Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a series of major mobility initiatives, including key road diversions and enhanced public transport services, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand the city’s transport infrastructure and elevate the commuting experience for residents and tourists alike.

Read more-Dubai Metro Blue Line: How will it change commuting in the city

The RTA has announced new road diversions to facilitate the construction of the Dubai Metro Blue Line, a milestone project that will reshape the city’s urban transit landscape.

According to a post on the RTA’s official X account, the entrance from Ras Al Khor Road to International City 1 has been closed. To ease the flow of traffic, the authority has introduced an alternative entrance before the current one, along with a new access road leading into International City 1.

Spanning 30 kilometres with 14 new stations, the Blue Line will significantly boost connectivity across nine key districts projected to accommodate over one million residents by 2040, aligning with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.

Transforming mobility across Dubai

The new metro line will consist of two main routes. The first extends 21 kilometres from Creek Interchange Station through Dubai Festival City, Dubai Creek Harbour, Ras Al Khor, and International City, before terminating at Academic City. This route will feature 10 stations, including an underground interchange station.

The second route runs 9 kilometres from Centrepoint Interchange Station in Al Rashidiya to International City 1, passing through Mirdif and Al Warqa, and will include four stations. A new metro depot will also be established at Al Ruwayah 3, ensuring efficient operations and maintenance.

Together, these developments are expected to enhance last-mile connectivity and support the emirate’s goal of offering sustainable, integrated, and environmentally friendly transport solutions.

RTA resumes dedicated bus services to Global Village

In tandem with these infrastructure updates, the RTA has resumed its dedicated public transport services to Global Village for its landmark 30th season, running from October 15 2025 to May 10, 2026, an RTA media report said.

The initiative offers visitors premium and comfortable travel options to one of Dubai’s most popular leisure destinations. It features four direct bus routes and the return of the electric tourist abra service within Global Village.

The four routes include:

• Route 102: Al Rashidiya Bus Station – Global Village (every 60 minutes
• Route 103: Union Bus Station – Global Village (every 40 minutes)
• Route 104: Al Ghubaiba Bus Station – Global Village (every 60 minutes)
• Route 106: Mall of the Emirates Bus Station – Global Village (every 60 minutes)

The luxury buses deployed for these services feature premium amenities, enhanced safety standards, and a smooth, family-friendly experience.

Electric abras add to the visitor experience

Complementing the bus network, RTA is also reintroducing its electric tourist abras at Global Village. These vessels offer visitors leisurely cruises along the internal waterways, providing a unique way to explore the attraction throughout the 2025–2026 season.

Together, these measures underscore RTA’s ongoing commitment to delivering integrated, safe, and sustainable transport solutions that strengthen Dubai’s tourism appeal and enhance the overall visitor experience.

As digital adoption accelerates across the Middle East and Africa, advertisers face a complex mix of opportunity and regulatory challenges. The Trade Desk, a global programmatic advertising platform, is positioning itself as an alternative to big tech ecosystems, helping brands leverage data responsibly while maximising reach and impact.

Terry Kane, MD for the Middle East & Africa at The Trade Desk, discusses how the company is enabling advertisers to navigate the region’s fast-evolving media landscape, from connected TV and retail media to AI-driven automation, while prioritising transparency, brand safety, and measurable results.

How is The Trade Desk positioning itself in the UAE and wider MENA market, where advertisers are navigating both rapid digital adoption and a unique regulatory landscape?

The MENA region represents the future of innovation and opportunity, and we believe that we have a crucial role to play in shaping that future. Through smart use of data, The Trade Desk helps brand advertisers and agencies achieve their goals, publishers make more money, and consumers have a better online experience.

The Trade Desk is the alternative to big tech platform providers (Facebook, Amazon and Google), and our values are reflected in everything we do, from the way we work with clients, to the way we continue to evolve our platform.

We seek to create a more sustainable and ethical advertising ecosystem based on our values of trust, objectivity and transparency. Our only clients are advertisers. We don’t own any content. In that way we can retain complete objectivity. We will always work in service of finding the right ad impression, in the right channel, at the right time, at the right price, to meet a client’s marketing objectives.

In the Middle East and Africa, this approach is especially critical. The market is defined by both complexity and opportunity: on one side, we have advanced economies like the GCC, home to some of the world’s most sophisticated advertisers; on the other, we see high-growth African markets scaling rapidly.

