible at every level of the UAE’s digital ecosystem. The government’s investment in education technology, AI learning initiatives and remote work infrastructure is designed to prepare its workforce for the fluidity of a digital economy, one that values adaptability as much as technical skill.
Making AI more human
At GITEX 2025, iFLYTEK, Asia Pacific’s leading intelligent speech and AI company, is showcasing how AI can empower rather than replace people. Under the theme “AI Connecting Ideas”, the company is presenting AI Translation, AI Infrastructure and AI Solutions portfolios, each designed for the Middle East’s multilingual and culturally diverse market.
“Cross language communication is the foundation of global collaboration,” says Wenyu Zhan, Vice-President of iFLYTEK. “In the Middle East, where multiple languages and cultures intersect, AI driven translation is becoming a real enabler of business growth.”
For iFLYTEK, digital transformation means more than efficiency; it means connection. Their new AI Translation Earbuds and AINote 2 e-ink device combine intelligent recording with generative AI to help professionals bridge language divides and manage tasks intuitively.
Zhan adds, “Through innovation and partnership, we aim to help organisations improve efficiency, strengthen communication and enhance security, accelerating digital transformation across the region.”
By developing tailored algorithms for Arabic dialects and maintaining a Dubai based local team, iFLYTEK is showing that meaningful transformation requires local understanding and cultural sensitivity. Their mission is not just to build smarter systems but to make technology feel more human.
The Future of work
While AI dominates the headlines, the future of work, and by extension, digital transformation, depends on how humans connect. At GITEX Global 2025, Logitech for Business is bringing this to life under the theme “AI Enabled Collaboration.”
“GITEX is a great platform to highlight our latest innovations in smart collaboration,” says Murad Ali, Head of GCC Logitech for Business.
“With the Middle East becoming a global player in digital transformation, our solutions empower businesses to embrace emerging work trends that help them stay competitive. Our sustainable designs also ensure that our products are built to last and are easy to recycle.”
From AI powered conferencing systems to personalised workspace tools, Logitech’s approach is grounded in human centric design, ensuring that technology adapts to people, not the other way around. It is a reminder that even in an age of automation, empathy and design thinking remain at the heart of innovation.
The rise of AI and automation has forced every industry to reimagine its workforce strategy. In the UAE, reskilling and upskilling have become national priorities. With support from the Higher Colleges of Technology and public private partnerships, the country is investing in talent mobility, enabling professionals to pivot into emerging sectors like clean technology, cybersecurity and data analytics.
Education is being redesigned for the future, with greater emphasis on digital literacy, critical thinking and creativity. As Sheikh Mohammed remarked, “We must sharpen skills and prepare for a future full of challenges.”
Innovation without boundaries
Companies are echoing that sentiment. iFLYTEK’s Zhan notes that AI driven education could become a cornerstone of transformation.
“AIGC can enable personalised learning and language education, helping students bridge the gap between Arabic and English, while also giving expatriates and non native speakers more effective ways to learn and adapt.”
The message is clear. The true measure of a digital economy lies not in the sophistication of its systems but in the capacity of its people to grow alongside them.
The UAE’s rise as a hub for global collaboration is central to its success. From partnerships with Microsoft and G42 in AI infrastructure to cloud alliances and digital government initiatives, the country has built a model that merges innovation with inclusion.
Events like GITEX amplify that status, bringing together leaders, innovators and investors from more than one hundred and eighty countries. “GITEX brings together decision makers, technology leaders and potential partners from around the world who might otherwise be hard to reach,” Zhan explains. “By fostering such exchanges, it strengthens the UAE’s role as a global hub for technological innovation and cross border collaboration.” This cross pollination of ideas is exactly what the theme of GITEX 2025 is about, understanding that no innovation exists in isolation. The future belongs to nations and companies that collaborate across boundaries of language, geography and discipline.
Energy tech and the human factor
Beyond AI and cloud computing, the UAE’s entry into the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy shows how digital innovation intersects with sustainability. Energy and digital technology may seem worlds apart, yet both depend on one thing: people with the skills to make systems smarter and cleaner. Whether it is AI optimised grids, green data centres or carbon tracking technology, the shift to clean energy requires engineers, coders and policymakers working in sync.
As Sheikh Mohammed said during a recent Cabinet meeting, “Our humanitarian work is on the rise and will certainly increase. The UAE will remain a capital for humanitarian work.” Even in sustainability, the focus remains human, centred on collaboration, empathy and long term impact.
The future belongs to the human innovators
With a per capita GDP of $82,000, the UAE has become the wealthiest BRICS nation not through natural resources but through resilience, foresight and investment in human capital. The country’s journey from oil dependence to a digitally empowered economy proves that technology may be the spark, but people are the fuel.
As GITEX 2025 unfolds, the conversations are shifting from hardware and software to what many now call heartware, the human drive to adapt, create and connect. The UAE’s transformation shows that progress is not about replacing people with machines, but about empowering people through them.
Digital transformation, at its core, is not a race for faster systems but a collective journey toward smarter societies. And as Omar Sultan Al Olama aptly put it, “AI is the new lifeblood.”
Yet at GITEX 2025, the message is unmistakable. The heart that keeps it flowing will always be human.
Sana Eqbal
Sana Eqbal is a journalist with over 10 years of experience and a media strategist specialising in corporate communications, public relations, digital media, and content management.
Don’t just scroll. Know it all. Sign up for your daily UAE news fix.
Get the top stories of the day right in your inbox.
