News

35th World AI Show ends with achievers honoured in Dubai

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3 years ago

May 29, 2022

Staff Reporter

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Headline staff

Dubai, May 26, 2022:
The two-day 35th global edition of World AI Show & Awards, the longest running AI series, organized by Trecon, closed on a high note with the inaugural World AI Awards to recognise contributions in various fields on Thursday.

Held under the patronage of the Private Office of Sheikh Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, a member of the royal family of Dubai, the World AI Show and Awards brought together the most powerful voices in the global AI and RPA space.

The second day of the World AI Show kick-started with a panel discussion on Women in AI. The confluence of global AI women leaders equivocally stressed the significance for women to prove their worth and get recognition on merit. There was a broader representation of views with panelists from the UAE, Germany, and Oman on stage.

James Connolly, the regional director of DarkTrace, spoke about using artificial intelligence to surgically respond to fast and furious attacks and the threat landscape in 2022.

Padam Kafle, the Aster Hospitals head of IT and Automation, touched on the growth in enterprise adoption of the 5G network. Kafle took the award for best project implementation under the best AI use-case award in the private sector on behalf of Aster.

Other sessions included topics such as ethical uses of AI, ways for successful rapid implementation, trends, and scaling the adoption of AI to deliver business outcomes.

A special award was handed out to Eng Fahad A Alhamed, the Founder and Chairman of the Saudi Cloud Computing Association, who was given the AI Visionary of the Year award.

Emirates NBD Bank had three innovations shortlisted in the banking category and the team representing faced some nervous moments before knowing that it was the model they created for ensuring compliance with financial regulations using a quantitative scoring system with scorecards to identify bottlenecks.

In addition, they have created a call center analytics that uses AI to predict consumer behavior, as well as a Multiplier effect that gives the next-best action and personalization for a better banking experience.

With his ENBD colleagues, Sachin Chandna received the best AI use case award private sector in the banking segment along with his head of customer intelligence who received the AI proponent of the year award in the private sector as well.

The inaugural World AI Awards winners pose with the jury members at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. Photo by Trescon

Startup World Cup

The opening day saw the UAE finalist being spotted for the Startup World Cup. Affinsys, a startup running AI solutions for banks, telecom and insurance companies, won after the jury took a live decision based on final pitches from the top contenders and voted for UAE’s representation among 60-plus countries from where the World Cup winner will receive $1 million funding.

The inaugural edition of the World AI Awards was hosted in top glory with many AI visionaries and true flag bearers of the MENA region receiving the award for their contribution in the field of artificial intelligence.

“Dubai has always welcomed talent and we always looking to create a better future, so it was only natural for us to be associated with this event,” said Hisham Al Gurg, CEO at the Private Office. “AI is the future and it is nice to see so many experts and leading companies at World AI Show & Awards.”

Winners of World AI Awards:

Best AI use-case in Private Sector:
Healthcare – Aliasgar Bohari, Zulekha Hospital
Education – Shameed Sait, GEMS Education
Banking – Sachin Chandna, Emirates NBD
Financial Services – Saurav Suman, The Family Office
Manufacturing – Wissam Al Adany, ADES Arabia Holding
Retail – Mustafa Hussein, IKEA, Saudi Arabia
Best Project Implementation – Padam Kafle, Aster Hospitals

Best AI use-case in Public Sector:
Healthcare – Dr Maryam Alsharaf, Emirates Health Services
Best Project Implementation – Dr Maryam Alsharaf, Emirates Health Services
Education – Saud Aldajah, Higher Colleges of Technology
Energy & Utilities – Awad El-Sidiq, Adnoc Distribution

Others
Best Young Role Model – Maya Hiba, Al Ramz Corporation
Best Value Chain – Raman Nathani, Rafed Pure Health
Most Popular Proponent of the Year – Sachin Chandna, Emirates NBD Bank
Visionary of the Year – Fahad Alhamed, Saudi Cloud Computing Association chairman

Staff Reporter

Crime

UAE Central Bank fines local bank Dh3 million over anti-money laundering failures

Published

2 days ago

July 11, 2025

Michael Gomes

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The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has imposed a financial penalty of Dh3 million on a local bank for failing to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

The fine was issued under Article 14 of Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organisations, as well as Article 137 of the Decretal Federal Law No. (14) of 2018 concerning the Central Bank and regulation of financial institutions.

The CBUAE said the penalty followed an investigation which found that the bank had not met regulatory requirements outlined in UAE legislation to combat financial crime.

In a statement, the Central Bank reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the transparency and integrity of the country’s financial system. “We continue to supervise and regulate all licensed financial institutions to ensure full compliance with UAE laws, regulations, and standards,” the authority said.

The name of the bank was not disclosed.

News

Dubai’s RTA steps up inspections of buses to ensure safety

Published

2 days ago

July 11, 2025

Michael Gomes

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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has urged transport operators to strictly follow regulations covering all modes of passenger transport, including chartered buses, tourist services, and international bus trips.

This comes after RTA completed over 15,500 inspections targeting operators in these sectors, as part of ongoing efforts to raise service standards and ensure safety.

“The inspections weren’t just about issuing violations,” said Saeed Al Balooshi, Director of Passenger Transport Activities Monitoring at RTA. “They’re designed to improve service quality and ensure operators meet the rules that keep Dubai’s transport sector running smoothly.”

Checks included verifying safety measures onboard and ensuring all required licences were in place. The RTA also teamed up with other authorities, including Dubai Police and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs at Hatta Border Post, to tackle misuse and irregularities in cross-border transport services.

Al Balooshi added that the authority is using new technologies to make inspections more effective by analysing violations and measuring the impact of enforcement campaigns. “Our goal is to ensure a reliable and high-quality experience for residents, visitors, and tourists, and to protect the reputation of Dubai’s public transport sector,” he said.

News

New paid parking zones announced in Abu Dhabi

Published

3 days ago

July 10, 2025

Michael Gomes

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Residents and motorists in Abu Dhabi should take note: new Mawaqif paid parking zones have been activated in several areas across the city, Q Mobility announced on Thursday, July 10.

The newly introduced paid zones include:

Eastern Mangroves
Dolphin Park
Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street sectors – specifically at Al Khaleej Al Arabi Park 1, 2, 4, and 5
Al Qurm Plaza

The rollout of the Mawaqif system in these areas is now officially in effect, aligning with Abu Dhabi’s parking regulations.

Standard Parking – black and blue curbs:
- Dh2 an hour
- Dh15 for 24-hour parking
Premium Parking Abu Dhabi – white and blue curbs: AED 3 an hour

According to Q Mobility, this move is part of ongoing efforts to better regulate vehicle movement, ease congestion, and improve the overall efficiency of public parking across the emirate. The changes follow the completion of infrastructure upgrades such as curb painting, installation of directional and awareness signage, and public notifications.

The company has also encouraged drivers to make use of the Darb app for digital payment and to carefully follow posted instructions to avoid fines.

The expansion of Mawaqif is part of a broader strategy aimed at improving traffic flow and providing smarter, more streamlined parking solutions within Abu Dhabi Island and beyond.