Across the board, brands are looking to reach global audiences while demanding the highest standards of transparency, brand safety, and compliance with data legislation. Our platform brings these priorities together in one place: enabling precision targeting, brand-safe execution, and compliance at scale, across hundreds of trusted partners.

Everything we do is designed to add more value to the open internet than we extract from it.

With connected TV and streaming on the rise in the region, what role you are playing in helping brands shift budgets into this space effectively?

In the UAE, 65 per cent of residents watch streaming content daily which accounts for an average 11 percent of weekly time spent. Furthermore, people in MENA spend roughly 70 per cent of their online time on the open internet, outside big tech’s “walled gardens”, on news sites, premium video like Netflix or Disney and streaming audio. These statistics nowhere near match the digital ad spend in the Middle East today. This imbalance is costing brands more than they realise.

There is a massive opportunity to reach audiences where they actually spend their time, using data-driven and premium, brand-safe platforms. As consumer attention shifts, marketers need to rethink how and where they invest their ad budgets. Connected TV (CTV) should absolutely be part of the region’s digital mix, as the real power of CTV is big-screen impact, small-screen accuracy.

The most effective advertising is targeted. Smart and accurate use of data is the only way to target successfully. That is why we place it at the heart of our approach, making it easy for advertisers to apply data but also receive insights that encourage a positive cycle of improvement. The automated placement of digital ads using software and real-time data to deliver ads to precise audiences across various devices and premium channels is called programmatic advertising.

Programmatic advertising in MEA is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.89 per cent over the next five years, making data-driven marketing strategies more powerful than ever. We work with a wide range of advertisers across the world, helping to connect them with premium publishers and quality advertising opportunities, ensuring brand safety and maximising campaign value.

We are here to help elevate the opportunity for both advertisers and publishers across the region. For publishers, greater automation of inventory unlocks new value and drives premium yields on content. For advertisers, it delivers deeper insights, stronger targeting and transparent reporting.

At the same time, there is a significant pool of global advertisers eager to reach the 350 million people across MENA. To capture this demand, the industry must rise to the challenge by expanding quality inventory, transparent reporting and embracing programmatic.

Retail media has been called the ‘third wave’ of digital advertising. How are you working with retailers in the Middle East to unlock this opportunity for advertisers?

Retail sales in the GCC region are projected to reach $386.9bn by 2028 with the sector growing at a CAGR of 4.6 per cent. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to lead this growth, with CAGRs of 5.4 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively, solidifying the region as retail’s next global “hot spot”.

A crucial piece of the omnichannel puzzle, retail data turns consumer buying behaviour into actionable intelligence, enabling advertisers to target with greater accuracy, relevance and impact. Retail data will be an essential tool in any digital marketer’s toolbox, enabling marketers to precisely reach their audience throughout the buyer journey.

This retail revolution is challenging big tech’s walled gardens. While walled gardens keep their data locked behind closed doors, we’re helping advertisers leverage retail data to create a more open, transparent alternative.

Sitting underneath the retail media umbrella is offsite retail data. Simply put, this is where we safely utilise the retail data of a company and enable brands to use it in targeting across various different channels, like on television. This is particularly exciting for advertisers as it moves retail media from just being a “direct sales” media channel to a broader brand building opportunity.

Offsite retail data is a growth engine for the retail media category overall, which is the fastest growing form of ad spend with global spend expected to reach $140bn this year and comprising over 20 percent of total digital ad spend.

As consumers move seamlessly between online and offline worlds, retail data becomes the crucial bridge connecting these experiences. At The Trade Desk we use this powerful data to help advertisers truly understand the customer journey from digital ads to online and in-store purchases. This creates a more complete picture of advertising impact, allowing for smarter optimisations that drive real business growth, not just improved metrics.

Here in the Middle East, retail data is still a very new area of monetisation opportunity and one that will yield significant results and successes for those involved in making it happen. Activating data from retailers to reach the right audiences on the entire open internet provides powerful insights for targeting and measuring success.

We are proud of the progress we are driving in retail data, both globally and across the region, in partnership with some of the largest and most innovative brands such as Majid Al Futtaim. The opportunity in this space is immense, and we are committed to leading it. To accelerate our efforts, we have recently welcomed Mansour Salemeh, who previously led retail and ecommerce at Meta.

