UAE Selects Theme for World Expo 2020

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced that it has selected the theme for its national pavilion at the World Expo 2020, which will be held in Dubai. Dr Abdulrahman Al Ansari reviews.

Often billed as “one of greatest shows on earth,” the World Expo is a large global exhibition. The 2020 World Expo will be held in Dubai from October 2020 to April 2021, marking the first time the event will be hosted in the Middle East. Figures suggest that over 25 million visitors from more than 180 nations will flock to the UAE’s most prosperous city for the World Expo 2020.

Read more...

Dubai Construction to Embrace 3D Printing

Dr Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses new reports, which suggest that Dubai’s construction sector will increasingly utilise 3D printing throughout the next decade and beyond.

3D printing is the process of ‘printing’ a three dimensional object. Specifically, a digital model serves as a blueprint, which thin layers of material are laid around to create a final product. Increasingly, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is utilising 3D printing for innovative purposes across a range of sectors For instance, at the recent Arab Health 2016 Exhibition, held in Dubai, there was a 3D printing zone.

Read more...

New Technology to Improve UAE Internet Services

With the landing of four submarine cables in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year, the country could see lower internet prices and faster speeds.

Emirati residents have long complained that internet speeds in the Middle Eastern country fall short of expectations. Many also believe that internet prices are too high. But according to the Managing Director of Etisalat submarine unit E-Marine, the company laying the cables, this technology could bring quicker mobile internet speeds to the UAE, incentivising its lead operators to revise prices.

Read more...

UAE Economy to Post Strong Growth Over Next Decade

A new forecast from economics organisation IHS Global Insight suggests that the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) economy will post strong growth over the next decade.

Regional news hub Emirates 24/7 reports that IHS Global Insight recently released the findings of its new report. The firm predicted that the Emirates has a favourable long-term growth outlook, estimating that the national economy will expand by 3.5% on average per year for the next ten years.

Read more...

UK and UAE Establish an Ambitious New Trade Goal

British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that the UK and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will work towards achieving an “ambitious” new trade goal. Dr Abdulrahman Al Ansari reviews.

Boosting trade Regional news portal Gulf Daily Online reports that according to Cameron, the UAE-UK Business Council hopes to boost annual trade to US$35.3 billion (bn) by 2020. This new target was set, suggested global research consultancy Oxford Business Group (OBG), after the Council reached its previous yearly trade goal two years early.

Read more...

Dubai Hosts ‘Future Technology Week’

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) most prominent city, recently played host to ‘Future Technology Week.’ Abdulrahman Al Ansari looks at how this collection of technology-orientated events shed light on the current trajectory of the country’s digital economy.

Future Technology Week   Gulf Daily Online reports that Future Technology Week was hosted in Dubai, during the week to 31st March 2016. It involved four events – the two-day Internet of Things Expo (IoTX), the one-day Gulf Enterprise Mobility Exhibition & Conference (Gemec), the one-day The Big Data Show and the Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (Gisec).

Read more...

UAE Company Trials ‘Li-Fi’ Technology

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) based telecoms company has announced that it has trialled a new ‘Li-Fi’ technology. Abdulrahman Al Ansari looks into how this could transform the Emirates’ digital economy in the future.

Li-Fi stands for ‘Light Fidelity,’ a new technology which facilitates internet usage. It uses a simple LED lightbulb to transmit data at extraordinary speeds, by switching these bulbs off and on at pace imperceptible to the human eye. Due to its reliance on light bulbs, Li-Fi is potentially cheaper to operate than existing Wi-Fi technologies and also offers speeds which are significantly higher.

Read more...

Cost of Starting an Emirati SME Falls Significantly

Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses claims that the cost of starting a small to medium sized enterprise (SME) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has fallen significantly since 2012.

The 2015 World SME Summit was recently held in the Emirati city of Dubai. Speaking at the conference Hans Henrik Christensen, the director of the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (DTEC), suggested that the cost of starting a company in the Emirates has dropped considerably in the last four years.

Read more...

Dubai to Construct The World's Largest Wholesale Hub

Dr Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses the news that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) city of Dubai is planning to construct the largest wholesale hub in the world.

