The Middle East, like the rest of the world, is moving towards a post-Covid-19 future. As things return to normal, companies are turning their attention back to issues such as how to optimise digital experiences.
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations are home to people from diverse cultures. Expatriates make up more than 85 per cent of the populations of many Gulf countries. Two hundred nationalities reside in the UAE alone. In Saudi Arabia, while figures vary, overseas citizens are said to make up about 30 per cent of the population.
Demographics like these present a unique challenge to enterprises that are looking to provide exceptional customer experiences (CX) to their consumers.
As digital business models become the norm, customers are interested in better online and mobile-app experiences. To meet this demand, organisations must ensure a consistent experience, not only across languages spoken, but across the expectations of people from disparate cultural traditions.
Ideally, the complexities of customer service would be solved by hiring a diverse workforce, but this can be impractical. It would mean, for example, that in the UAE, each customer-service team would need 200 employees, each of a different nationality.
In such culturally diverse markets, business stakeholders need to find creative ways to cater to the range of customers, and in the digital age, this invariably means through technology.
By analysing the body language and speech of participants, AI can also help team members from different cultures collaborate
Last year, KPMG released a study on the KSA insurance sector, which revealed that 76 per cent of chief executives in the Middle East believe customer engagement in the future will be supported by virtual platforms.
When businesses do not have the means to hire huge, culturally diverse teams of customer care agents, then technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide the solution. AI can improve the work of a customer care executive and guide him or her towards success in engagements that may not have been possible had the agent been working alone.
Technology systems that simulate and even surpass human intelligence have come a long way. They are now gaining commercial acceptance in industries, from construction to health care. Natural language processing – the technology that, along with machine-learning, makes conversational AI possible – has evolved too.
Accuracy and usability are now at a stage where the underlying technology can automatically pick up not only multiple languages, but variations in tone, stress, and dialects.
Technologies such as conversational AI software are attuned to cultural nuances and other audio and visual cues that allow it to discern a customer’s emotional state, attitude and even intent.
With such capabilities, virtual conversational assistants can guide agents through interactions with people who speak different languages and, due to varied cultural backgrounds, are used to different standards of customer service. For example, some customers may favour a more personal touch while others might prefer more formality.
Now that the digital economy has allowed customers to switch their engagement instantly from one brand to another with a swipe or a click, companies are under pressure to ensure that every experience is positive.
Personalisation is a major element of positive customer engagement. The customer must feel that the "person" on the line understands their needs: what they want, what they don’t, what they might want and why they might want it.
None of this is possible without that basic capability of human agents to engage in conversation and connect with people in a way that makes them feel comfortable, otherwise known as building a rapport. Building a rapport, however, can sometimes hinge on the agent’s ability to immerse themselves in each interaction. This is easier when people are supported by AI systems that provide them with context while automating background tasks such as note taking, finding the right knowledge resources, etc.
Organisations know that if they can make their service more relatable, they can increase brand loyalty and ambassadorship.
Today, organisations can embed AI assistants in their contact centres and work with employees to make them more effective in serving customer needs. Machine intelligence can thus enable agents to focus on being more empathic and deliver positive results.
By analysing the body language and speech of participants, AI can also help team members from different cultures collaborate better and even suggest how best to increase engagement with customers.
The Middle East has long taken pride in its cultural diversity. The companies that serve people as consumers can further this positive perception by ensuring customers receive the exemplary customer service, even the kind that might surpass customer experiences they might receive in their home countries.
Machine intelligence has the capacity to mimic human talents. Today, it can take empathy, undoubtedly one of our key human traits, further. By picking up on verbal subtle nuances in body language and tone, AI can help us understand one another and improve the experiences we have as customers.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
More on animal trafficking
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
Company%20profile
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More coverage from the Future Forum
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The%20Sandman
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Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Read more about the coronavirus
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now