Collaborate to become a powerhouse: UAE to regional peers

Abu Dhabi - The UAE has embraced fourth industrial revolution technologies, and always welcomed opportunities to collaborate.

Adoption of the UAE model can lead to transforming the region into a power hub of innovation, said Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei during the International Defence Conference on Saturday.

“The UAE has embraced fourth industrial revolution technologies, and always welcomed opportunities to collaborate. I would like to see more focus on collaboration. This region could be a power hub for innovation. What we would like to see and promote is the innovation from the region. We cannot just rely on importing innovation from abroad. I think the technology that we have today will enable our universities and will enable our companies to work together in a more collaborative manner,” he said during the in-person conference with participation from Israel for the first time.

“We can compete much stronger as a region, rather than just trying to do things, each one alone. We hope that the model that has worked for the UAE, can be adopted at a regional or even regional scale, which will provide prosperity, security and enable young people become innovative internationally,” Al Mazrouei said during a panel discussion.

Al Mazrouei said the governments, which don’t utilise the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution will “lag behind” others. “The UAE is always welcoming the latest and greatest technologies to be deployed.”

The country is home to the world’s first dedicated university for artificial intelligence and Maqta Gateway is the first Abu Dhabi entity to develop and launch its own blockchain technology project. “We aim to be the fastest, cheapest and easiest in terms of dealing with customers from end-to-end.”

Al Mazrouei noted the UAE has been successful because of collaborations and aims to be a major global player in logistics and transportation. “There is competitiveness and competition even among different ports in the same country, but when it comes to collaboration, we have established a network that leads us to where we are today. But we are working to improve. We will extend our arms to everyone who likes to collaborate with us. Our aim is not a regional position, our aim is an international position. We are working with Saudi Arabia, other GCC countries, regionally and internationally, to hopefully make the UAE a destination of choice for logistics and transportation.”

Al Mazrouei added the UAE has been also investing in advanced technologies and strives to protect its infrastructure assets against cyberattacks. “We need to take cybersecurity into consideration, it is a threat. We are continuing to work on technologies. We are a believer and deployer of technology. And hopefully together with our allies and partners, we can protect the infrastructure from any cyberattacks.”

The conference was inaugurated by Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs. Held at the Adnoc Business Centre, the event saw participation of more than 24 experts and 2,400 delegates from 80 nations.

From today, the five-day International Defence Exhibition and the Naval Defence Exhibition will commence at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com