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UAE's Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed among Time's 100 most influential people in AI
The leader is the chairman of G42, which is set to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the US, as part of an agreement signed during Trump's visit to UAE in May
- PUBLISHED: Sun 31 Aug 2025, 4:50 PM
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UAE's Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been named to the Time100 AI 2025 list, and it is not his first time marking this feat. Serving as the country's national security adviser, he is also the chairman of UAE-based G42, a multibillion-dollar AI technology holding company.
His "visionary leadership is advancing the UAE’s strategic goal of positioning the nation as a global hub for AI innovation by 2031, with a transformative impact on technology regionally and globally", said Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Sheikh Tahnoon was also featured by Time's most influential people in AI in 2024, along with Faisal Al Bannai, a prominent Emirati businessman and the chairperson of EDGE group. Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum congratulated the two UAE citizens on their achievement last year, noting their "contributions to determining the shape of the future global economy."
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In late 2024, Omar Al Olama, the UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, was also featured on Time's 'Next' list, which includes the most influential young people around the world. He also received praise from Sheikh Mohammed for his selection, in light of his "prominent role in positively influencing the community."
G42's role in AI advancement
G42 and tech giant Microsoft have partnered on multiple fronts, with the US company announcing a $1.5-billion strategic investment in G42 in 2024.
As the usage of tech grew, so did concerns around privacy and ethics — and so the two countries partnered in 2025 to launch a "Responsible AI Foundation", which is the first centre of its kind in the Middle East, with support from Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
During US President Donald Trump's visit to UAE in May, the two countries signed an agreement for the Gulf country to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the US.
The AI campus in Abu Dhabi will have 5 gigawatts of power capacity for AI data centres, and will be built by G42, with American companies operating the data centres.
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.
