Discover. Discuss. Connect.
Across The UAE

The first foldable iPhone from Apple — often referred to as the “iPhone Fold” — may be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18, but is expected to ship later due to the complexity of foldable technology. Experts like Mark Gurman highlight that foldable displays are among the most advanced and difficult components to manufacture, requiring extra time for testing and refinement. Apple has followed a similar strategy before, such as with the iPhone X, where a new design was announced early but released later to ensure quality. So, any delay is less about issues and more about Apple perfecting a completely new form factor. What do you think — would you wait longer for a foldable iPhone, or stick with a regular model?

Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and Nvidia have launched the first Nvidia AI Technology Center in the Middle East, a joint research lab aimed at developing next-generation AI models and robotics platforms. The lab will use the advanced Thor chip to power research on humanoids, four-legged robots, robotic arms, and other AI-driven technologies, combining TII’s multidisciplinary expertise with Nvidia’s AI models and computing power. This collaboration reflects the UAE’s push to become a global AI hub. What do you think—how could such advancements in AI and robotics impact industries and daily life in the UAE?

The UAE Gender Balance Council has launched the National Gender Balance Survey to gather public views for the UAE Gender Balance Strategy 2027–2031. The survey is open to both UAE citizens and residents—men and women of different ages, professions, and life stages across all seven emirates—and covers topics including career development, economic participation, financial security, quality of life, caregiving, future skills, technology, and AI. It takes less than 10 minutes, is available in Arabic and English, and protects participants’ identities. Residents can participate through the survey link provided by the UAE Gender Balance Council.

What are your views? Do you think public participation in such surveys can help shape more inclusive policies and opportunities in the UAE?

Analysts say the UAE has built a powerful combination of zero personal income tax, investor-friendly residency policies, political stability, luxury real estate opportunities, global connectivity, and high-quality infrastructure, turning cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi into attractive bases for global entrepreneurs, investors, and family offices—while high-profile figures such as Changpeng Zhao of Binance highlight how sectors including cryptocurrency, logistics, retail, technology, construction, and real estate are helping position the UAE alongside global wealth centres like Singapore, London, and New York City as a preferred destination for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

A new survey suggests that artificial intelligence is becoming a regular part of healthcare decision-making in the UAE, with 59% of residents using AI tools to manage their health—well above the global average of 35%. People are increasingly using AI to research symptoms, understand medical conditions, explore treatment options, and access health information. Despite this growing reliance on technology, trust in medical professionals remains exceptionally high, with 89% of respondents saying they trust their doctors for accurate health guidance and 90% expressing confidence in health authorities. The findings indicate that many residents view AI as a supplementary source of information rather than a replacement for professional medical advice. Do you use AI tools such as ChatGPT or health apps before visiting a doctor, and do you believe AI can improve healthcare decisions or create risks through misinformation?

Abu Dhabi is revolutionizing healthcare through artificial intelligence, with the Department of Health (DoH) introducing an AI-powered patient risk profile across all hospitals and clinics. This advanced tool scans lifelong medical records to detect patterns and predict risks for 14 diseases, including diabetes and cancer, even before symptoms appear. According to Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, the system helps doctors make early interventions while keeping them in control of decision-making. Integrated through the Malaffi health information exchange, the system ensures every resident’s data is accessible to physicians across the emirate. Complementing this are two large language models — one supporting doctors in real time and another integrated into the Sahatna app to help individuals better understand their health. Do you think AI in healthcare can truly enhance early diagnosis and extend life expectancy, or does it risk over-reliance on technology?

Educators across the UAE say schools are moving away from treating Arabic as just another classroom subject and are instead integrating it more deeply into everyday learning through technology, interactive teaching methods, AI-supported tools, and cross-curricular activities, with institutions such as GEMS Education and Ambassador School Dubai focusing on making Arabic more engaging for both native and non-native speakers—while experts believe the reforms will place greater emphasis on teacher training, personalised learning, cultural identity, and multilingual education so students remain globally competitive while strengthening their connection to the UAE’s language and heritage.

