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Dubai To Issue Licenses To Support AI And Web3 Businesses

The licenses will be 90% subsidized and support the emirate’s push to transform itself into a digital society.

Published

3 years ago

August 15, 2023

dubai to issue licenses to support ai and web3 businesses

Dubai will issue commercial licenses to help artificial intelligence and Web3 startups to set up businesses as the UAE aims to attract more investment and further digitize its economy.

The licenses will be issued by the AI and Web 3.0 Campus through the Dubai International Financial Center and will be 90% subsidized, the DIFC said on Monday.

The activities will include AI research and consultancies, IT infrastructure, technology research and development, and public networking services.

“We are confident that by granting these licenses, we will attract more global talent and investment to the region and create a culture of collaboration and innovation. This is a notable milestone for the Dubai AI and Web3 Campus and will strengthen Dubai’s position as the business destination of choice for technology-focused companies,” explained Mohammad Alblooshi, chief executive of the DIFC Innovation Hub.

Launched in June, the campus aims to form the largest cluster of AI and Web3 companies in the MENA region. DIFC aims to attract over 500 companies by 2028, bring $300 million in funds, and create more than 3,000 jobs over the next five years.

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AI has rapidly gained traction as the digital economy grows and countries continue to encourage its adoption. The technology is already in widespread use for online shopping, search engines, smart homes, data analysis, speech and face recognition systems, and more.

For businesses, AI could add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually, according to a recent study from McKinsey. Web3, meanwhile, encompasses blockchain and general decentralization and is projected to contribute $15 billion to GCC economies annually by 2030.

Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence Dubai Web3

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News

For etisalat, More Bandwidth Is A Matter Of Digital Sovereignty

The etisalat group plans to expand its international capacity from 20 Tbps to more than 500 Tbps by 2030, with new routes designed for speed and resilience.

Published

2 days ago

October 6, 2026

Nour Nasir

for etisalat, more bandwidth is a matter of digital sovereignty

Emirates News Agency

By 2030, etisalat group plans to lift its international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second (Tbps), more than 25 times the 20 Tbps it has today. The group presented the expansion as preparation for rising AI demand and an important move for the UAE’s digital sovereignty.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, witnessed the launch of the project, which covers the UAE and international markets. Sheikh Mansour is also Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority, etisalat group’s main shareholder.

He emphasized the role of coordinated national efforts in advancing the UAE’s AI and digital economy ambitions. “AI is a central pillar in our development journey moving forward,” he said, adding that developing the country’s digital capabilities would empower every institution, public and private, to build and innovate with AI “at the scale the coming decade will demand”.

“This project reflects our conviction that the UAE should not simply adopt AI, but govern it and build with it,” said H.E Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of etisalat group. “That requires digital infrastructure at a scale that would prepare us for the future”. He cast greater international connectivity as a strategic answer to the challenges of processing and moving data globally.

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Beyond raw bandwidth, the expansion will introduce new connectivity routes intended to improve reliability and efficiency, and Alzaabi tied them directly to the sovereignty goal. “Delivered through diversified routes and low-latency design, the project is set to keep the country’s connection to the global digital economy fast, direct and resilient, while ensuring the UAE’s digital sovereignty,” he said.

He also linked the plan to the group’s 50-year commitment to building infrastructure for the nation. The announcement didn’t mention what the expansion will cost. Nor did it name the new routes or say who will build them, the details that would show what digital sovereignty means in practice.