Envision 2025: du puts AI at the heart of UAE’s digital future

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Dubai hosted a glimpse of tomorrow at Envision 2025, du Tech’s flagship technology forum, where artificial intelligence, cloud, robotics, and advanced computing took center stage.

Themed “AI progress begins when leaders and technology align” the third edition of the annual event brought together government leaders, global tech executives, and innovators to chart the UAE’s digital transformation journey.

Opening the conference, du CEO Fahad Al Hassawi underscored Dubai’s standing among the world’s top five cities for AI adoption, even ahead of San Francisco. “Technology without leadership is merely code, and leadership without technology is just ambition,” he said, highlighting the event’s theme. “But when they come together — that’s when magic happens.”

Al Hassawi tied du’s strategy directly to national priorities, noting that AI is projected to contribute $320bn to the UAE’s GDP by 2030. He framed the numbers as more than statistics, calling them “the future of our children” and evidence of the courage of local businesses — 42 per cent of which have already deployed AI solutions.

du showcases five tech pillars at Envision

The event showcased five technological pillars driving this future: generative AI applications, sovereign cloud infrastructure, advanced robotics for Industry 4.0, GPU-as-a-Service and Mining-as-a-Service for high-performance computing, and national hyperscaler cloud solutions.

Each was presented as a practical enabler for key sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, education, smart cities, and utilities.

Industry voices added weight to the vision. Investor and entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg spoke on AI’s creative potential, while executives from Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, Huawei, Dell, Fortinet, Nokia, and Equinix highlighted how partnerships are powering transformation. du’s Chief ICT Officer Jasim Al Awadi called the platform a catalyst for “building smarter, more sustainable communities aligned with the UAE’s visionary leadership.”

Al Hassawi urged participants to see themselves not as attendees but as “ambassadors for change.” He closed by reminding them that the UAE has always been a nation of builders, first turning sand into cities, and now shaping the digital future with algorithms and intelligence.

With policymakers, industry leaders, and technologists in the same room, the event reinforced du’s role not just as a telecom operator but as a digital enabler helping shape the nation’s AI-powered economy.

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