Sheikh Hamdan meets with Google President Ruth Porat in Dubai

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on Friday met with Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, and explored ways to strengthen the partnership with the global technology giant.

Sheikh Hamdan underscored Dubai and the UAE's commitment to shaping a new future driven by the integration of advanced digital technologies across sectors.

He highlighted the emirate's growing role in bringing together technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders worldwide to advance transformation in key spheres of the economy and society. By forging strategic partnerships with leading players like Google, Dubai and the UAE aim to spark the development of unique solutions that will establish new benchmarks in the global technology landscape, he added.

"Dubai and the UAE are committed to be at the forefront of global digital transformation and become an international centre of excellence for future industries. Powered by a robust infrastructure and dynamic growth-friendly environment, Dubai has emerged as a major hub  for the world's top technology players to collaborate, unlocking new opportunities for growth, innovation and value creation in the digital sector," H.H. added.

Sheikh Hamdan said future-oriented technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are key to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33's goal of generating Dhs100 billion in annual economic value through digital transformation over the next decade.

The meeting discussed Google's recently announced AI Opportunity Initiative, its largest AI initiative in the MENA region, that will invest $15 million to promote wider accessibility to the opportunities created by AI. Building on Google's commitment to the region, the initiative aims to empower half a million individuals with AI skills in the next two years.

The meeting was attended by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Director General of the Dubai Crown Prince's Office; Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; and Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai.

Google opened its regional headquarters in Dubai in 2008, from where it manages all its operations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported global revenues of over $307 billion in 2023. The company's revenues increased 15% to $88.27 billion in the July-September quarter of 2024. 

WAM