The majority of emirates in the UAE depend on oil for economic growth. However, Dubai is an exception to this rule. The emirate has established itself as the Middle East’s largest non-oil trading centre. Consequently, Dubai was named one of the top five growing economies in the world by American think tank The Brookings Institute at the start of last year.

Read more...

Emirati Chocolate Market to Record Significant Growth

Abdulrahman Al Ansari examines new figures which suggest that the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) chocolate market will record significant growth in the next five years.

Indian market research firm TechSci Research has previously suggested that the UAE’s chocolate sector would record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.09% between 2014 and 2019. However in its latest report, the company has released an even more positive forecast.

Read more...

UAE Non-Oil Foreign Trade Expands Significantly in 2015

Abdulrahman Al Ansari examines new figures which suggest that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) saw its non-oil foreign trade expand significantly in 2015.

Gulf News reports that the UAE is moving towards a non-oil economy. Figures from the nation’s Ministry of Economy indicate that Emirati real Gross Domestic Product (GDP – the broadest measure of economic growth), expanded by 4.6% in 2014. It’s also expected to grow by 3% – 3.5% in 2015.

Read more...

Google Transforms Public Education in Abu Dhabi

Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses a new Google initiative which is transforming public education in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) capital city.

Regional news site The National reports that Google has started offering a free computer science programme to schools. Called ‘Computer Science First,’ it’s designed to teach students the basics of computer programming via online clubs that use a programme called Scratch.

Scratch has a drag-and-drop interface which gives pupils the ability to construct interactive games and even create animated stories. The curriculum materials, video tutorials, online software and school staff training necessary for the Computer Science First Programme are all provided by Google.

Read more...

UAE Trade With India to Reach Record Heights

Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses claims that trade between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India could reach US$100 billion in the next half-decade.

Non-oil bilateral trade between the UAE and India reached a high of US$74.45 billion in the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year. This dipped to US$59.54 billion in 2013 – 2014 but levelled out to US$59.61 billion in 2014 – 2015. However, figures suggest that bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and India will pick up in the 2015 – 2016 fiscal year; presently it’s running at around US$60 billion.

Read more...

UAE Creates Unique Government Positions

Abdulrahman Al Ansari examines the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) decision to create two unique new government positions, in order to drive the country forward.

The BBC recently reported that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has announced major changes to the country’s government. Sheikh Mohammed has said that several of the UAE’s ministries will be merged and that the Emirates will start outsourcing most of its government services.

Announcing the changes at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Governments must be flexible. We don't need more ministries, but more ministers capable of dealing with change… We want a young and flexible government that will fulfil our youth's aspirations and achieve our people's ambitions.”

Read more...

UAE Hospitals to Utilise 3D Printing

Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses claims made at the Arab Health Exhibition 2016, which suggest that hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon be utilising 3D printing for medical purposes.

According to Javelin Tech, an advanced 3D printing solutions provider, “3D printing allows medical manufacturers, doctors and researchers to create parts [e.g. medicines, prosthetic body parts, surgical devices] for patient care and advanced experimental work.” This technology has not been adopted in the UAE yet but according to exhibitors at the Arab Health Exhibition 2016, which recently took place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, this is set to change.

Read more...

Around Half of UAE Employees Received a Pay Rise in 2015

Abdulrahman Al Ansari discusses a new report which indicates that around half of workers in Gulf Co-Operation Council (GCC) nations such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) received a pay rise in 2015.

Commenting on the release of the report, Chris Greaves, managing director of Hays Middle East, said that “there are many mixed messages around salary and expectations in the GCC hiring market.” Continuing, Greaves noted: “On the one hand, the low energy prices and increasingly volatile political situation in the Middle East have led to companies being very careful when addressing any new risk and taking a cautious approach to growth in order to reduce costs.

Read more...

UAE Boasts Two of the World’s Most ‘International’ Universities

Abdulrahman Al Ansari explains how a new study has shown that the United Arab Emirates (UAE – also known as the Emirates) has two of the most international universities in the world. He also explains how internationalism has provided the country with the professional talent required to build a successful economy.

The UAE has one of the most international populations in the world. A staggering 87% of people who live in the Emirates, according to the World Population website, are expats. It’s also worth noting that Sultan Al Mansouri, the UAE’s economy minister, recently said that he expects the country’s economy to expand by 3% - 3.5% this year, almost the same rate it grew in 2015.

Read more...