
Amr Kamel appointed as new General Manager of Microsoft UAE
A respected and seasoned executive with nearly 20 years of experience at Microsoft, Kamel brings deep regional expertise, strategic acumen, and a strong track record of delivering business transformation and innovation at scale.
In his new role, he will lead Microsoft's efforts to support the UAE's national digital and AI priorities, foster sustainable economic growth, and empower customers, partners, and developers to realize the full potential of cloud and Artificial Intelligence.
Kamel most recently served as General Manager – Global Partner Solutions for Microsoft across Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where he was instrumental in accelerating the company's partner ecosystem and delivering cutting-edge solutions to organizations across the region.
He also led the strategic relationship between Microsoft and UAE-based AI technology holding company G42, advancing secure, trusted, and responsible AI capabilities. This partnership has delivered a first-of-its-kind sovereign cloud offering that empowers the public sector and regulated industries with tailored AI innovation while ensuring data compliance and security. Amr will continue leading the G42 relationship as part of his new remit.
Throughout his career at Microsoft, Kamel has held a series of impactful roles across the Middle East and Africa, including as Enterprise Commercial Leader for South Africa, where he transformed the enterprise business and drove significant business growth. He is known for his authentic and inclusive leadership style, commitment to people development, and passion for leveraging technology to drive lasting change.
As he takes the helm in the UAE, Kamel will continue leading Microsoft's agenda to support the country's ambitious digital and AI transformation journey – driving innovation, empowering organizations, and championing Microsoft's commitment to responsible AI.
His focus will include deepening the company's longstanding partnership with the UAE government – advancing national priorities by harnessing trusted cloud and AI technologies to accelerate innovation in critical sectors such as healthcare, energy, education, and finance, while supporting the country's strategic vision to build a knowledge-based, diversified economy beyond oil. Kamel will also drive efforts to empower the next generation of developers, entrepreneurs, and organizations, reinforcing Microsoft's bold goal to skill one million people in the UAE with essential AI capabilities by 2027.
'I've always believed in the power of technology to unlock human potential, drive innovation, and create meaningful, lasting impact – from education and employment to economic opportunity and quality of life,' said Kamel. 'It's both a passion and a personal mission to contribute to this transformation at scale. Having called the UAE home for a number of years, I've seen firsthand the incredible digital ambition here. I'm thrilled to now lead the Microsoft UAE team at such a pivotal time, enabling our customers and partners to harness cloud and AI to support the UAE's ambitious national agenda and deliver on Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Etihad
35 minutes ago
- Al Etihad
OpenAI and Microsoft bankroll new AI training for teachers
9 July 2025 00:09 (THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE)The tech industry's campaign to embed artificial intelligence chatbots in classrooms is American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest US teachers union, said Tuesday that it would start an AI training hub for educators with $23 million in funding from three leading chatbot makers: Microsoft, OpenAI and union said it planned to open the National Academy for AI Instruction in New York City, starting with hands-on workshops for teachers this fall on how to use AI tools for tasks like generating lesson New York hub will be 'an innovative new training space where school staff and teachers will learn not just about how AI works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically,' Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in an interview.'It will be a place where tech developers and educators can talk to each other, not past each other.'The industry funding is part of a drive by US tech companies to reshape education with generative AI chatbots. These tools, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot, can produce humanlike essays, research summaries and class February, California State University, the largest US university system, said it would provide ChatGPT for some 460,000 students. This spring, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the third-largest US school district, began rolling out Google's Gemini AI for more than 100,000 high week, the White House urged US companies and nonprofit groups to provide AI grants, technology and training materials for schools, teachers and students. Since then, dozens of companies have signed on, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and tech executives hope AI will become the fourth R.'Reading and writing and arithmetic and learning how to use AI,' said Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer. 'You're going to have to learn those skills over time, and I do think our education system is the best place to be able to do that.'But some researchers have warned that generative AI tools are so new in schools that there is little evidence of concrete educational benefit - and significant concern about can produce plausible-sounding misinformation, which could mislead students. A recent study by law school professors found that three popular AI tools made 'significant' errors summarising a law casebook and posed an 'unacceptable risk of harm' to tasks including research and writing to AI chatbots may also hinder critical thinking, a recent study from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University will provide $12.5 million for the training effort over the next five years, and OpenAI will contribute $8 million in funding and $2 million in technical resources. Anthropic will add $500,000 for the first year of the effort. First Glimpse On Monday, about 200 New York City teachers taking an AI workshop at their union headquarters got a glimpse of what the new national effort might look like. A presenter from Microsoft opened by showing an AI explainer video featuring Minecraft, the popular game owned by Microsoft. Next, the teachers tried generating emails and lesson plans using Khanmigo, an AI tool for schools for which Microsoft has provided support. Then they experimented with Copilot for similar tasks.


