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< PreviousGITEX SPECIAL 20 EDGE | Saudi Special W hen Sam Altman joined G42’s Peng Xiao on the GITEX main stage, the conversation quickly moved from hype to hard infrastructure — the cost, energy, and ambition required to turn AI adoption into national policy. In a headline panel discussion titled “From Early Adoption to AI-Native Societies,” Altman and Xiao explored what it truly takes for nations to embed AI into their economic and policy frameworks. Speaking to a packed audience, the two leaders moved beyond the usual excitement surrounding GenAI delving into real-world foundations of the technology — from energy and compute capacity to sovereign infrastructure, regulation, and human readiness. The conversations in many ways reﬂ ected how the UAE continues to be emerging as a global testbed for responsible and large-scale adoption. In the spirit of giving the audience a genuine overview of where the world truly stands with AI adoption, Xiao made an extremely valid point: “Nobody has a playbook.” Summoning the current global reality, he established how there are no pre-written rules or proven templates for building AI-native societies. Every country, he suggested, is learning through practice, trial, and real-world deployment. “And, the UAE is playing such a key role, a rallying point of bringing leaders from all diff erent sectors together to look ahead of these global trends,” he added. TACKLING THE AI DIVIDE On global access, both leaders addressed what’s quickly becoming the deﬁ ning fault line of this era — the AI divide. Altman warned that if AI remains concentrated in the hands of a few nations or corporations, the world could face a new kind of inequality — not of wealth or connectivity, but of intelligence itself. His remedy? “The best thing we can do to ensure that we don’t have that divide is to make AI abundant and cheap — to teach people how to use it, to make it available everywhere,” said Altman. Xiao’s response carried a regional overview. He described G42’s mission as building a “universal superhighway of intelligence” — distributing AI capabilities across nations, much like energy grids transformed the industrial world. His metaphor of “moving from exporting barrels of oil to distributing intelligence tokens” felt particularly apt in Dubai, a city that has made reinvention its core economic philosophy. Their perspectives point towards a shared understanding: the next race in AI is not about dominance but distribution. The challenge, then, is whether the world can build systems that are open, inclusive, and powered by shared energy and compute capacity — rather than fenced off by geopolitics and cost. For the UAE, this idea lands close to home. Its investments in sovereign cloud, green data centres, and digital literacy aren’t just about staying ahead of innovation — they’re ensuring the region stays connected to the intelligence economy, not left behind it. ENERGY BECOMES INTELLIGENCE Both leaders circled back to a point that could deﬁ ne the next decade: “The cost of intelligence will equal the cost of energy.” In one line, Altman distilled what many policymakers are only beginning to grasp - compute, data, and power are now intertwined. AI doesn’t just rely on algorithms; it runs on electricity, cooling, and physical capacity. The smarter our systems become, the more wattage they demand.Xiao reinforced the thought with pragmatic urgency. Every nation, he said, needs an ambitious energy and connectivity plan — one capable of transmitting “intelligence tokens” across borders. His call echoed the UAE’s broader agenda: to treat energy strategy and AI strategy as one and the same. It’s a vision that positions the region as more than an adopter, as an architect of the world’s next intelligence economy. FROM OIL TO INTELLIGENCE Group CEO of G42, Peng Xiao alongwith OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman took to the main stage at GITEX 2025 to delve into the reality of building AI-native communities & tackling the AI-divide The best thing we can do to ensure that we don’t have that divide is to make AI abundant and cheap — to teach people how to use it, and make it available everywhere GITEX SPECIAL EDGE | Saudi Special 21 A bu Dhabi is fast-tracking one of the world’s most ambitious AI infrastructure projects. G42 at GITEX 2025 conﬁ rmed that construction of Stargate UAE, a 1GW AI infrastructure cluster, is advancing rapidly under the leadership of Khazna Data Centres and engineering partner Alec Data Centres, with delivery of the ﬁ rst 200 MW of capacity by 2026. This forms the ﬁ rst phase of the entire 5 GW UAE–U.S AI Campus, ﬁ rst announced