Data privacy is becoming a defining issue worldwide. How does The Trade Desk ensure advertisers in this region can use data responsibly while still achieving meaningful targeting and results?

The digital advertising ecosystem is at a critical juncture, transitioning from a cookie-driven model to one rooted in consent and transparency.

The future success of our industry and the open internet lies with alternative identifiers that respect consumer privacy while still supporting publishers to meaningfully monetise their advertising space. Clear, reliable, and consumer-centric identity is the most important challenge and opportunity for advertisers, shaping the future of relevance and precision in digital campaigns.

We need to transform the internet from an opt-out model to an opt-in environment. This will redefine the relationship between consumers and advertisers and empower users with greater control over their data.

Interestingly, UAE consumers show more willingness to share information with brands and retailers than consumers in key European markets. forty-nine per cent are willing to share their information with retailers and brands that they love, and 44 per cent would do so in exchange for a convenient and personalised ad experience. And 46 per cent of respondents agreed that to have a seamless shopping experience, they need to allow brands to capture some data. (Source: UAE FMCG Consumer Purchase Behaviour Study).

We are fully committed to advancing data privacy capabilities across the region. This includes working hand in hand with advertisers to ensure both GDPR and regional compliance, while also driving forward the identity agenda and UID strategy in collaboration with key partners.

Many advertisers here still lean heavily on big tech ecosystems. What are the biggest misconceptions about programmatic advertising on the open internet that you’re working to address?

Big tech still controls much of the advertising process: what people see, how it is measured, and what brands are told “worked”. Yet increasingly, the numbers they provide do not align with the real business results advertisers are experiencing.

The first major misconception is around where people spend their time. The reality is that people spend more than 70 per cent of their time outside social media platforms. Yet this is not where the majority of advertising spend goes. That gap represents one of the biggest disruptions in the industry today, and it is exactly the opportunity we are bringing to the market.

Globally we are seeing a renaissance in television advertising through CTV and in programmatic digital out of home. We are also witnessing early stage growth in personalised formats such as in gaming and audio advertising.

The second misconception, and one that is especially common in this region, is the belief that programmatic equals cheap or low quality advertising. Nothing could be further from the truth. At The Trade Desk, every channel is vetted to ensure brand safety, and we hold one of the strongest records in the industry for protecting advertisers.

According to an Adalytics report, we were the only major ad-tech firm that did not appear to route brand ads to “made-for-advertising” spam sites, and it distinguishes itself through stronger safeguards and inventory controls.

Our premium inventory partners include some of the most trusted and iconic household names in media such as CNN, Disney, Netflix, DAZN and Spotify, among many others. Programmatic is not about low quality. It is about accessing the highest quality channels at scale, with transparency and control.

Closed systems work best for those who control them and often at the expense of everyone else. The trade-offs are real. Illusory convenience or surface-level savings should not come at the cost of control. Big tech’s walled gardens are like all-inclusive resorts, convenient but limited. Smart brands, agencies, and advertisers know this. They’re demanding transparency, independence, and measurable performance from their media investments.

As the digital ad industry approaches $1tn, the shift is clear: the future of advertising is about control, choice and greater transparency not dependency on a few giant platforms. The most lasting solution is to leverage data-driven advertising on the open premium internet where real-time insights, precise targeting, and access to quality content in trusted environments offer the flexibility to respond to real consumer demand.

Looking ahead, how do you see AI and automation shaping The Trade Desk’s offering in the Middle East, and what does that mean for the future of transparent, data-driven advertising?

We were created to bring the same level of efficiency and transparency to digital advertising as can be found in real-time trading in financial markets. Our media buying platform is among the most advanced independent AI-driven platforms in the world, seeing more than one trillion ad opportunities per day, roughly 17 million ad opportunities every second, to ensure the right message, reaches the right person, in the right context.

Our platform is built differently than any other in the industry, using a unique approach that allows advertisers to bring in a wide variety of different variables and factors when buying advertising. It is designed to activate seamless omnichannel campaigns that reflect how people actually move between devices throughout their day.

