In the race against time to provide consumers with what they want and when they want it, phone companies pack more power, more speed and more efficiency into each new chipset design.

Keeping its momentum to establish Dubai as a global digital economic hub, the Dubai Government has formed the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy to help shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) by investing in the metaverse and establishing partnerships to boost Dubai’s digital economy. The development follows the recent launch of the Dubai Government’s metaverse strategy.

In a recent study, the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology unveiled a new approach for managing urban traffic across multi-intersection networks that could significantly reduce traffic congestion and enhance road efficiency.

Dr. Khalfan bin Said Al Shueili, Oman’s Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, has unveiled the blueprint for establishing Oman’s smart cities, incorporating advanced planning, innovative technologies, and sustainability initiatives to transform the country’s urban landscape.

Government entities in Paris and Beijing have signed a five-year partnership which will enable the two cities to combine their expertise and resources in order to focus on smart cities and sustainable development.

The Administration Committee of Hengqin New District and PCCW Global have signed a collaboration agreement to capture opportunities brought by the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Greater Bay Area development, and to accelerate the cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in the fields of telecommunications and technological innovation.

Political leaders and dignitaries from all across the globe have gathered in Dubai for the sixth annual edition of the World Government Summit. The three-day event aims to examine and explore how digitalization of traditional industries will transform and completely revolutionize societies as we know them.

Global business value derived from artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to total $1.2 trillion in 2018, an increase of 70 percent from 2017, according to Gartner, Inc. AI-derived business value is forecast to reach $3.9 trillion in 2022.

PwC Middle East reports that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will contribute US$320 billion to the Middle East economy by 2030 - the equivalent to 11% of GDP.

Qatar has unveiled Khadoom, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered personal assistant that aims to revolutionize daily task management through WhatsApp.

Qualcomm Technologies has laid out its vision for ubiquitous on-device artificial intelligence (AI) complementing cloud AI. In a press release the company said it "envision a world where AI makes devices, machines, automobiles, and thingsmuch more intelligent, simplifying and enriching our daily lives."

Qualcomm Technologies has launched the Qualcomm Vision Intelligence Platform, featuring the company's first family of system-on-chips (SoCs) purpose-built for the Internet of Things (IoT) using advanced 10nm FinFET process technology.

New research compiled has projected that AI will replace between 40-50 million full-time jobs in the country over the next fifteen years. The report stated that it was imperative the China's labor market be prepared to adapt to the challenges brought on by the rapid development of AI and automation.

Linksys are celebrating 30 years of networking and Wi-Fi innovation for the home and business this year, and it has announced that there is rapid adoption of IoT in the Middle East with a growing number of people investing in smart devices for their home, according to latest study by Linksys on consumer Wi-Fi usage trends, ahead of GITEX Technology Week.

The possibilities of IoT in the home are endless, from smart lighting and thermostats to smart fridges to machine learning devices. Linksys’ study shows there is growing use of voice assistants and TV signals that are primarily internet based.

"The number of people using smart devices in the home is increasing rapidly, which means there is also a growing need to upgrade to bigger, faster home Wi-Fi systems," says Amanulla Khan, Managing Director Linksys Middle East, Turkey and Africa. "People may not realize that even if they only stream Netflix on a smart TV, it affects the overall Wi-Fi experience for others in the household by using bandwith."

Smart TVs lead the way:
According to the Linksys study, 85.4% of respondents from the Middle East own at least one smart TV, out of which 27.9% respondents own multiple smart TVs. UAE ranks above Saudi Arabia in the adoption of smart TVs, with 86.6% and 84.2% respondents respectively.

Watching TV through the internet is very popular in the Middle East, with internet-based entertainment being the primary source of TV for 22.3% of respondents. This is widely seen in the UAE, among 26.8% of respondents, and 17.8% seen in Saudi Arabia. Subscribing to TV services is still big in the Middle East and the study highlights about 25.5% of Middle East respondents using their smart TVs for subscription-based TV services. Of this figure, 52.1% use it to download TV series and movies, and 31.4% use it to live-stream sport events.

