The latest graduating class of Abu Dhabi's dedicated artificial intelligence university have been urged to help harness the "profound potential" of the advanced technology.
A commencement ceremony for 59 students was held on Sunday by the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to celebrate the completion of their Master’s degrees in specialised subjects such as machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing.
It is estimated that AI could contribute $320 billion to the Middle East economy in 2030, with the UAE seeing the greatest gain.
The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc and chairman of the board of trustees of MBZUAI.
MBZUAI president Eric Xing told the graduates in his speech that the world was seeing a modern-day renaissance fuelled by AI.
Technology to shape society
"You graduate in a time where education and many other industries are to be reshaped by artificial intelligence, the very subject of your study," he said.
"Our current education model centred around memorising and retrieving information often fails to prepare us for real challenges we face.
"And now we must embrace the profound potential of AI and an educational paradigm that focuses on problem-solving.
"Using existing knowledge, and creation of new knowledge, as graduates from the world's first AI university you are uniquely equipped to chart this evolving landscape.
"As you venture into the next stage of your journey, I want to urge you to remain curious, and uphold the virtue of courage, humility, compassion, honour and perseverance."
An international success
The graduating class comes from 25 different countries, including the UAE and China, as well as parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Founded in 2019, the forward-thinking institution currently has more than 200 students with 30.5 per cent of them being women.
Since its opening, professors and students have been able to get work published in 456 journals and conferences around the world.
Jobs of the future
Klea Ziu, 27, from Albania, was the valedictorian of her class and graduated with a Master's in machine learning.
"My area of study is very important because now the UAE, and places abroad, are trying to implement AI in ministries, education and elsewhere," she told The National.
"So, to have knowledge about AI will be very important in the future to secure a job and to build a career."
Ms Ziu said she received "many job offers" but turned them down to pursue her PhD at the university.
Machine learning is a type of AI that "learns from experience". As the software gets new data, over time, the model improves and offers better outcomes.
The technology is transforming many fields such as healthcare, education, transport, entertainment and farming.
Maksym Bekuzarov, 23, from Ukraine, graduated with a Master's in computer vision.
He will spend the summer completing his position as a research assistant at the university and will then move to the UK to start a full-time position as a machine learning engineer at Snapchat, a social media giant.
"It's a great company, and since I did my internship with them, and I know the team that I'll be joining, I'm quite excited," he said.
"I like their approach to work where nobody cares how many hours you spend in the office and how you do something as long as you do it well.
"So, what they value is the results and that's what I like."
He said graduating from an institution like MBZUAI was an "extremely rare opportunity", as he expects AI to develop even more rapidly in the future.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
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."
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