in May 2025 with global technology partners OpenAI, NVIDIA, Oracle, Cisco, and SoftBank. Once complete, Stargate UAE will anchor the UAE’s role in the global AI economy, linking national computing power with what G42 calls its “Intelligence Grid,” a connected network of AI hubs spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa. During his address on the fourth day of GITEX 2025, Hassan Alnaqbi, CEO of Khazna Data Centres, said, “this programme has been accelerated within 12 months, and I don’t think anywhere in the world you can do that. We’re building an ecosystem that will serve not just the UAE, but more than 3 billion people within a 3,000 km radius. If it can happen, it can happen only in the UAE.” MOMENTUM ON THE GROUND Khazna has adopted a design-to-build approach, ensuring seamless transition from concept to execution. Civil, structural, and architectural works are now well underway, alongside the installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Modular components are already in production, and the ﬁ rst deliveries of long-lead mechanical systems have reached the site, citing effi ciency in the project’s supply-chain resilience and pace. Gareth Dennison, Vice President for Special Projects at Khazna also addressed the brieﬁ ng, highlighting the speed of progress: “Three months ago, the entire site was covered in a 40-foot-high sand dune. Today, it’s a fully mobilised construction zone backed by Abu Dhabi’s uniﬁ ed vision and support from partners like Taqat Transmission.” ENGINEERING SCALE & SUSTAINABILITY From a construction perspective, Alec Data Centres—the project’s engineering contractor— has mobilised extensive in-house resources to deliver what it calls a “once-in-a-generation build.” “As engineers, we’re most fortunate to work on something of this scale,” said Bjorn Viedge, General Manager at Alec Data Centres. “We’re applying sustainable methods wherever possible—right down to repurposing production waste and optimising material effi ciency.” Nicholas Breham, Executive Vice President for Asset Management at Taqat Transmission, added that the facility will integrate renewable energy sources, including solar power, in line with the UAE’s long-term clean energy goals. POWERING AN AI-NATIVE FUTURE Stargate UAE will become a critical enabler of the nation’s national AI infrastructure strategy, aligning with its ambition to build an AI-native society. Once operational, the facility will host high-performance computing environments designed to accelerate AI innovation, research, and enterprise applications across sectors—from energy and logistics to healthcare and ﬁ nancial services. “The UAE has an amazing proposition—no other country can duplicate that singular vision,” said Dennison. “The intelligence sits on top of the infrastructure, and that’s where the real transformation begins.” Stargate UAE represents more than a data-centre expansion—it’s a signal of intent from a nation building the infrastructure for the world’s AI era. STARGATE UAE ON TRACK FOR 2026 LAUNCH The ﬁ rst phase of 200MW capacity is expected to go online next year The UAE has an amazing proposition— no other country can duplicate that singular vision, the intelligence sits on top of the infrastructure, and that’s where the real transformation begins GITEX SPECIAL 22 EDGE | Saudi Special I n another round of signing landmark deals, e& UAE – the ﬂ agship telecom arm of e& entered into a strategic partnership with Intel to build an AI Centre of Excellence (CoE). This new CoE will act as a dedicated hub for experimenting with, optimising, and deploying large language models (LLMs) on Intel’s latest Gaudi 3 AI accelerators. Designed to deliver industry-leading performance for inference workloads, the platform will allow e& UAE to shorten the AI model lifecycle — from experimentation to production — and make enterprise-grade AI solutions more effi cient and scalable. The initiative represents one of e& UAE’s most signiﬁ cant collaborations to date, positioning the company at the centre of AI-native telecom transformation. It reinforces the group’s long-term strategy to integrate AI into its core network, operations, and enterprise services — transforming the telco into a full-ﬂ edged technology enabler. “Our partnership with Intel marks a key milestone in building an AI-native telecom infrastructure,” said Marwan Bin Shakar, Acting Chief Technology Offi cer, e& UAE. “Through the Centre of Excellence and our edge AI initiatives, we’re standardising how models are tested, optimised, and moved into production, improving performance and time-to-value for enterprises across the UAE.” Intel will provide hardware and software