Voice Assistants on the rise:
The use of chatbots and virtual assistants, commonly called voice assistants, is rapidly increasing. The use of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home is on the rise, with 35.7% ownership amongst respondents.

Other smart devices that have reached the 40% adoption barrier include connected security cameras and smart lighting, with 39.3% and 39.6% of Middle East respondents owning such devices respectively. While the use of smart doorbells is very popular - they are owned by almost half of the Middle East respondents (46.5%) -thermostats by Nest and Netatmo lag behind, with only 24.6% of respondents owning such devices.

The numbers by country:

UAE
Most likely (24%) of all to be classified as smart home adopters
Most likely of all to own a smart or connected TV (87%), and smart plugs (43%)
Most likely of all to consider purchasing a smart or connected TV (88%), and smart plugs (64%)

Saudi Arabia
Most likely (38%) of all to be classified as extreme smart home adopters
Most likely of all to own smart doorbells (48%), smart lighting (42%), smart switches (41%), connected security cameras (40%), voice assistants (38%), and smart thermostats (27%)
Most likely of all to consider purchasing smart lighting (68%), connected security cameras (67%), smart doorbells (63%), smart switches (63%), voice assistants (62%), and smart thermostats (47%)

Living in the digital age, the internet is increasing a part of our daily lives and a new normal for all. Linksys’ study forecasts that 58.5% of respondents who don’t own any smart home devices are keen to adopt IoT in their homes, with UAE at 55% and Saudi Arabia at 62%. Adoption of smart lighting was higher, at 58%, and 52% of respondents are considering investing in this by 2020. The Middle East will see a steady adoption of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, with 28.5% of respondents considering such a purchase by 2019.

Khan explains: "While we are now talking smart lighting and voice asistants, in the next couple of years we’ll move to even smarter connected devices in the home driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Solutions include Phyn, a smart water management system that protects your home from leaks by learning from your usage, and Whirlpool’s smart kitchen range, which automatically preheats the oven and cooks dishes based on recipes. These innovations will accelerate the number of IoT devices in the home and also the need for up-to-speed Wi-Fi.

Whoever wants a smart home needs to be smart and futureproof his or her home network too."

During GITEX, visit the Linksys stand at Hall 1 of Dubai World Trade Centre - the trade fair will run from 14-18 October 2018. Visitors will be able to experience a smart home with Intelligent Mesh™ technology brought to reality by Award Winning Velop Whole Home Wi-Fi system with entry-level Dual-Band offerings. Linksys will also showcase a range of disruptive intelligent business solutions for SMBs.

Colombia’s Santa Marta City has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global solution providers Gorilla Technology Group, Inc., NC Digy Smart Cities, and AECOM to become an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart city, advancing Latin America’s urban innovation.

The CEO of SAP, Bill McDermott has stated that the introduction and subsequent integration of Artificial Intelligence will help accelerate and achieve the ambitious national development goals and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. In addition to this, McDermott believes AI will serve as the perfect foundation for smart city NEOM which is located in the country's Tabuk region.

The region’s first truly cognitive city OXAGON is the next big project on NEOM’s master plan after the 170 kilometer ‘Line’ project.

SK Telecom announced that its mobile navigation app 'T Map' is now powered by its artificial intelligence (AI) platform NUGU, named 'T Map X NUGU'. The AI-based navigation service allows drivers to use their voice to enjoy the existing navigation features as well as other useful features offered by NUGU.

The global smart buildings market is poised for remarkable growth, with projections indicating an increase from USD 129,525.68 million in 2024 to a staggering USD 509,007.50 million by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.66% in the 2024 to 2032 forecast period, according to Market Research Future.

The Smart Dubai Government Establishment (SDG), Smart Dubai's technical arm, organized a workshop to provide training for Dubai Government institutions around best practices in artificial intelligence (AI) in order to catalyze smart transformation in the emirate.