From morning podcasts to evening streaming, we understand how people navigate digital life. We replace those frustrating repeated ads with fresh messages that respect consumers’ time and attention. The result is advertising that feels like a natural part of the digital experience, not an intrusion. Because the best ads don’t interrupt the consumer’s online experience. They enhance it.

We will continue to maximise the benefits that AI has to offer, but only when we are certain that they are additive to our platform experience. The company’s unwavering focus and investment in innovation has led to it being the partner to companies including Netflix, Spotify, Disney, Sky and the world’s leading brands including Unilever, P&G, Uber and McDonalds.

As the computing industry enters a new era driven by artificial intelligence, it faces both unprecedented opportunity and growing pressure — from escalating data demands to surging energy consumption. Industry players are racing to find solutions that balance performance with sustainability. GITEX Global 2025, the world’s largest technology and AI event hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre, once again became the stage where these challenges — and solutions — converged.

Against this backdrop, xFusion, participating for the third consecutive year, reaffirmed its leadership in next-generation computing infrastructure and presented its new strategic trajectory for the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The Singapore-based company showcased innovations that reflect its core belief: that computing and energy efficiency must evolve hand in hand to sustain the AI era.

Industry analysts note that what sets xFusion apart from other AI infrastructure providers is its dual focus — combining high-performance computing with sustainable energy integration. In a region where energy digitalisation is becoming a strategic imperative, this differentiation aligns closely with the MEA market’s green transition goals.

A dual-driver strategy for the AI age

Under the theme “Computing + Energy,” xFusion unveiled a dual-driver strategy that aims to merge computational innovation with energy optimisation. This approach represents a new direction for the AI infrastructure industry — one where performance scaling is no longer achieved at the expense of power efficiency.

xFusion’s new strategy tackles one of the most pressing challenges in AI computing: the environmental and cost burden of power-intensive data centers. Unlike many infrastructure providers that tend to approach computing performance and energy systems as parallel but separate design tracks, xFusion seeks to fuse both into a single efficiency-driven architecture — positioning sustainability as an integral part of its computing innovation rather than a supplementary layer.

Innovations bridging computing and clean energy

At its GITEX Global booth (H20 B10), xFusion attracted strong visitor interest by showcasing the FusionServer V8, FusionPoD liquid-cooled servers, and two major product innovations — the X3 8000 Intelligent Workstation and FusionWatt Smart Energy Solutions.

Designed for advanced scientific simulation and industrial design, the X3 8000 Intelligent Workstation integrates high-performance computing modules with end-to-end security architecture. Its value lies in how it democratises access to AI-grade compute power for research and enterprise users — enabling localised innovation without reliance on cloud-only models.

Meanwhile, FusionWatt Smart Energy Solutions reflect xFusion’s expansion into the clean-tech domain. By offering a modular intelligent charging and storage system, it bridges the gap between digital infrastructure and green energy deployment — an alignment crucial for the Middle East’s sustainability ambitions.

Engineering excellence through “Black Technology”

xFusion attributes its technological edge to what it calls “Black Technology” — an integrated engineering approach that addresses three of AI computing’s toughest bottlenecks: heat dissipation, high-speed interconnection, and green power.

Its heat management system can dissipate up to 850 W per chip via air cooling and up to 1,500 W with direct liquid cooling. Proprietary thermal materials enhance conductivity by 200 per cent, preventing performance throttling even under extreme workloads. Beyond technical specifications, these breakthroughs directly translate into lower operational costs and improved competitiveness for data centers.

Similarly, xFusion’s self-designed high-speed PCBs and titanium-grade power units not only improve data throughput but also cut energy consumption by up to 1,400 kWh per unit over five years — reinforcing the brand’s “engineering-for-sustainability” positioning in the global AI market.

Building a resilient MEA ecosystem

Since establishing its regional headquarters in Dubai in 2021 and its hub in Riyadh, xFusion has operated under the philosophy “In the region, for the region.” Its partnerships now span governments, telecom operators, and financial institutions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and South Africa. In the UAE, it supports public-cloud and digital-government projects; in higher education, it has co-developed high-performance computing centres with universities to foster scientific research; and in the energy sector, it works with oil & gas majors such as Saudi Aramco to power mission-critical data centres.

As MEA nations emphasise data sovereignty and accelerate local data-center expansion, vendors offering localised and energy-resilient infrastructure — such as xFusion — are gaining traction over cloud-only models.

