News

Dubai’s Sheikh Hamdan Launches New Digital Cloud Project

Digital Dubai, Moro Hub, and Microsoft have signed agreements to carry out the digital transformation project.

Published

3 years ago

July 11, 2023

Nour Nasir

dubai's sheikh hamdan launches new digital cloud project

Dubai Media Office

On Monday, July 10th, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced the launch of a new cloud technology project to boost the Emirate’s tech infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation.

Today, we launched the Dubai Digital Cloud project, the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at reinforcing Dubai’s status as a digital economy capital and further strengthening its digital infrastructure. I also attended the signing of partnership agreements between Digital… pic.twitter.com/y0lQ940tbS

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) July 10, 2023

Known as Dubai Digital Cloud, the project is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at establishing a “world-leading, efficient, agile and reliable digital infrastructure” in the Emirate, according to a press release from the government’s Media Office.

Last month, the Crown Prince also launched Dubai’s Digital Strategy, which aims to usher in a new era of digital transformation. The move comes after last year’s announcement of a Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation, showing a continued commitment by Dubai’s government towards creating a tech-centric, future-facing economy.

digital dubai cloud project

As for the Dubai Digital Cloud, the project will combine various digital entities to provide high levels of operational efficiency while offering the best solutions from private to public clouds, the Dubai Media office statement explained.

“The Dubai Digital Cloud is a practical application of our leadership’s vision to promote connectivity, integration, and a comprehensive digital government that ensures agility, speed, security, and competitiveness, allowing government entities to provide integrated, proactive, round-the-clock services”, said Hamad Al Mansoori, director general of Digital Dubai.

Also Read: Best Web Hosting Providers In The Middle East

The adoption of cloud-based technology in the UAE and other Gulf countries is growing due to the rise of a young, technology-focused population and a dramatic increase in tech businesses relocating to the region.

Microsoft expects its cloud services to add around $40 billion and up to 100,000 jobs to the UAE’s economy before 2030, with around 17% of those figures coming from cloud data centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

News

Abu Dhabi’s Robot Kitchen Is Serving Up Biryani, Not Burgers

Circus SE wants to put a tiny automated factory inside the buildings where Gulf residents live and work, bypassing part of last-mile delivery.

Published

6 days ago

October 20, 2026

Nour Nasir

abu dhabi's robot kitchen is serving up biryani not burgers

Circus SE

The most telling thing about a new autonomous kitchen now running in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Square is what it won’t cook:

“We don’t do fast food,” says Nikolas Bullwinkel, Founder and CEO of Circus SE. “We’ve actively decided not to build a machine that can only do burgers”.

Instead, the CA-1 system is built around pot-based cooking: curries, pastas, soups and rice dishes. After experimenting with highly personalized recipes, Circus deliberately leaned back toward recognizable food. “We’re going with a chicken biryani because you know it,” Bullwinkel says of the AED 40 dish.

circus se ca-1 robot system

The Germany-based robotics and food technology company operates across eight countries, and Abu Dhabi is its first deployment outside Europe. More locations are expected there and in Dubai.

In Germany, its units can be placed in supermarkets, gas stations, airports and hospitals. In the Gulf, Bullwinkel wants them inside residential and office buildings, replacing some of the complexity of last-mile delivery. “We’re basically bringing a very tiny factory a few square meters into your building,” he says. Catering company Royal Prestige supplies the ingredients and knowledge of local tastes.

The CA-1 manages up to 36 refrigerated ingredient silos alongside automated induction cooking, robotic plating and a self-cleaning dishwasher. Two robotic arms move ingredients through the system with minimal human intervention. It can produce up to 120 hot meals an hour, and a meal such as rice and curry can take around three to four minutes.

Also Read: Ooredoo Qatar’s 5G+ Network Is Built For Machines As Much As People

Five cameras and multiple sensors monitor heat, temperature and consistency, an attempt to approximate what a chef perceives. “You can hear something gets burned, you can smell it, you can see it at some point,” Bullwinkel says. CircusOS, the company’s operating system, adjusts recipes in real time.

You might think of the platform as a threat to kitchen staff, but Bullwinkel frames Circus as a way for chefs to develop recipes and distribute them at scale. With that being said, rising labor costs and shortages are also part of his case for automation.