The new provost at Abu Dhabi’s pioneering artificial intelligence university is putting together a playbook to compete with the world’s top institutions of higher learning.
Prof Fakhreddine Karray joined Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, or MBZUAI, this month. His list of priorities is short but ambitious: recruit world-class faculty, produce research with commercial applications and promote an entrepreneurial culture among students.
“We are aiming to have a calibre of excellence that is matched by some of the top universities around the world,” Prof Karray told The National.
But the opportunity is not only to build another prestigious academic programme, he said. Abu Dhabi has a unique role to fill as a regional leader in the field of AI, and is the only graduate-level university in the world singularly developing AI tools.
We are reaching out to some of the top scholars in the field of AI from all over the world to come here to join us to work with us as visiting professors or as affiliated professors, or to hire them outright
Prof Fakhreddine Karray
With more than 100 graduate degree programmes in AI globally, the technology’s development and education centres are largely concentrated in North America, China and the UK.
“We aim to make MBZUAI one of the icons in the field of AI in this particular region through publishing research ... and also by generating prototypes [and] start-ups out of the ideas of the professors and the students,” Prof Karray said.
“We are reaching out to some of the top scholars in the field of AI from all over the world to come here to join us to work with us as visiting professors or as affiliated professors, or to hire them outright,” he said. Some of them are former colleagues of his and of university president Eric Xing.
“Our aim is for quality, quality, quality for faculty and for students ... we are focusing on faculty members’ excellence, generous funding from the government and outstanding students that could help support what we want to establish here,” he said.
“That whole ecosystem will make MBZUAI unique in its outreach to the society, to the economy and to the academic world as well.”
A renowned researcher of self-aware machines and autonomous systems, in his previous post Prof Karray was the founding co-director of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
The University of Waterloo has the world’s biggest co-op programme, short for co-operative education, which matches classroom theory with hands-on learning through full-time employment prior to graduation. Prof Karray, who is Tunisian, said he wants to “import” those practices to the region, to build partnerships with corporations and governments and provide real-world experience to students.
Some of Prof Karray’s most recent research projects include autonomous detection systems for distracted driving, remote monitoring of elderly patients through home-based systems of sensors and forecasting price fluctuations in supply chains for food. He is eager to replicate and expand upon that work in Abu Dhabi.
AI is expected to add 14 per cent to the world’s gross domestic product by 2030, equivalent to $15.7 trillion (Dh57.7tn), according to business consultancy PwC. Experts estimate that AI’s contribution to the UAE economy will match the global increase of 14 per cent – the largest GDP share in the Middle East – in the same time frame. The country ranks 19th worldwide on the government AI readiness index, first in the region, according to Oxford Insights.
The university’s curriculum is currently focused on three areas: machine learning, which provides the mathematical foundation of AI, and computer vision, which takes machine learning a step further to identify and analyse pictures and videos. The third course, natural-language processing, was added this semester, with students developing tools to allow computers to communicate with people using everyday language.
Prof Karray said in coming years the university will expand its offerings to include robotics in health care and energy, aimed at applications that can benefit the UAE.
As AI becomes more sophisticated, there is growing concern over bias and ethical grey areas in its development. Increasingly, governments, research bodies and companies are laying out principles to inform its development and responsible use.
Prof Karray said it was still too soon to formalise AI ethical frameworks. He plans to build an advisory board to take on ethical concerns about the university's research, privacy, and access to and use of data. He said the board would operate on a project by project basis.
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Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Dubai Bling season three
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Rating: 1/5
