may 2023 / vol. 1 issue 1 / an ITP Media Group publication HI! I’m your new boss REVEALED: How AI will change the workforce in the next five years edge_may 2023 3 contents may 2023 10 8 14 cover story Fiction to reality Exploring the evolution of AI and its impact on business, leadership and the future. 144 edge_may 2023 “‘Good enough’ AI is already here, capable of interacting with humans, motion, and making decisions.” From Page 34 28 20 other stories The business risk of digital transformation Netscout’s Gaurav Mohan identifies ways to reduce risks amid digitalisation 18 3 ways to turn the UAE’s talent shortage to your advantage ServiceNow’s Mark Ackerman on transforming skills gap into a winning opportunity. 26 Review Sony LinkBuds S 33 contents Clint Crosier, Director, Aerospace and Satellite Solutions, AWS Crawford Del Prete, President, IDCedge_may 2023 5 editor’s letter PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Deputy Managing Director Anil Bhoyrul Editorial Group Editor Kate-Lynne Wolmarans kate.wolmarans@itp.com Editor Adelle Geronimo +971 4 444 3497 / adelle.geronimo@itp.com Commercial Editor Arya Devi +971 4 444 3175 / arya.devi@itp.com Art Art Director Amjad Ayche Designer Tofi q Memon Advertising Group Commercial Director Anup Nagpurkar Senior Sales Manager Priyanka Pillai +971 4 444 3399 / priyanka.pillai@itp.com Client Services Manager Cherylann DAbreo +971 4 444 3404 / cherlyann.dabreo@itp.com Photography Videographer Muhammad Kaleem Video Editor Liju Cheruvathur Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Production & Distribution Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Manoj Mahadevan Circulation Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai Marketing Director of Events & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Hello, and welcome to the inaugural issue of edge! I am incredibly proud to share this brand new magazine with you. We’re launching edge at time when the lines between the physical and digital worlds are blurring. It will be the new voice for the latest trends, innovations, and developments in the tech world. Building on the 25-year legacy of ITP.net, edge will offer an unmatched outlook on how technology is transforming our lives and reshaping industries. The ‘edge’ is where innovation happens, where the impossible becomes possible, and where the future is shaped. That’s exactly what we want to bring you – a glimpse into the most exciting and groundbreaking developments in tech. From cloud to AI and machine learning to blockchain, quantum computing and more! edge will explore the ways that technology is transforming the world around us. This includes the way we work and communicate to the way we experience life. That said, the cover story of this inaugural issue, delves into the fascinating world of AI. Our feature takes an in-depth look at the developments in the space and how they’re impacting workforces today and how they will continue to do so in the future. Another exciting feature of our first edition is that the cover is entirely designed by AI. We wanted to showcase the incredible capabilities of this technology, and what better way to do so than to have it create our very own cover? The result is a powerful, eye-catching image that represents the spirit of edge – provocative, fresh and innovative. AI aside, we take a closer look at the Dubai Metaverse Strategy and the role it will play in positioning Dubai at the forefront of innovation and what it would mean for businesses. We also feature an exciting interview with Amazon Web Services’ director for aerospace and satellite solutions, Clint Crosier, where he shares on how they are harnessing the power of cloud and data to reimagine the space industry. In the coming months, with each outing of edge, we promise to bring you bold, exciting and exclusive stories. So, dive in and enjoy reading this issue! Welcome to edge! Adelle Geronimo editor Published by and © 2023 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.6 edge_may 2023 news “The shared vision between e& and Careem is exciting, we believe that together we’ll be able to enhance our impact across different markets in the region,” says e&’s Hatem Dowidar UAE’s e& acquires $400 million majority stake in Careem e& has entered an agreement with Uber and its subsidiary Careem to acquire a majority stake in Careem’s Super App spinout. Under the agreement, Careem’s ride hailing business will remain fully owned by Uber and continue to be available on the existing app. The investment by e& is worth $400 million and will make it the majority shareholder in Careem’s Super App alongside Uber and all three of Careem’s co-founders. “Super Apps have catalysed the economic, social and cultural growth of emerging markets today,” said Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO, e&. “The shared vision between e& and Careem is exciting, we believe that together we’ll be able to enhance our impact across different markets in the region while pushing the boundaries of customer experience.” Uber retains 100% ownership of the Careem ride-hailing business which it acquired in 2020 With this investment, Careem plans to accelerate its ambition to create the first “everything app” serving customers across the Middle East. It aims to expand its core services and the Careem Plus subscription program across the region while adding more partner services to the app. Careem expects to benefit from e&’s extensive experience in scaling complex tech- enabled businesses and its large customer base. Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder of Careem, highlighted the immense potential that technology has in enhancing the lives of people in the region. “Uber has been an incredible partner over the last three years as we expanded our mission to simplify the lives of people with everyday services beyond ride-hailing. We are excited to bring e& into the family,” he said. ACQUISITION news bytes Stay on top of the latest news and trends from the tech scene.edge_may 2023 7 news Businesses operating in the new special economic zones can take advantage of customs duties exemptions, 100% ownership and more Around 120 users of Genesis were arrested as part of the international crackdown Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has revealed that the country will establish four special economic zones in Riyadh, Jazan, Ras Al-Khair, and King Abdullah Economic City. The upcoming zones in Saudi Arabia will concentrate on vital growth areas, such as advanced manufacturing, cloud computing, medical technology, and various other sectors. The zones are titled the ‘King Abdullah Economic City’ (KAEC) SEZ, ‘Jazan’ SEZ, ‘Ras Al Khair’ SEZ and ‘Cloud Computing’ SEZ located in King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Companies operating within these zones will benefit from competitive corporate tax rates, exemption from customs duties on imports, production inputs, machinery, and raw materials, 100 percent foreign ownership of companies, and the flexibility to attract top talent from around the world. The zones are also part of the kingdom’s efforts to achieve Saudi Arabia’s economic development coals under the Vision 2030 strategy. Saudi Arabia launches four special economic gateways to boost digital economy Global law enforcement shuts down cybercrime hub Genesis Market DIGITAL ECONOMY CYBERSECURITY Law enforcement agencies in the United States and Europe has announced the dismantling of a major online marketplace for stolen login credentials. The marketplace, known as Genesis Market, had been operational since 2018 and had enabled cybercriminals to gain access to millions of compromised accounts. The operation, which was dubbed “Operation Cookie Monster” involved the efforts by law enforcement agencies in 17 countries. Genesis Market primarily dealt in digital identities, offering “bots” for sale that provided access to real-time harvested data, including financial information for online banking accounts. The platform had provided its users with access to data from over 1.5 million infected computers, including over 80 million account access credentials. The international initiative was led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Dutch National Police (Politie), with a command post set up at Europol’s headquarters on the action day. The operation involved the arrest of around 120 users across the globe and the seizure of 11 domain names associated with Genesis Market.vintage tech I n every family, there is often an odd member who struggles to fit in with the rest. For Apple, that was the Lisa. More popularly known as Apple’s biggest failure, the Lisa was the first personal computer to offer a graphical user interface (GUI) and was designed to target individual business users. At the time, the concept of an integrated desktop was new, and the Lisa was the first computer to use point-and-click commands and icons. The machine was innovative and ahead of its time, featuring a protected memory, pre-emptive multitasking capabilities, a hard disk-based operating system, and 1MB of RAM with expandable slots. Additionally, Lisa’s 12-inch, 720 x 364 screen was top-of-the-line. Apple invested over $50 million and employed a team of 90 people to develop the Lisa, which was released to the market in 1983 at an almost $10,000 price point (equivalent to about $30,304 today). Despite its promising features, the Lisa failed to live up to Apple’s expectations due to its slow performance, heavy and complex operating system, and high price tag. In total, only around 100,000 units were sold over two years, with 70,000 units sold within the first three months. As a result of its poor sales, the Lisa was eventually folded into the Macintosh XL project, and the Lisa OS was abandoned. However, the Lisa played a significant role in the development of the Macintosh, which not only heavily drew upon Lisa’s GUI model and borrowed many of its hardware and software features, but also recruited several of its engineers. Despite the Lisa’s failure in the market, it remains an important part of tech history. Without it, there would have been no Macintosh-at least in the form that we know it today. 8 edge_may 2023 By Adelle GeronimoDubai, UAE Leadership Summit 2023 For commercial and event enquiries SARASWATI AGARWAL Group Commercial Director Tel: +971 4 444 3352 GSM: +971 52 895 2214 E-mail: saraswati.agarwal@itp.com DANIEL FEWTRELL Director Of Awards & Marketing Tel: 971 4 444 3684 E-mail: daniel.fewtrell@itp.com DAVID CAMERON Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2010 – 2016) JERRY INZERILLO Group CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority AMIR KHAN Former Professional Boxer JAMES HOGAN Chairman, Knighthood Global BACARY SAGNA Former Professional Footballer BOOK YOUR EARLY BIRD DELEGATE PASSES HERE Wednesday, 21 st June 2023Next >