Robots, big data as Gulf bets on AI

Robots, big data as Gulf bets on AI

DUBAI: Robots puttering around Dubai’s hi-tech Expo site could be a sign of things to come for the Gulf, where new cities are being built from scratch with artificial intelligence at their core. The 5G-enabled Expo, covering an area twice the size of Monaco, will remain as a “city of the future” and tech industry hub, Expo’s chief told AFP before its grand opening last month.

But the $7 billion project, featuring robots that greet visitors and can be used to order food, is not alone in the wealthy Gulf, where petrodollars are being invested heavily in a post-oil future. Neighboring Saudi Arabia is lavishing $500 billion on NEOM, a brand new, next-generation Red Sea tech center that will offer ultra-connectivity to its planned population of one million-plus, and is trialing airborne taxis.

AI is also at the heart of other Saudi developments including the Red Sea Project, a new tourist area that will use smart systems to monitor environmental impacts and visitor movements. Analysts say the Gulf monarchies are willing to bet big on AI, knowing they must move away from their reliance on fossil fuel industries and become more active in tech, tourism and other areas.

“You’ve got very forward (-looking),