expertise, enabling e& UAE to run LLMs and edge inference workloads with improved cost effi ciency. The partnership also focuses on building an ecosystem for AI at the edge — powered by Intel’s Core Ultra and Xeon processors, along with its GPU portfolio — delivering real-time analytics and intelligent decision-making closer to end users. EDGE INTELLIGENCE TAKES CENTRE STAGE The collaboration aligns with e& UAE’s broader AI strategy to bring intelligence to the network edge — where vast volumes of data are generated and processed. Edge AI solutions developed through the CoE will cater to sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, energy, and smart cities, allowing enterprises to automate operations and deploy AI models with minimal latency and maximum data security. Intel’s Renu Navale, Vice President and General Manager of Smart Cities, said the partnership underscores Intel’s commitment to supporting regional AI readiness. “Together with e& UAE, we aim to deliver scalable, reliable, and secure AI services for edge and critical infrastructure,” she said. The CoE also serves as a testbed for future collaborations between e& UAE and technology partners seeking to scale AI-based enterprise solutions. By co-developing frameworks for model testing and deployment, the CoE is expected to accelerate AI adoption across industries and strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for applied AI innovation. Through this alliance, e& UAE is signalling a shift from AI experimentation to real-world deployment — turning the UAE’s telecommunications network into a powerful platform for intelligence at the edge. Its ambitions extend beyond infrastructure. This collaboration intends to unlock new value creation for public and private sector organisations, empowering them to innovate faster and operate smarter. e& WITH INTEL TO LAUNCH AI CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE The AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the UAE aims to advance large language models (LLMs) testing and edge AI development across industries The new CoE will act as a dedicated hub for experimenting with, optimising, and deploying large language models (LLMs) on Intel’s Gaudi 3 AI accelerators ONLINE EDGE | Saudi Special 23 The story of agentic AI in the UAE cannot be told without looking at the people and institutions steering it. One of many such personalities is Microsoft’s General Manager - UAE, Amr Kamel, currently spearheading the company’s leap into this next era of AI across the UAE as General Manager. He sees this shift not just as a technological leap, but as a cultural one rooted in ambition, inclusivity, and progress — bringing autonomy off the page and into the everyday lives of people in the UAE. MICROSOFT’S PROVEN BLUEPRINT FOR ADVANCING AGENTIC AI IN UAE ONLINE Read the in-depth feature online at itp.net EDGE | Saudi Special 23GITEX SPECIAL 24 EDGE | Saudi Special I BM and Amazon Web Services (AWS) expanded their collaboration to help organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia modernise core systems, strengthen hybrid cloud adoption, and scale AI innovation in line with national digital transformation goals. The collaboration enables access to IBM’s AI, data, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) off erings on AWS cloud regions in the UAE and KSA. This localisation is designed to simplify procurement, streamline deployment, and ensure compliance with data-hosting and sovereignty requirements that underpin both countries’ digital economy ambitions. Through this expansion, IBM aims to help enterprises transition from AI experimentation to full-scale implementation on AWS’s secure, scalable cloud infrastructure. The move reﬂ ects IBM’s broader focus on empowering businesses to innovate responsibly using its watsonx platform and hybrid cloud capabilities. On ground, Ana Paula Assis, Senior Vice President and Chair for EMEA and Growth Markets at IBM, said that partnership aligns with enterprises’ vision across the Middle East to scale trusted, transparent AI solutions while maintaining ﬂ exibility and control. From AWS’s side, Tanuja Randery, Managing Director and Vice President for EMEA, noted that the partnership reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s strategic transformation goals and strengthening the region’s digital resilience. Together, IBM’s software capabilities and AWS’s infrastructure are expected to enable public and private sector organisations to innovate faster and redeﬁ ne key industries such as government, ﬁ nance, and telecommunications. This latest milestone extends the global IBM– AWS alliance to regional markets experiencing rapid technological