Arabian Business
2 hours ago
- Arabian Business
RTA selects Parsons as project management consultant for Dubai Metro Blue Line
US-based Parsons Corporation, known for its design and delivery across diverse technologies, has been appointed as the project management consultant on the Dubai Metro Blue Line project by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The Blue Line, spanning 30km and including 14 stations, is expected to commence operations in 2029. Parsons will provide comprehensive project management services, including design review, procurement support, construction supervision, testing and commissioning oversight, and project handover management. Dubai Metro Blue Line Parsons was involved with the first the Green Line. Apart from that, the Chantilly, Virginia-based company has also delivered projects such as the new Abu Dhabi International Airport and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, as well as the Dubai Design District. Parsons has also worked with the RTA on the Dubai Intelligent Traffic Systems Centre, the iconic Infinity Bridge, and more than 100 highway, bridge and tunnel projects across the emirate. Pierre Santoni, President, Infrastructure EMEA at Parsons, said: ''We are proud of our long-standing partnership with the RTA and are committed to working with their expert team on expanding the Dubai Metro network in line with the RTA's goal to provide seamless, safe, and sustainable mobility solutions that cater to the needs of Dubai's growing population. 'Our team will leverage our 80-plus years of global experience coupled with our local knowledge to deliver a world-class transportation system using the safest methods and most innovative technology available.' Malek Ramadan Mishmish, Director of Rail Planning and Project Development, RTA, added: 'We are pleased to appoint Parsons as the project management consultant for the Dubai Metro Blue Line, particularly given the company's extensive and proven experience in delivering projects awarded by the RTA since its establishment in Dubai. Parsons is a key partner in RTA's success and achievements. 'The RTA is committed to working with leading global companies to implement its various projects and initiatives in line with the vision and ambitions of the Government of Dubai to make the Emirate the smartest and happiest city in the world. 'The RTA also strives to play an active role in achieving this vision, which is based on excellence, innovation, and future foresight, while leveraging advanced technologies in the field of smart and sustainable transportation.' The Metro Blue Line will enhance connectivity between key districts, including Mirdif, Silicon Oasis, Creek Harbour, and Festival City. Upon completion, the line is expected to accommodate up to 320,000 passengers per day. Established in 1944, Parsons has a regional presence for over 65 years. It has worked with more than 400 rail and transit clients globally, managing complex infrastructure projects from concept to completion.


Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Filipino workers' digitisation project enters second day
A three-year digitalisation project of the Philippines' Migrant Workers Office-Dubai (MWO-Dubai) has been adopted by the two-year-old Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and is now on its second day of its month-long pilot-testing. Launched on July 7 with 81 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) successfully submitting 'within four hours' all the required documents despite 'minor technical glitches,' this is the beefed up Optional Online Employment Contract Verification System, guaranteed to be safe and secure as it is compliant with the Data Privacy Act 2022 of the Philippines. Labour Attache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates John Rio Bautista termed the project as a 'game-changing system' because staggered debit/credit card online payment, amounting to Dhs61.50, has been added to the Optional Online Employment Verification System, effected since June 2022 and which was able to certify 50,000 job contracts. DMW improved the MWO-Dubai project so that OFWs have the choice of adhering to the Philippine Government requirement of job contract verification right in the comfort of their homes or offices. MWO-Dubai and DataFlow Group, a globally-recognised leader in credentials verification and workforce mobility technology, signed the first Memorandum of Agreement last year and for the enhanced Optional Online Employment Contract Verification System on June 6, 2024. 'The project is in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to digitalise vital government services. We would be saving time and precious resources,' said Bautista. Moreover, the enhanced procedure addresses overcrowding and the consequent overall health issues such as fatigue, stress, anxiety and anger of all concerned which include employers. In the case of MWO-Dubai, and on a typical ordinary day, between two and four of the 24-manpower, evaluate a maximum of 250 onsite job contract verification applications. The number increases to 'as high as a thousand a day' during Christmas, Holy Month of Ramadan and towards summer when OFWs take a break and spend time with their kin and kith. Bautista was hopeful that the upgraded system shall eventually be applied to the other 33 MWOs across Asia (11), Middle East (12), Europe (7), and the Americas (3), adding that MWO-Abu Dhabi would 'soon' join the pilot-testing. Thus, OFWs and other stakeholders in the capital and the Western Region are also going to benefit aside from those in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Before logging into the official MWO website, the applicants must make sure that they have on hand their valid Philippine passport, Emirates Identification Card, and Employment Contract plus their unexpired debit/credit cards as they have to pay at once Dhs21.50 convenience fee for the documents submission to DataFlow Group. 'The fee helps cover the system maintenance and validation services,' said Bautista. Waiting time for the release and download of the verified employment contract, considering that all the required documents are submitted, is three days. A verification fee of Dhs40.00 is paid to the MWO. 'A separate online payment gateway charge of Dhs1.00 will be charged when paying the verification fee and this will go directly to the bank,' said Bautista. In the Monday interview, Bautista mentioned as well the 'direct link' of the upgraded Optional Online Employment Contract Verification System 'to the DMW Portal E-Registration system' that automatically generates the Overseas Employment Certificate. It has been a practice – at least among OFWs in the UAE – to have their employment contracts verified when they are going to spend their annual breaks in their country, even as the job contract verification must be ideally done immediately after their respective employment has become official. Thus, the mention of the OEC application which the Philippine Government requires so that there is a supporting data showing that vacationing OFWs are indeed returning to their respective current jobsites and not elsewhere. From the June 2022 pilot-testing of the Optional Online Employment Contract Verification System interview, Bautista reiterated the relevance of the strict adherence to job contract verification as a paper trail of reviewed and approved employment contract documents are pieces of evidence in case of labour problems.