DMCC's AI Centre is located in Dubai's Uptown Tower, a 79-floor skyscraper. Photo: DMCC
DMCC's AI Centre is located in Dubai's Uptown Tower, a 79-floor skyscraper. Photo: DMCC
DMCC's AI Centre is located in Dubai's Uptown Tower, a 79-floor skyscraper. Photo: DMCC
DMCC's AI Centre is located in Dubai's Uptown Tower, a 79-floor skyscraper. Photo: DMCC

New AI Centre opens at DMCC


Cody Combs
  • English
  • Arabic

An AI Centre has been launched at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, the free zone focused on commodities and trade.

Announced in May, DMCC's AI Centre officially opened its doors at an event in Dubai’s Uptown Tower, the 79-floor high-rise developed by DMCC, where the AI Centre is also located.

According to DMCC, the AI Centre will provide access to capital and accelerator programmes, networking, education and training.

“We're not running an AI company, we're supporting an AI community,” said Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive of DMCC, at an inauguration ceremony for the AI Centre.

DMCC chairman and chief executive Ahmed Bin Sulayem said he anticipates the AI Centre will have a multiplier effect on the entire DMCC community. Photo: DMCC
DMCC chairman and chief executive Ahmed Bin Sulayem said he anticipates the AI Centre will have a multiplier effect on the entire DMCC community. Photo: DMCC

“This will create a multiplier effect on all of DMCC's entities,” he added.

Mr bin Sulayem said that DMCC hopes to attract the best AI companies and investors to create real-life, pragmatic AI use cases as AI adoption reaches a crescendo.

“Since AI is going to be part of your life and work, it's going to be important to keep the industry close by,” he explained.

Also in attendance at the AI Centre inauguration was Sachin Dev Duggal, chief executive of Builder.ai, an artificial intelligence-powered composable software platform, one of several partners of the centre.

DMCC's AI Centre aims to become the leading innovation platform for advancing AI adoption and developing real-life uses, say officials. Photo: Cody Combs / The National
DMCC's AI Centre aims to become the leading innovation platform for advancing AI adoption and developing real-life uses, say officials. Photo: Cody Combs / The National

“With this centre, we're helping to unveil a portal to global commerce,” he said, reflecting on why Builder.ai chose DMCC as an ecosystem partner.

“We didn't want to be a software company just surrounded by other software companies, we wanted to be surrounded by potential customers and peers,” Mr Duggal said, referring to DMCC's reach and partnerships with gold, diamond, tea, coffee, crypto and gaming entities, to name a few.

This is not DMCC’s first venture into technology-focused areas. Back in 2021, DMCC established Crypto Centre, a new space that to house companies developing crypto and blockchain technology.

The Crypto Centre was the result of a partnership with Switzerland’s CV Labs, the organisation behind the Swiss government-backed Crypto Valley.

The DMCC AI Centre plans to provide access to capital and accelerator programmes, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, R&D and education and training. Photo: Cody Combs / The National
The DMCC AI Centre plans to provide access to capital and accelerator programmes, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, R&D and education and training. Photo: Cody Combs / The National

It is part of the free zone’s own Crypto Valley – an ecosystem for cryptographic, blockchain and distributed ledger technology entities in the UAE.

Also in attendance at the inaugural event was Dubai Future Foundation chief executive Khalfan Belhoul, who spoke about the importance of continuing to harness the potential promise of artificial intelligence.

“How can you disregard this sector that is creating, potentially, $15 billion to the global economy by 2030?” he said.

“Fifty years ago, this was a desert behind us,” he added, pointing out the window of Uptown Tower to Dubai's skyline. “But we embraced new ideas and new economies, which is what we're doing with the AI Centre.”

Established in 2002, DMCC was created to bolster Dubai's aspirations to become a commodity trading and enterprise presence in the Middle East.

More than 24,000 companies are registered with it, says DMCC.

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Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

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Torque: 630Nm

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1.

United States

2.

China

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UAE

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Japan

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Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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Updated: September 10, 2024, 2:21 PM