Abu Dhabi announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the first graduate level, research-based AI University in the world. MBZUAI will enable graduate students, businesses, and governments to advance artificial intelligence. 

The government of the UAE has launched a new defense conglomerate called Edge in Abu Dhabi which aims to develop advanced technology for cyber protection, weapon systems and electronic warfare.

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health (DoH) has launched an initiative which aims to improve healthcare and health management in the UAE capital through the use of large-scale genomic data.

Abu Dhabi ranked as the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for 2023, according to the annual IMD Smart City Index released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland. This will be the third consecutive time the UAE capital has received this prestigious recognition.

The IMD surveyed 120 residents in 118 cities worldwide. Abu Dhabi surpassed several international capitals to rank 13th globally out of the 141 cities included in the current ranking. The study evaluated current infrastructure and digital services available to residents, relying on variables related to residents' perceptions and interactions with government efforts in five main pillars: health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities (work and education systems) and governance.

Commenting on the achievement, H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), said, “Abu Dhabi's leadership in this field is a translation of the leadership's vision and commitment to supporting the digital transformation journey and utilizing it to serve the community and enhance its well-being and quality of life. Through employing next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) and developing smart city initiatives across various societal, service and economic sectors, including public and smart transportation, Abu Dhabi has been able to establish itself as a smart and sustainable city and one of the best global destinations to live, work and visit.”

Zurich took the lead in this year’s survey, with Oslo in second place and Canberra in third.

Asian and European cities dominated the top 20 cities out of the 141 studied. Six cities show either continuous improvement or year-on-year stability. These “super-champions” are Zurich, Oslo, Singapore, Beijing, Seoul and Hong Kong. The 2023 findings also demonstrate the increasing “smartness” of second-tier cities such as Montreal, Denver, Lausanne and Bilbao.

Also Read: GCC Countries Revealed Strong Digital Transformation Efforts in 2022

Smart cities contribute to the development of many key sectors in the emirate, such as the smart transportation sector and the smart economy, which is based on advanced software that helps develop many sectors such as supply, delivery, and joint support services.

Additionally, interactive platforms are built with the public to identify their needs and aspirations and interact with them transparently, placing them at the center of government work in addition to developing and facilitating access to services for citizens.

The Smart Cities Index issued by IMD is considered an important reference for international organizations, decision-makers, and institutions to measure the impact of national strategies on enhancing levels of welfare, achieving progress and promoting the quality of life for people.

The Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA), in partnership with cybersceuirty company Trend Micro, launched the Cyber Defense Challenge.

The applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) announced that its Cryptography Research Centre (CRC) has launched the first Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) software library in the UAE.

Work is underway to build a quantum computer in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, ushering an important milestone for the region in this breakthrough era in computing.

Building on its efforts to accelerate digital transformation in the emirate, the Department of Government Support – Abu Dhabi (DGS), represented by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA), has announced that Abu Dhabi has been overall ranked 11th in the Global Technology Index on the World Digital Competitiveness Yearbook 2020.

Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) has successfully held the ‘ADDATHON Artificial Intelligence’ in Abu Dhabi as it moves ahead with its plans to further enhance government services and meet the continuing needs of the Abu Dhabi community through innovation using Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) today announced the launch of AIQ, its Artificial Intelligence (AI) joint venture (JV) company with Group 42 (G42), an Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud computing company.

Abu Dhabi Ports has announced the acquisition of 11 new specialized refrigerated vehicles by its subsidiary, MICCO Logistics, which boosts its local final-mile vaccine delivery capability to over 1.1 million vaccine doses per day.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (Hyperloop TT, HTT) announced the appointment of leading design and engineering firm, Dar Al-Handasah (founding member of the Dar Group), to assist in bringing the Abu Dhabi commercial system to reality.

Department of Health (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi, has announced that the Emirate is adopting advanced drones to distribute and transfer medical supplies within the healthcare sector.

The Corona virus-laden two years drastically transformed how the world operated and functioned. Both governments and their citizens were compelled to go through circumstances that had not been figured in the slightest imagination. Overnight, the system of work, education, social lives, travel, and supply chain took a hit, leaving us to reel under utter confusion and potential loss of lives.

Smart Cities World Forums is currently conducting a poll in an effort to establish which city our global readership thinks is the 'smartest' in the world.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has outlined a 'Smart Future' for Dubai's public transportation system - and declared that the government is 'shaping the future' of transportation in order to 'transform' the urban environment in Dubai. His Excellency delivered a wide-ranging speech to attendees at the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS) in Abu Dhabi, and claimed that attitudes of both car manufacturers and drivers will need to change as shared mobility becomes the norm.

The inaugural edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS) has been officially opened by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Abu Dhabi.

Huawei launched a series of 5G and AI-based innovative energy solutions at World Energy Congress 2019, under the theme 'Innovation Is Redefining Energy'. Huawei collaborated with over 70 energy ministers, 500 energy CEOs, and numerous partners, with these attendees coming from over 150 countries to expand the vision driving sustainable energy development by innovative ICT.

Huawei exhibited its latest security solutions at the RSA Conference 2017 in Abu Dhabi on November 16, including the CloudFabric Security Solution and the CloudCampus Security Solution, together with an extended portfolio of Huawei security products and solutions.

ICANN President and CEO, Goran Marby has praised the UAE for being at the forefront of 'digital transformation' in the Middle East region at ICANN60 held in Abu Dhabi. He also highlighted how the country was a leader in infrastructure development and the growth of digital services.