A standout case is the ENAGEO deployment in North Africa, where xFusion’s AI-driven fault-healing and liquid cooling technologies reduced system downtime by 66 per cent in extreme desert environments — a practical demonstration of how innovation directly bolsters business continuity.

A recap of innovation and commitment

xFusion’s presence at GITEX Global 2025 marks not only another milestone in its growth but also a broader shift — from a hardware manufacturer to a comprehensive AI infrastructure partner. Its focus on integrating computing and energy efficiency places it squarely at the intersection of two global imperatives: intelligence and sustainability. Such positioning could prove especially competitive in the MEA market, where governments are striving to balance rapid AI adoption with net-zero ambitions. xFusion’s ability to bridge this gap suggests it may evolve into one of the region’s key enablers of sustainable digital transformation.

Looking ahead, xFusion plans to deepen investment in MEA, strengthen ecosystem partnerships, and continue developing computing platforms that empower governments and enterprises to accelerate their AI-driven transformation.

As Louis Zhao, President of xFusion International Business, summarised: “From Dubai to Riyadh, and from Cairo to Johannesburg, xFusion’s growth has always kept pace with the region’s dynamic development. We will continue enhancing innovation and partnerships to help the region achieve sustainable, long-term digital growth.”

As governments across the Gulf double down on smart city and sustainability goals, AJi Group has been quietly building a strong presence behind many of the region’s transformative infrastructure projects. From industrial zones in Saudi Arabia to sustainable urban developments in Oman, the firm combines digital innovation with environmental responsibility to create climate-resilient, future-ready cities.

At the helm is Engineer Hamzeh Awwad, CEO of AJi Group, who has led the company through rapid growth, technological transformation, and regional expansion.

In this conversation, he discusses how AJi Group is reimagining infrastructure for the next generation of cities, its rise in ENR’s global rankings, and the future of design and engineering in a region balancing climate goals with economic growth.

Smart cities are central to the Gulf’s future. How is AJi Group designing infrastructure that aligns with net zero ambitions and deeper economic diversification?

Our infrastructure strategy is led by a comprehensive approach to sustainability and digital innovation. Through our six specialised verticals, we’re pioneering smart city solutions that place sustainability at its core.

This is reflected in our organisational commitments too. In the past years, we have accelerated our ESG initiatives, delivering projects that set new benchmarks for sustainable urban development, integrating environmental management systems throughout our operations.

Last year, our efforts yielded a significant achievement, resulting in a 16 per cent reduction in our GHG emissions (Scope 1 & 2) compared to 2022. We continue to build on this, with our newly launched Yellow Lab, a digital-driven innovation unit, which integrates advanced computational workflows and generative design tools to create more sustainable urban environments.

We also focus embedding smart energy systems, advanced water recycling, and low-carbon construction materials across our industrial and urban projects.

By prioritising low-carbon materials, encouraging circular economy principles, and enhancing comprehensive environmental impact assessments initiatives, we are delivering on our longstanding mission to “design smart, build better’.

And we are honoured to contribute to the region’s bold national development agendas, including the UAE Vision 2031, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and Jordan Vision 2025. These frameworks inspire us to think bigger, build better, and innovate more responsibly as we support governments, clients, and communities achieve their long-term sustainability and growth goals.

For example, in Saudi Arabia, we’re designing smart industrial zones with integrated renewable systems and digital twin technology for real-time emissions monitoring. These projects leverage building information modelling (ISO 19650-certified) and AI-driven solutions to optimize resource efficiency.

Beyond environmental impact, we’re driving economic diversification and social empowerment through integrated solutions that span healthcare, education and industrial development. We also serve more than 50 million people through water and waste facilities.

By embedding sustainability and digital innovation at every level, right from design through operations, we’re supporting both national net zero targets and the region’s economic transformation agenda.

Your portfolio spans smart campuses, healthcare facilities, and sustainable communities. Which at-scale project do you believe will most transform the region’s urban landscape — and why?

It has been our honour to contribute to the region’s infrastructure with a transformative portfolio of over 16,000 hospital beds designed, two million square metres of educational infrastructure, and one million square metres of industrial plant infrastructure, in addition to more than three million square metres of residential developments, shaping inclusive and modern communities.