Dubai has always moved quickly when technology becomes part of economic growth. From smart government services to advanced logistics, fintech, tourism, real estate, retail, and digital media, the city has built a reputation for turning innovation into practical infrastructure. Today, artificial intelligence is entering a new phase. It is no longer only about chatbots, automation, or data analysis. A growing part of AI adoption now involves multimodal systems that can understand and create across text, images, audio, and video. For Dubai’s business community, this shift could become especially important because the city’s economy depends heavily on speed, communication, global branding, and customer experience. As companies compete for attention in a fast-moving digital market, multimodal AI is becoming a practical tool for creating better content, improving workflows, and presenting ideas more clearly. Why Multimodal AI Matters for Dubai Businesses Traditional business communication often separates different types of content. A marketing team writes copy in one tool, creates visuals in another, edits video elsewhere, and then adapts everything for websites, social media, presentations, and advertising platforms. This process can be expensive and time-consuming, especially for startups and small businesses. Multimodal AI changes this workflow. Instead of treating text, images, video, and audio as separate tasks, it allows teams to work with them together. A company can begin with a written idea, add product photos, include brand references, describe a scene, and generate visual content that reflects the intended message. This is valuable in Dubai because businesses often operate across multilingual and multicultural audiences. A campaign may need to speak to residents, tourists, investors, partners, and international customers at the same time. Visual storytelling helps bridge that gap. From Smart City Vision to Smarter Content Dubai’s digital development has always been linked to practical outcomes. The goal is not technology for its own sake, but technology that improves services, strengthens competitiveness, and supports future industries. Multimodal AI fits naturally into this environment. It can support government communication, business marketing, tourism promotion, education, healthcare awareness, real estate presentations, retail campaigns, and events. For example, a tourism company can turn a simple itinerary into a short promotional video. A real estate agency can transform property images into lifestyle-focused visual stories. A restaurant can create seasonal campaign assets without organising a full video shoot. A training company can convert written material into visual learning content. A startup can explain a complex product through short, clear videos for investors and customers. These are not futuristic use cases. They are practical examples of how AI can reduce friction in everyday business communication. Helping SMEs Compete with Larger Brands Small and medium-sized enterprises are a major part of the UAE’s business environment. However, SMEs often face a common challenge: they need high-quality content but do not always have large creative teams or agency budgets. This is where AI-assisted content creation can make a real difference. A small company can test multiple campaign ideas before spending heavily on production. A founder can create a visual pitch for a new product. A local service provider can build professional-looking educational content. A retailer can generate product-focused visuals for different customer segments. Tools such as Gemini Omni represent this wider movement toward multimodal creation, where businesses can work with text, image, video, and creative direction in a more unified way. Instead of only generating isolated assets, these tools point toward a future where teams can move from idea to visual draft faster and then refine the result through natural language instructions. For Dubai’s SMEs, that speed can be a competitive advantage. The ability to create, test, and improve content quickly allows smaller companies to respond to market trends with more confidence. Real Estate, Tourism, and Retail: Three Key Sectors Some sectors in Dubai may benefit from multimodal AI faster than others. Real Estate Dubai’s real estate market is highly visual. Buyers and investors want to understand not only the property itself but also the lifestyle around it. AI video tools can help agencies turn images, floor plans, and written descriptions into engaging previews, neighbourhood guides, and project explainers. This does not replace professional photography or trusted property information. Instead, it adds another layer of presentation that can help clients imagine space, movement, atmosphere, and potential use. Tourism and Hospitality Dubai’s tourism sector depends on experience. Hotels, tour operators, entertainment venues, restaurants, and travel agencies need content that captures attention quickly. Multimodal AI can help create short-form videos, campaign variations, event previews, and social media assets for different audiences. A hotel could create different versions of a promotional clip for families, business travellers, and luxury tourists. A tour company could adapt one concept into multiple languages and formats. This kind of flexibility is useful in a global tourism hub. Retail and E-commerce Retailers need constant content for product launches, seasonal offers, influencer campaigns, and online stores. AI can help generate product videos, lifestyle visuals, ad concepts, and platform-specific variations. For e-commerce brands in Dubai, this can reduce the gap between product availability and campaign execution. The Human Role Remains Essential While AI can accelerate production, human judgment remains essential. Businesses still need to understand their audience, define their message, protect their brand identity, and review content for accuracy. This is especially important in sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, law, and government services, where misleading content can create serious problems. AI should assist communication, not replace responsibility. Good results depend on clear creative direction. A vague prompt will usually produce a vague output. A strong brand brief, clear audience profile, and specific business goal will produce better content. In this sense, AI rewards strategic thinking. Responsible AI Adoption As Dubai and the wider UAE continue to strengthen their AI ecosystem, responsible use will become increasingly important. Businesses should consider how generated content is labelled, how customer data is handled, and how brand assets are used. Companies should also create internal guidelines. These may include rules for reviewing AI-generated visuals, checking factual claims, protecting customer privacy, and ensuring that content reflects the company’s values. Responsible AI adoption is not a barrier to innovation. It is what allows innovation to scale with trust. A Practical Step Toward Future-Ready Business Multimodal AI is not just another content trend. It represents a broader shift in how companies communicate, train, sell, and explain ideas. For Dubai, a city built on ambition, global connectivity, and rapid execution, this technology aligns closely with the next stage of digital business growth. The companies that benefit most will not simply generate more content. They will use AI to communicate better. They will test ideas faster, personalise messages more effectively, and turn complex concepts into clear visual stories. Dubai’s business environment has always rewarded those who can move early, adapt quickly, and think globally. Multimodal AI gives companies another way to do exactly that.

Yes, Abu Dhabi independently represented itself at Expo 1970 in Osaka, Japan — more than a year before the UAE was officially formed in December 1971. The pavilion, inspired by traditional Emirati forts, showcased the emirate’s culture and aspirations to a global audience, laying the foundation for lasting international engagement. Fast-forward 55 years, the UAE’s current pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, titled Earth to Ether, is a sustainable architectural marvel that combines date-palm materials with Japanese woodworking techniques, offering an immersive experience of innovation, culture, and heritage. From a fortress-inspired display in 1970 to a cutting-edge sustainable pavilion today, the UAE’s journey illustrates its transformation into a global hub of creativity and technology. What do you think about this evolution — is it more impressive culturally, technologically, or both?