AI reshaping business future in Dubai, region: IBM
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during Dubai AI Week, Eid emphasised that AI has become a strategic priority for organisations in the region, serving as a powerful tool to enhance productivity and maximise returns.
He noted that IBM plays a pivotal role in helping businesses identify and implement high-impact use cases across areas such as human resources, supply chain, procurement and application development.
Eid predicted that AI's impact would accelerate in the future with the adoption of 'AI assistants' and 'AI agents' capable of understanding context and making independent decisions with minimal human oversight.
Regarding the outlook for AI in Dubai and the wider Middle East, Eid said the region is currently witnessing substantial investments in AI, spanning infrastructure, applications, and model development. 'Last year, we observed that many companies moved beyond experimentation and started realising tangible returns from their AI investments,' he noted.
He stressed that success in this transition requires robust data platforms and the use of more specialised and efficient AI models to improve accuracy and reduce costs, while also maintaining a critical balance between innovation, security, and reliability. He highlighted the importance of partnerships in accelerating digital transformation.
On a study conducted by IBM in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, Eid revealed that preliminary findings show 26 percent of organisations in the region have appointed a Chief AI Officer, with this figure expected to rise to between 50 and 65 percent over the next two years.
He added that organisations with this dedicated leadership role are achieving 10 percent higher returns on their AI investments, underlining the value of appointing leadership for AI-driven transformation. He noted that the UAE was among the first countries to establish such roles in both public and private sector institutions.
Eid reaffirmed IBM's commitment to supporting the UAE and Dubai in becoming central to global AI development through partnerships with entities such as the Dubai Future Foundation, Mashreq Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.
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