Among these landmark projects, two stand out for their potential to reshape the region’s urban landscape. The first is the Al-Sadr City redevelopment in Baghdad which underlines our integrated approach to sustainable urbanization. The project spans 10 square kilometres and will deliver over 60,000 housing units for more than 400,000 residents.

This project tackles urban density challenges through our innovative ‘vertical communities’ concept, which focuses on preserving Iraqi cultural heritage while incorporating smart city technologies, advanced water management systems and integrated social infrastructure including healthcare facilities and educational hubs.

In parallel, the Wadi Al-Kabir Industrial City transformation in Oman showcases our eco-futurism capabilities across a 2.15 million-square-metre development. This project leverages our computational design tools and environmental management systems to create a future-ready industrial ecosystem.

It combines advanced digital infrastructure, renewable energy integration, and circular economy principles with mixed-use developments. The project is a testament to our commitment to sustainable industrialisation, and features smart mobility solutions, water-efficient designs and community-centered planning that aligns with our ISO 14001 environmental management standards.

Together, these projects demonstrate how our integrated approach to large-scale development can drive both social impact and environmental sustainability, drive inclusive growth, improve quality of life and set new benchmarks for urban transformation in the Middle East.

AJi climbed 21 spots in ENR’s Top 225, now ranking 86th globally. What is the significance of this?

It is an honour to be ranked 86^th globally by Engineering News-Record (ENR) in its 2025 ‘The Best 225’ report of International Design Firms. This is an impressive advancement of 21 positions over the past year and secures our place among the world’s top 100 design firms. I believe it is a true testament to the impact of our work. It reflects the strength of our 60-year legacy, the commitment of our professionals, and our focus on reshaping the future of infrastructure in the MENA region.

Over the years, we have served as a trusted partner to some of the region’s most ambitious projects, and it is the transformative vision of our clients that enables us to push our boundaries to deliver on their priorities, especially in promoting sustainable built environments and embracing advanced technology.

In fact, in its report, ENR highlighted our strategic approach to industry challenges, especially in relation to talent development, embedding sustainability and driving cross-border collaboration. We’ve always focused heavily on technology integration, climate resilience, and energy transition solutions, and the recognition particularly validates our commitment to embedding sustainability and driving cross-border collaboration while empowering local talent.

Since you’ve taken over as CEO in 2020, AJi has seen 210 per cent revenue growth, a profit surge, and 35 per cent workforce expansion. What strategic moves made that rapid transformation possible?

Our transformation was driven by a comprehensive five-year strategic plan centred around 18 key initiatives, with three core priorities: Build on our legacy, empower our people and contribute to the region’s urban future We diversified into six high-growth verticals: Urban Environment, Wellness and Healthcare, Utilities and Environment, Mobility and Transportation, Eco-Futurism and Advisory and Solutions, enabling us to deliver integrated solutions under one umbrella.

We also expanded our regional footprint strategically, now operating through 13 offices including four in Saudi Arabia and three in the UAE. Further, we made significant investments in technology and innovation, securing ISO certifications in building information modelling (BIM) and information security.

Across all our operations, we embedded sustainability at our core, publishing our first GRI-certified ESG report and advancing capabilities in AI and digital solutions. This approach has not only driven financial growth but also strengthened our position as a trusted partner for the region’s most ambitious projects.

Key to our growth has been our investment in innovation. We have also advanced our capabilities in AI and BIM technology and secured critical certifications including ISO 19650 for BIM and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 for Information Security.

This strategic approach has earned us significant client trust, with nearly half our projects coming from repeat clients. We’ve also strengthened our specialised subsidiaries, including HDP Overseas in healthcare and QHC AJI in UAE infrastructure development, while growing our professional team to 1,300 employees across 25 markets. These have positioned AJi as an indispensable partner in the region’s infrastructure development.

How do you envision the role of design and engineering evolving to balance economic development with climate goals across the Middle East?

I personally believe that the future of design and engineering in the Middle East will be shaped by how firms look at transforming climate challenges into catalysts for economic innovation. In fact, we have demonstrated this approach through measurable results, achieving GHG emissions organisation-wide.

Our vision is backed by concrete achievements: we have completed more than 100 renewable energy and waste management projects serving over 50 million people; we have ISO 14001-certified environmental management systems, and ISO 19650-certified Building Information Modeling capabilities.