acceleration under the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025 and the Saudi Vision 2030. By combining IBM’s enterprise-grade software with AWS’s local cloud availability, the partnership aims to support secure digital growth and responsible AI adoption across the Middle East. The partnership between IBM and AWS didn’t emerge overnight. It traces back to 2016 when the two companies began working together on hybrid-cloud and automation solutions. In May 2022 they formalised a strategic collaboration agreement to deliver IBM software as SaaS on AWS. By late 2022 the relationship evolved further, with new SaaS off erings on AWS Marketplace and expanded partner/reseller models. In 2023 and 2024 the focus shifted to generative AI, with IBM’s watsonx being integrated into AWS’s platform and joint commitments around AI governance and trusted implementation. The announcement now in the UAE and KSA builds on this deep, multi-year alliance — tailored for regional data-sovereignty, regulation and digital-economy goals. Subsequently, the two companies have deepened their working relationship — for example in October 2023 IBM noted that they had “been working together for over six years” to accelerate clients’ digital transformation via AWS. This latest regional expansion in the UAE and KSA builds on an already-maturing alliance — moving beyond global cloud/AI co-operation into regionally localised delivery tailored for data-sovereignty, regulatory and national-strategy imperatives. IBM AND AWS EXTEND PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE AI INNOVATION IN UAE & KSA The collaboration enables access to IBM’s AI, data, and SaaS off erings on AWS cloud regions IBM’s software capabilities and AWS’s infrastructure are expected to enable public and private sector organisations to innovate faster GITEX SPECIAL EDGE | Saudi Special 25 I n a decisive step to bridge cybersecurity and AI, the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Presight, integrating the council’s CyberE71 programme into the Presight AI-Startup Accelerator as a strategic partner. The agreement, announced at Expand North Star, GITEX’s ﬂ agship startup track — underscores the UAE’s ambition to nurture an ecosystem where AI innovation advances hand in hand with digital safety. It’s a message to the world’s next generation of tech founders: in the UAE, building smarter means building safer. Through this collaboration, the CSC will weave cybersecurity mentorship, technical support, and governance principles into every layer of AI startup acceleration. The move aligns with the nation’s broader vision to anchor AI growth on trust, transparency, and secure innovation practices. Dr. Mohamed Alkuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE government, described the partnership as emblematic of the “co-evolution of security and innovation.” He noted that as AI systems become more pervasive and autonomous, cybersecurity must serve as a guardrail, ensuring that innovation scales responsibly, without compromising resilience. Presight’s CEO, Thomas Pramotedham, echoed that sentiment, calling the MoU a “strategic alignment” of purpose. “By combining Presight’s AI capabilities with the Council’s cyber resilience expertise, we’re enabling startups to grow in a secure and trustworthy environment,” he said. The partnership also expands Presight’s growing network of institutional collaborators, which includes Microsoft, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artiﬁ cial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and venture ﬁ rm Shorooq Partners. Together, these entities provide mentorship, infrastructure, market access, and policy support to help startups navigate the complex intersection of technology and governance. Beyond startup development, the CSC will contribute to joint research, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration spanning government, academia, and industry. The goal: to ensure every AI solution emerging from the accelerator reﬂ ects cybersecurity-by-design principles — a critical diff erentiator in a landscape increasingly deﬁ ned by data protection and AI ethics. At a time when global conversations around AI governance are intensifying, the UAE’s approach off ers a model for how nations can lead responsibly. By embedding cybersecurity into innovation ecosystems from the ground up, the country is cultivating trust as a national asset. UAE CYBER SECURITY COUNCIL PARTNERS WITH PRESIGHT The collaboration integrates the council’s CyberE71 programme into Presight’s AI-Startup Accelerator to embed cybersecurity across every stage of AI innovation By combining Presight’s AI capabilities with the