Google is working with Abu Dhabi's transport authority to boost the number of green lights in the emirate, using machine learning technology to reduce stop-and-go traffic and, in turn, cut down on air pollution.
The US-based tech company announced several ways it plans to collaborate with the UAE on artificial intelligence initiatives at an event hosted at the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
“We’re at an exciting inflection point” in AI development, said Karan Bhatia, global vice president for government relations and public policy at Google.
“Building this transformational technology responsibly must be a collective effort that involves researchers, social scientists, industry experts, governments and people.”
Project Green Light is a pilot programme, also under way in Hamburg, Germany, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to gather data on traffic patterns and build AI models that can make recommendations – for example, increasing the number of seconds of green time between certain hours.
Such modifications can help reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and also improve the flow of traffic and air quality in the city.
Along with the traffic pilot, Google plans to offer research awards to the faculty at MBZUAI to help improve Arabic representation in AI foundation models, with a focus on identifying research that has a societal impact in sustainability and climate change.
In addition to the financial support, MBZUAI faculty will be able to request in-kind support in Google cloud computing.
“AI research and development is central to the UAE’s economic diversification, sustainable growth and global competitiveness strategy, and partnerships with key industry leaders are important for the continued application of the university’s pioneering research,” said Sultan Al Hajji, MBZUAI vice president of public affairs and alumni relations.
This week, Google will also co-host its first quarterly Al Majlis event with the UAE Ministry of State for Digital Economy, AI and Remote Working System, to discuss and advance AI principles and policies.
The event will cover the topic of responsible innovation with leaders in government, academia and businesses in tourism, media and publishing, retail and telecoms.
Future Majlis discussions will address AI's impact on sustainability, health care and the future of work.
“There is so much we can accomplish and so much we must get right – together. There's significant value in collaborative leadership in AI and we look forward to doing more with local partners in the UAE and to help advance AI research and solutions that meet the needs of the country,” Mr Bhatia said.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