These enable us to deliver infrastructure that’s both climate-responsive and economically vibrant, covering water-efficient designs in water-stressed regions to smart city solutions that reduce resource consumption while enhancing urban livability.

Looking ahead, we’re focused on three key drivers: digital transformation through advanced technologies like digital twins and AI, circular economy principles in design and material selection, and climate-resilient infrastructure that addresses the region’s unique environmental challenges.

Our integrated approach, supported by our GRI-certified ESG framework, enables us to align with national net zero targets while contributing to economic diversification. We believe it our responsibility to shape a future where sustainable design serves as the foundation of economic competitiveness – as regional governments emphasise on being ‘pro-growth and pro-climate’.

AJi delivers through six verticals, from Eco-Futurism to Utilities and Mobility. How does this diversified structure strengthen your ability to tackle complex, multi-sector projects?

Our six specialised verticals create a unique, integrated delivery model that enhances our ability to take on complex projects and positions us as a one-stop-shop provider.

This structure has proven successful across our portfolio – in addition to those mentioned above – such as over 600,000 square metres of advanced pharmaceutical plants, more than 6,000 keys in the hospitality sector, more than three million square metres of industrial plant infrastructure, some 200,000 square metres of mission critical buildings for national security and essential services, 100,000 square metres of bridges and connective infrastructure, and over 10,000 kilometres of roads, highways and transit corridors.

Each vertical brings distinct capabilities that complement the others. For example, our Urban Environment team’s expertise in architectural services and sustainable building design works seamlessly with our Eco-Futurism vertical’s focus on environmental management and renewable energy solutions. Our Utilities & Environment specialists collaborate with our Mobility teams to create comprehensive infrastructure networks.

The result is an integrated hub that can address multiple technical challenges simultaneously – be it incorporating smart city technologies, implementing advanced water recycling systems or designing climate-resilient infrastructure.

With 13 offices across the MENA region and over 60 years of legacy, AJi Group’s reach is impressive. How do you maintain local relevance while scaling across diverse markets?

Our approach to maintaining local relevance while scaling across multiple markets is anchored in deep community engagement and strategic partnerships. At the governance level, many of our senior professionals contribute to industry standards through membership in national engineering councils across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Jordan.

We are also committed to ensuring that we meet local content and in country value for services and products in all markets we operate in to ensure that we engage with local ecosystems and communities in these countries.

Our teams are rooted in local communities but connected to a wider network of international expertise, allowing us to tailor solutions that resonate locally yet meet world-class benchmarks. As an example, we have a strong internship and capacity building programme in Saudi and UAE, where AJi engineers and architects engage interns and collaborate with universities and technical and vocational colleges to ensure the internship programmes achieve their results.

We’re also driving sustainable practices – which is crucial for local impact – through key affiliations, such as our Platinum Corporate Membership in the Jordan Green Building Council. This ensures our work aligns with global standards and national environmental priorities.

Our “Glocal” approach extends beyond business operations to meaningful community engagement. Through our Social Committee, we organise various initiatives from environmental activities to educational seminars, while our projects actively contribute to national development visions. This balanced approach, combining local insights with global excellence, has also helped us maintain strong client relationships.

The Middle East is investing heavily in smart cities, healthcare infrastructure, and sustainable mobility. From your perspective, which of these sectors is set to see the fastest growth in the next five years?

Based on our market position and project pipeline, we see healthcare and sustainable infrastructure leading growth over the next five years. This view is supported by our recent achievements and rankings; we’re ranked 16th globally in Healthcare and 17th in Wastewater treatment by ENR, reflecting the increasing focus on these sectors.

In healthcare, we’re witnessing high levels of investment in advanced facilities. Through our specialized subsidiary HDP Overseas, we’re delivering the Middle East’s first heavy-ion therapy facility at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a project that reflects the region’s commitment to world-class healthcare infrastructure.

Sustainable infrastructure development is also accelerating rapidly. The integration of smart city technologies is becoming fundamental to all major developments. This includes water-efficient designs for water-stressed regions and digital twin technologies for real-time infrastructure monitoring.

