
Dubai Launches World's First AI Compliance Platform for Public Finance
Announced by Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of DOF, ASCEND is a central pillar of the department's AI strategy, aimed at boosting operational efficiency and enhancing financial governance. 'By embedding AI into our governance model, we are reinforcing accountability and agility while advancing Dubai's global leadership in digital government,'
Al Saleh said.
ASCEND tackles key compliance challenges like fragmented data and manual reviews by introducing autonomous, real-time assessments. According to Huda Hamdan Al Shaikh, Executive Director of the Corporate Services Sector and CEO of AI at DOF, the platform replaces traditional processes with AI-led governance.
Powered by open-source large language models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), ASCEND interprets legal texts, analyzes financial procedures, and performs compliance checks. It conducts risk detection, gap analysis, KPI mapping against legal frameworks, and generates structured, bilingual reports.
Fatma Buti Alsuwaidi, Director of Strategy and Corporate Performance, noted ASCEND's ability to offer actionable recommendations and ensure regulatory alignment of KPIs.
Hosted on UAE-based cloud infrastructure, ASCEND adheres to national Information Security Regulation standards, maintaining full data sovereignty.
The launch positions Dubai as a global pioneer in AI-driven public sector transformation, setting a new standard in financial governance innovation.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
Hashtags

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


Zawya
9 hours ago
- Zawya
Zain KSA and Cisco to collaborate on the development of advanced AI infrastructure
Zain KSA, a leading provider of telecommunications and digital services in Saudi Arabia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco, the global leader in networking and security, focusing on the development of cutting-edge AI infrastructure and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS). The agreement aims to leverage Cisco's advanced, end-to-end infrastructure solutions for securely building and scaling AI workloads, supporting Zain KSA in delivering high-performance, resilient, and reliable GPU-powered services to the Saudi market. The MOU is part of Zain KSA's strategy to actively align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals by driving digital transformation and positioning the Kingdom as a global digital innovation hub, particularly in the AI space. As part of the collaboration, Zain KSA will leverage its deep market knowledge, cutting-edge digital capabilities, and targeted investments alongside Cisco's global expertise in AI-ready infrastructure development. The initiative aims to create new solutions and commercial models to enable customers across various sectors to confidently and easily adopt AI solutions. The MoU also includes exploring opportunities for training programs to upskill local talent, in line with Zain KSA's commitment to ICT skills development to support long-term national AI capabilities. Zain KSA, VP of B2B Sales, Fahad Sahmi Al Sahmah, said: 'At Zain KSA, we are mobilizing all our capabilities and investments to drive nationwide digital innovation, positioning the Kingdom as a global hub, a digital economy powered by future-looking GenAI solutions and applications. These efforts aim to empower all stakeholders, including government entities, businesses, and individuals, to harness the boundless potential of AI in support of national goals. This strategic collaboration with Cisco, positions us well to explore, develop, and innovate use cases, as we continue building a resilient, integrated and agile digital ecosystem that can embrace next-gen technologies and deploy them in the Kingdom.' Zayan Sadek, Managing Director for Service Providers at Cisco Middle East, Türkiye and Africa said: 'Cisco is excited to collaborate with Zain KSA to pave the way for a transformative AI-powered future in Saudi Arabia. By combining Zain KSA's digital expertise with Cisco's cutting-edge AI infrastructure technologies, we aim to unlock new possibilities to empower businesses to thrive in the AI era and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for advanced technologies.'


Zawya
12 hours ago
- Zawya
Global startups lead AI-driven energy innovation at Shell.ai Futures Pitch 2025
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Edition of Futures Pitch 2025 competition, held for the first time in Qatar through a strategic partnership between Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, and Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre (QSRTC), has recognised three pioneering startups for their innovative digital energy solutions. The competition offered a platform for early-stage technology companies to tackle critical energy challenges by leveraging Shell's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and energy technologies and QSTP's dynamic innovative ecosystem. This year's edition attracted 86 applications from 27 countries, with 40% of submissions originating from the Middle East and North Africa region. Startups were invited to develop AI-powered solutions across three challenge areas: identifying and quantifying supply chain risks, enhancing data quality for intelligent asset workflows, and applying AI-enabled smart fault diagnosis through HAZOP analysis. Out of the 86 applications, 14 startups were shortlisted for their exceptional ideas and technological promise. After a three-round evaluation process, three finalists emerged: Prewave from Austria in the supply chain risk category, MAXIML from India in the asset data quality challenge, and from the US in the HAZOP-based fault diagnosis category. These finalists presented their solutions to a panel of experts including Shell senior leaders and the president of QSTP. This year's first prize was awarded to MaxiML for its innovative solution in enhancing data quality for intelligent asset workflows. The second prize went to Prewave, while UptimeAI secured third place. Winners received cash prizes and access to funding opportunities of up to USD 100,000 to develop a proof-of-concept, along with support from QSTP's innovation ecosystem. The shortlisted companies represented a strong and diverse global cohort, highlighting the growing momentum behind digital transformation in the energy sector. Rama Chakaki, President of QSTP, emphasized the importance of nurturing early-stage innovation in emerging technologies to propel Qatar's startup ecosystem forward. 'The Futures Pitch competition aligns with QSTP's commitment to fostering innovative solutions to complex challenges through the use of technology and AI, bolstering Qatar's position as a hub for transformative innovation.' 'We are extremely proud to bring the Futures Pitch competition to Qatar for the first time, thanks to the strong collaboration between QSTP and QSRTC,' said Rob Maxwell, Managing Director and Chairman of Qatar Shell Companies. 'This reflects our shared commitment to advancing digital innovation in the energy sector and empowering startups to tackle real-world, energy-related challenges with the use of artificial intelligence. The quality and diversity of ideas showcased this year are a testament to the global potential of open innovation.' This successful edition of the Futures Pitch in Qatar underscores the strength of the ongoing collaboration between QSTP and Qatar Shell. As a trusted long-term partner, Qatar Shell remains deeply committed to fostering innovation, developing local talent, and creating sustainable in-country value. Through initiatives like this, both organisations continue to empower the next generation of technology leaders and reinforce Qatar's position as a regional hub for digital energy transformation. Startups interested in joining a world-class innovation ecosystem and exploring future opportunities are encouraged to visit About Qatar Science & Technology Park Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation, is Qatar's premier hub for technology development and applied research. The park fosters an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar through its various programs focused on business acceleration and incubation, which helps with rapid commercialization of market-ready technologies to realize Qatar's national diversification drive. QSTP's focus ranges across four overarching themes, comprising Energy, Environment, Health Sciences and Information & Communication Technologies (ICT), in line with the Qatar National Research Strategy announced in 2012. Located in Qatar Foundation's Education City, QSTP has access to the vital resources of a cluster of leading research universities. QSTP's startups and companies which include Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), international corporations as well as research and development (R&D) centers share a collective commitment to develop innovative new products, invest in new technology development programs, creating intellectual property, and advancing tech-driven solutions QSTP supports QF's economic and human development objectives for Qatar and is increasingly recognized as an international hub for applied research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship. For more information, please visit the QSTP website at About Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development. QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF's world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation's development. QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all. For a complete list of QF's initiatives and projects, please visit: To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@


Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
SpaceX to invest $2 billion in Musk's xAI startup, WSJ reports
SpaceX has committed $2 billion to xAI as part of a $5 billion equity round, deepening the ties between tech billionaire Elon Musk's ventures as his artificial intelligence startup races to compete with rival OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The investment follows xAI's merger with X and values the combined company at $113 billion, with the Grok chatbot now powering Starlink support and eyed for future integration into Tesla's Optimus robots, the report added. In response to a post on X about whether Tesla, could also invest in xAI, Elon Musk said on Sunday, "It would be great, but subject to board and shareholder approval," without confirming or denying the Journal report on SpaceX's investment plans in xAI. SpaceX, xAI and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately confirm the WSJ report. Despite recent controversies involving Grok's responses, Musk has called it "the smartest AI in the world," and xAI continues to spend heavily on model training and infrastructure.