President Sheikh Mohamed received Sam Altman, the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
During the meeting at Qasr Al Shati, discussions focused on opportunities to strengthen co-operation between the company - which specialises in artificial intelligence research and deployment - and its counterparts in the UAE, particularly in research and its practical applications.
Wam reported that this co-operation aligns with the UAE’s ambition to establish an integrated AI ecosystem, supporting the country’s development plans and its drive to build a knowledge-based economy. The vision also seeks to reinforce the UAE’s global leadership in a vital field while creating new opportunities for collaboration and innovation across both the public and private sectors.
The OpenAI chief commended the UAE’s AI vision and its global partnerships in this key sector, Wam said.
The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence on Friday awarded Mr Altman its first honorary doctorate in recognition of his influential leadership role in the field of AI.
Mr Altman was awarded the accolade for his transformative leadership in AI and to "celebrate a professional lifetime of achievements that has propelled artificial intelligence from research labs to real-world impact at an unprecedented scale".
MBZUAI president said Mr Altman put AI into the hands of everybody.
"He has turned AI from a research concept into a global engine of progress. His vision, conviction, and courage in scaling generative AI have changed how billions of people process, apply and share information," he said.
The meeting on Saturday was also attended by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, other senior members of the ruling family and senior officials.
Racecard
7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m
9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