While smart mobility will also see significant growth, we believe healthcare and sustainable infrastructure will lead the way as the region’s priorities are clear: governments are investing in resilient healthcare systems, water and wastewater infrastructure, and green urban environments that align with climate goals.

Global supply chains, new technologies like AI, and rising sustainability standards are reshaping engineering and design. How do you see these forces influencing the future of the built environment in the region?

I see these forces fundamentally redefining how we design and deliver the built environment in the region. Global supply chain pressures are pushing us toward more resilient and flexible procurement strategies, while technologies like AI, BIM, and Digital Twins are enabling smarter, data-driven decisions that reduce risk and optimise performance.

These converging forces are marking a fundamental shift in how we approach the built environment across the MENA region. And we are responding to this through innovative initiatives. For example, with the Yellow Lab, we are reimagining the entire design process through advanced computational workflows and generative design tools.

The impact is visible in our procurement and delivery systems. Our ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification has enabled us to create secure, digitally integrated supply chains that enhance project efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Our digital-first outlook extends to our design methodology, where we’re pioneering new approaches to architectural computation and environmental analysis that weren’t possible just a few years ago.

Raising the bar on sustainability standards, means embedding ESG principles into every stage of project delivery. Together, these trends mean the future of our sector will be more integrated, agile and purpose-driven, ensuring that the infrastructure not only meets today’s needs but also supports the region’s long-term ambitions.

We are already seeing a strong focus by governments in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and UAE, on AI integration technologies in the entire life cycle of projects, and this will have great impact on the entire project delivery systems.

Looking ahead, the integration of AI and machine learning with traditional engineering expertise is opening new possibilities for adaptive, smart, climate-responsive infrastructure. I believe that digital innovation, sustainable design and local context are creating a new direction for designing and delivering built environments, which are more resilient, resource-efficient and aligned with the region’s unique environmental and social needs. At AJi, our people are at the forefront in delivering this new approach to design, architecture and consultancy.

UiPath, a global leader in agentic automation, has officially inaugurated its new office at King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, marking a major milestone in the company’s expanding investment and presence in the Kingdom.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Daniel Dines, founder and CEO of UiPath; Mark Gibbs, president – International at UiPath; and His Excellency Mohammed Alariefy, Assistant Deputy Minister for Digital Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). They were joined by representatives of key local customers, including the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and Shared Services Program (SSP), highlighting the growing role of automation and AI in Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation under Vision 2030.

UiPath solutions are already being deployed across leading Saudi organisations such as Aramco, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), and the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, delivering measurable outcomes and operational efficiencies across government entities and enterprises. The new Riyadh office will serve as a central hub for UiPath’s regional ecosystem of customers and partners, reinforcing the company’s commitment to enabling Saudi organisations to scale Agentic AI adoption.

“Saudi Arabia is moving boldly to shape the future of innovation, and UiPath is proud to be part of this journey by providing cutting edge Agentic AI platform,” said Daniel Dines, founder and CEO, UiPath. “The inauguration of our Riyadh office reflects our long-term commitment to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, while our collaboration with the Saudi Digital Academy demonstrates our belief in the power of skills and education. By combining global expertise with local talent, UiPath is helping organisations across Saudi Arabia unlock new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and human achievement.”

In parallel with the office launch, UiPath and the Saudi Digital Academy announced the Second Edition of the Saudi Digital Academy Bootcamp, following the successful completion of the inaugural Saudi School of Automation program in 2024. Running from August 31 to November 20, 2025, the initiative will train and certify 25 young professionals, equipping them with essential automation and AI skills to support the Kingdom’s growing digital economy.

“Automation and AI are at the heart of how Saudi organisations are transforming, and UiPath is honored to support this ambition,” said Sara Al-Alsheikh, regional vice president and managing director for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain at UiPath. “With our solutions already transforming operations across major Saudi institutions and our second bootcamp cohort ready to graduate, we’re seeing the tangible impact of our commitment to the Kingdom’s digital future. This office serves as a place where customers, partners, and innovators can come together to accelerate outcomes while creating a pipeline of Saudi professionals who will lead the Kingdom’s digital economy for decades to come.”

The new Riyadh office represents UiPath’s deepening engagement with Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation agenda, enabling closer collaboration with government bodies, enterprises, and academia to foster innovation, upskill local talent, and drive sustainable growth through automation and AI.