Council’s cyber resilience expertise, we’re enabling startups to grow in a secure environment CONTRIBUTION 26 EDGE | Saudi Special T he world is entering a period where progress depends less on the next algorithm and more on the systems that make intelligence possible. As AI continues to reshape industries, the need for professionals who understand the full architecture of how intelligence is built has never been greater. We often discuss the future of jobs in terms of skill sets such as coding, data analysis, or prompt engineering. Yet the reality is more complex. What the AI economy truly demands is systems thinkers. These are people who can see the connections across various layers of infrastructure, applications, and human value. These engineers understand that every model relies on silicon, every insight relies on data integrity, and every deployment relies on orchestration. They also know that the strength of an organisation, and indeed of a nation, depends on how seamlessly those layers work together. THE NEW ARCHITECTURE OF WORK Globally, the AI Architect has become one of the most sought-after roles in technology. A recent report found that listings for AI Engineers and AI Solutions Architects have grown by 143% and 109% in just two years. These professionals design and manage end- to-end architectures, select the right technologies for each layer, and ensure seamless integration of AI solutions across enterprises, powering everything from predictive analytics to GenAI applications. Unlike traditional IT roles, these jobs demand ﬂ uency across multiple disciplines such as cloud computing, machine learning operations (MLOps), data engineering, and advanced AI frameworks. In countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, where digital transformation is advancing rapidly - demand for multidisciplinary engineering talent is accelerating just as fast. Governments are investing not only in infrastructure but also in education, research, and innovation ecosystems that nurture interdisciplinary thinking. As such, roles of AI and Machine Learning Specialists are becoming central to national projects in smart cities, intelligent transport, and AI-driven public services. Cloud Infrastructure Engineers, Data Governance Leads, and Cybersecurity Architects are shaping the secure, scalable systems that enable autonomous logistics and predictive maintenance across key industries. And, as digital economies evolve, new roles like Edge Computing Engineers and AI Ethics Offi cers will become essential to sustainable growth. To meet this ambition, we must prepare engineers with more than technical skill, who understand the interplay between hardware and software, between governance and ethics. That calls for curiosity, collaboration, and a culture of continuous learning. Institutions and enterprises must rethink how they identify and develop talent, moving beyond traditional, role-based training toward immersive, interdisciplinary programmes that allow engineers to experiment, solve real-world challenges, and apply their expertise across the full technology stack. BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE When engineers are trained to think in systems, they become the architects of progress. They become capable of designing entire ecosystems of intelligence that are resilient, secure, and scalable. This is the kind of talent every economy competing in the AI era will depend on. This fusion of technical mastery and systems awareness is what transforms infrastructure into an intelligent foundation capable of powering real- world innovation across industries and nations. It’s also what results in products like the Core42 AI Cloud and the Compass Generative AI platform, which connect every layer of the technology stack through a uniﬁ ed, sovereign framework that helps organisations accelerate AI development, maintain compliance, and scale responsibly. In the end, the next generation of engineers will not only write code or train models; they will engineer the invisible foundations of AI itself. Their systems thinking will determine how nations innovate, how industries evolve, and how intelligence truly serves humanity. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE AI ERA Words by Raghu Chakravarthi, EVP of Engineering & GM of Americas, Core42 We must prepare engineers with more than technical skill, who understand the interplay between hardware and software, between governance and ethics Scan & DonateCONTRIBUTION 28 EDGE | Saudi Special DON’T LET OUTDATED SOFTWARE PUT YOUR BUSINESS AT RISK If a legacy system supports revenue generation, business stakeholders may argue against replacement O n 14 October, we bid Windows 10 a fond farewell. While organisations could limp on without new features or technical support, CISOs across the GCC will raise red ﬂ ags on the one thing the modern digital business cannot tolerate: the end of security patches. As Microsoft decommissions its mobile-era OS champion, this serves as a reminder that we are, in fact, surrounded by unpatched and unsupported software. The oldest software still in service may be the US Defence Contract Management Agency’s MOCAS (Mechanisation of Contract Administration Services). Operational since 1958, this COBOL-based mainframe houses data on defence contracts worth more than $1.2 trillion. While there may be a case for preserving multimillion-dollar, mission-critical systems under complete user control, most of the UAE’s economy is composed of smaller companies that rely on software which must be patched to remain secure and compliant. Reasons for delaying migration from end-of-life (EOL) systems vary. It may be necessity; some mission-critical tools were built by third-party developers who are no longer in business. It may be denial: “We haven’t been attacked yet.” It may be the cost or concern around downtime. The challenge for UAE businesses is to make the case for proactively phasing out EOL systems and to manage the transition eff ectively. BEGINNING THE END According to Qualys research, nearly half (48%) of issues on CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list are found in EOL software, and 20% of critical assets are tied to outdated software with known high or critical vulnerabilities. While these ﬁ gures come from the US, the UAE’s economy is now almost entirely digital, meaning outdated systems represent real risk. Organisations must return to basics on asset management and embed risk assessments across every phase — asset discovery, ownership, and vulnerability screening. Software lifecycle status must be monitored continuously, and if EOL is approaching, action should begin at least six months in advance. Ideally, upgrades are scheduled early. However, replacement may sometimes be costly, leading organisations to retain legacy systems. In such cases, decisions — including implementation costs Words by Hadi Jaafarawi, Regional VP – MEA, Qualys / Hadi Jaafarawi, Regional VP - MEA, Qualys and the Value at Risk — must be documented. Comparing migration cost against the potential impact of compromise will lead to more informed decisions. If a legacy system supports revenue generation, business stakeholders may argue against replacement. But unlike a cyberattack, upgrades can be planned. Similar to succession planning for key talent, organisations can plan phased migrations. For example, manufacturers may schedule system upgrades during planned shift changes, reducing operational disruption while lowering risk. A LIVING END Sometimes replacement is simply not an option. While Windows 10 is unlikely to fall into this category, systems like MOCAS may. When patching becomes impossible and migration paths close, security teams must adapt. Air-gapping, application ﬁ rewalls, and trusted-device regimes can help. A layered approach — strong conﬁ guration management and clear visibility into attack paths — becomes essential. Ignoring EOL software may appear to save money but can lead to far greater loss. By quantifying potential impact and comparing it with migration costs, businesses can make rational, risk-based decisions. Even a seemingly non-critical system may, once breached, enable lateral movement to critical assets. If CISOs demonstrate such risk pathways clearly, business leaders will listen. Reports suggest there are still around 15,000 companies using Windows 7. In an ideal world, organisations would never become anchored to old software. Value at Risk keeps EOL decisions rooted in business logic. IN FOCUS EDGE | Saudi Special 29 META DELIVERS STRONG Q3 PERFORMANCE AGGRESSIVE AI & COMPUTE MOMENTUM SIGNAL STRONG GROWTH Meta posted $51.24bn revenue in Q3 2025, up 26% year-on-year, driven by strong ad demand and 3.54bn daily users. A one-off U.S. tax charge cut net income to $2.71bn. Capex climbed as Meta expanded AI infrastructure, signalling higher 2026 spending while maintaining focus on AI, compute capacity and platform engagement. The results reinforce Meta’s position as an AI-ﬁ rst platform, pairing advertising strength with aggressive infrastructure investment. Despite tax-related proﬁ t pressure, robust user growth, stronger ad pricing and rising AI hiring underline conﬁ dence in future monetisation. Continued AI model development, hardware bets and capex signals sustained competitive focus as it heads into 2026. Read more on itp.netNext >