ABU DHABI, 29th March, 2023 (WAM) – His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has issued resolutions, with the approval of the UAE Federal Supreme Council, to appoint His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Minister of Presidential Court, as UAE Vice President, alongside His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

DUBAI, 29th March, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, today launched “Create Apps in Dubai”, an initiative of the Higher Committee of Future Technology Development and Digital Economy, aimed at fostering an innovation-driven ecosystem for digital applications in the emirate and turning Dubai into one of the world’s most attractive destinations for business opportunities by 2025.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said the launch of “Create Apps in Dubai” forms part of implementing the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to develop initiatives that can transform Dubai into a leader in the global digital sector and create a new future shaped by advanced technologies and sciences.

Since launching Dubai Internet City, the emirate’s strategic investments in the digital sector have seen it becoming an important player in the global technological landscape, he said.

Sheikh Hamdan stated, “The digital transformation sweeping the world and the exponential growth of cutting-edge digital applications and platforms have created a new global competition for technological leadership. Dubai seeks to be at the forefront of this global race by providing a platform for fostering the development of 1,000 highly-skilled UAE nationals whose ideas and innovation will create a vibrant applications sector in Dubai.”

The “Create Apps in Dubai” initiative overseen by the Dubai Chamber for Digital Economy with the support of government entities and technology companies, seeks to train a select group of 1,000 UAE nationals in partnership with the private sector in Dubai. The initiative will identify priority areas and support development plans aimed at empowering and enabling these UAE nationals to play key roles in realising the country’s digital vision. Furthermore, the initiative seeks to triple the number of app creators by 2025 and support 100 new national projects for developing cutting-edge apps that will be made available in digital app stores over the next 24 months.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan met with developers of apps targeted at the global market in the fields of healthcare, education, entrepreneurship and others, as part of engagements aimed at promoting exchange of ideas among experts, innovators and developers. By encouraging greater sharing of digital and technological expertise, Dubai seeks to enhance its position as a global launchpad for future-oriented technologies.

Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy; Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism; Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director-General of the Dubai Digital Authority; Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation; Ahmed bin Byat, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy; Malek Al Malek, Director-General of the Dubai Development Authority and Chairman of TECOM Group; Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC; and Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, attended the launch of the “Create Apps in Dubai” initiative.

With global smartphone sales revenues crossing US$448 billion and two million new applications and games created in 2021, growth and innovation in the sector has been steadily gathering momentum. Users spent more than US$160 billion on applications while the number of downloads of applications hit 230 billion in 2021, creating vast new opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs and technology professionals.

The number of financial and business applications downloaded in the Middle East and Africa region exceeded 157 million in 2021, an increase of 182 percent since 2018, while user spending in the top 25 electronic apps increased by 6.5 times compared to 2018. Dubai seeks to leverage new growth opportunities in the sector by creating a strong digital infrastructure, developing a legislative framework that supports the development of apps, and introducing government incentives to accelerate the sector’s economic growth.

ABU DHABI, 29th March, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, attended a lecture organised by Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed, titled “Technology & Future Trends: How to Think like a Futurist”, at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

The lecture was also attended by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; and a number of sheikhs and officials.

The first lecture in this year’s Ramadan series was presented by Amy Webb, a quantitative futurist, professor, best-selling author, and founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute. Her lecture explored the importance of imagining future scenarios and foreseeing upcoming revolutionary technologies that could potentially change the world today.

Webb introduced the concept of “worldbuilding”, which she described as “the creative act of imagining, designing and implementing a world that evolves or diverges from today”. Worldbuilding, she said, is foundational to storytelling but is also a vital part of strategic foresight and long-term planning in government and in business.

These concepts, she added, were not new to the UAE, describing the founding fathers as “some of the smartest visionaries and the best strategic planners that have ever lived.” She discussed how they imagined a future with a unified society, inclusive culture and a long-term vision for social and economic development.

In imaging the future, she encouraged the audience to place themselves and their community at the centre, and for them to contemplate multiple potential futures, conscious that the future is the result of the decisions we make and the conversations we have in the present.

The lecture went on to explore how emerging technologies such as generative AI and bioengineering could affect society. Webb advised that effective worldbuilding and exploring uncertainty through different scenarios “helps to remove the guesswork,” suggesting that as a centre of innovation, the UAE could drive global thinking in many of these areas.

In addition to the keynote address by Amy Webb, the lecture featured pre-recorded contributions from Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Bayanat; Dr. Ebtesam Almazrouei, Director of AI Cross-Centre Unit; and Tannya Jajal, technology evangelist and AI author; and was introduced by Talal Al Kaissi, CEO of G42 Cloud.

The lecture will be broadcast on Thursday 30th March, beginning 60 minutes before Iftar, on local TV networks and on the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed YouTube channel (youtube.com/@MajlisMohamedbinZayed).