Global spending on digital transformation technologies and services such as artificial intelligence and machine learning is forecast to grow an annual 10.4 per cent to $1.3 trillion this year, according to International Data Corporation.
Though the wave of investment being ploughed into technology is slower than the 17.9 per cent annual growth last year, it remains one of the few bright spots in a year marked by significant disruptions impacting businesses worldwide.
The Covid-19 pandemic has wiped off almost $500 billion of global digital transformation investment between 2020-2023 from IDC’s forecast prior to the outbreak, according to Eileen Smith, programme vice president at the market intelligence firm.
“Despite losses, pockets of growth opportunities exist across most industries when diving deep into specific use cases that solve specific business problems,” she said.
Here are the 10 top technology trends of the year ahead:
Supercomputers inch towards becoming a reality
US technology companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Google are competing to be the first to commercialise supercomputer technology.
Far more superior than general-purpose computers, supercomputers are typically used to address the most demanding problems in the world. They include helping develop medicine, fighting a coronavirus, oil and gas exploration, simulating nuclear weapon explosions, weather forecasting and climate research.
In May, Microsoft announced building one of the top five publicly disclosed supercomputers. In March, IBM partnered with the White House to offer supercomputing power and help researchers working to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Quantum computers to solve complex problems
Although the possibility of a quantum computer was proposed as far back as 1982, it was only in 2012 that the first venture was undertaken to explore commercial uses.
Capable of performing complex calculations in less than fractions of a second, quantum computing could be one of the biggest science revolutions yet.
“As companies and institutions begin to experiment with quantum for the first time … and as that expertise starts to move beyond the academic world … we will see business plans and the early seeds of products and services that centre around a quantum future,” Werner Vogels, vice president and chief technology officer of Amazon, said.
Google is developing a quantum computer model that will be 100 million times faster than any conventional computer in its labs.
e-gaming
Consumer appetite for gaming rose rapidly in 2020 with the creation of new platforms such as Apple's Arcade and Google's Stadia. Movement restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic also propelled users’ interest, industry experts said.
Global gaming revenue is expected to reach $174.9bn by the end of this year, up 19.6 per cent than the last year, according to a Newzoo survey.
This is $15.6bn higher than the previous forecast that the Amsterdam-based market research company made during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in May. It is expected to reach $217.9bn in the next three years.
Hyperautomation
Hyperautomation is a process in which businesses automate as many tasks as possible using tools like AI, machine learning and robotics.
Businesses are adopting automated practices to support the greater scale required for digitally driven enterprises.
By 2022, nearly 45 per cent of repetitive work tasks will be automated and augmented by using digital co-workers, powered by AI and robotics, according to IDC. Almost three-quarters of the top technology organisations will adopt automated practices to transform their IT workforce by 2023.
Biometric payments
Technologies such as biometric identification are evolving as the next modes of payment and Amazon made that a reality in September, when it introduced a payment-enabling palm scanner.
The product links the characteristics of a person's palm to their Amazon account and is being tested at two of the company's stores in Seattle.
About 90 per cent of smartphones will have some form of dedicated biometric hardware in the next four years, enabling payment by phone, facial recognition or a thumbprint scan, according to Juniper.
Smart Dubai has said it will start using facial biometrics to authenticate transactions in 2021.
Green hydrogen
Green hydrogen, which uses renewable energy to produce hydrogen from water, is gaining traction around the globe as climate change and clean forms of energy take centre stage. It’s being increasingly favoured by countries that aim to reduce emissions and the dominance of fossil fuels from future energy mixes.
Green hydrogen could lower costs by 40 per cent in the short term and 80 per cent long term, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Several energy firms are factoring in the development of a hydrogen ecosystem as part of their long-term growth plans.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company plans to establish a "hydrogen ecosystem" as it looks to meet growing global demand for the lighter and cleaner gas that is emerging as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, is also putting together a strategy to develop hydrogen production capabilities.
Sixth-generation technology
The introduction of 5G telecoms networks may still only be partly under way, but companies such as South Korea's Samsung have already drawn up a plan with the use cases and possible timeframe for 6G.
The world's biggest smartphone and memory chip manufacturer expects the International Telecommunication Union to define a 6G vision next year, and forecasts the completion of standards and early commercialisation by 2028, with widespread introduction by 2030.
The exponential growth in the number of connected devices will require 6G to support about 10 million devices per square kilometre, almost 10 times larger than the connection density of 5G.
Mobile cryptocurrency
With more marketplaces supporting cryptocurrency payments, some consumers may consider taking up cryptocurrency accounts accessible by mobile. By 2025, 50 per cent of people with a smartphone but without a bank account will use a mobile-accessible cryptocurrency account, according to Gartner.
The Internet of Behaviour
The Internet of Behaviour captures the “digital dust” of customers’ lives from a variety of sources. That information can be used by businesses to influence people’s behaviour, according to Gartner.
The data can come from a range of sources, and the technology that puts all the data together and draws insight is growing increasingly sophisticated.
Digital health
Technology is improving the ability of healthcare providers to effectively respond to the coronavirus pandemic – allowing for faster diagnoses and speedy dissemination of trusted information as well as detecting fraudulent insurance claims and accurately evaluating patient data in real time.
Digital health is the combination of latest technologies with healthcare to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery and make medicines more accurate and customised.
This market is expected to increase nearly six times in size by 2026 to about $639bn, at an annual growth rate of 28.5 per cent from 2020 to 2026, according to Statista.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
The five pillars of Islam
Frida%20
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THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports