Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 50 | Page 8

NEWS ADNOC forms joint venture with Group 42 to develop AI products for energy industry GITEX has positive impact on Dubai’s wider economy T he Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed an agreement with Group 42 (G42), an Abu Dhabi-based Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud and supercomputing company, to establish a joint venture to develop and commercialise AI products for the oil and gas industry. Under the terms of the agreement, a new company will be established as a separate legal and operating entity. The agreement was signed at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) by Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Director, Executive Office Directorate, ADNOC, and Peng Xiao, CEO of G42. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO. HE Dr Al Jaber said: “As we prepare for the opportunities and challenges the fourth industrial age will present, this joint venture is a pro-active approach using an innovative partnership to create the oil and gas technology solutions of tomorrow. It reflects ADNOC’s commitment to deploying the power of advanced technology to maximise value from every molecule we produce and will strengthen Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s leading position at the cutting edge of AI and the global energy sector.” The partnership will enable ADNOC to leverage G42’s sophisticated CPU and GPU-based computing clusters, world-class data scientists, software engineers and domain experts. 8 INTELLIGENTCIO G ITEX Technology week continues to have a positive impact on Dubai’s economy. Results published in the GITEX Technology Week Economic Impact Assessment 2019 Report, issued by Dubai World Trade Centre, have revealed: • Last year’s event generated a total sales output of AED1.6 billion and AED919 million in retained value for Dubai’s GDP – excluding deals and infrastructure • For every AED1 spent by an attendee at GITEX, 4.5 times the revenue impact was generated across Dubai’s wider economy • The 2019 event hosted 171,282 attendees, 33% of whom were international and contributed 75% of overall direct spend • GITEX is estimated to have supported 6,239 jobs, creating AED300 million in surplus disposable wealth for domestic consumerism The report provides in-depth insights into how the scale of global exhibitors and visitors at GITEX collectively yield a ripple effect beyond the technology sector. HE Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “The 2019 GITEX Economic Impact Assessment Report sheds light on DWTC’s approach and proven ability to unlock ecosystem- wide economic value, creating even more critical wider socio-economic impact, ultimately spurring business expansion investment and leadership for Dubai as a global hub for international business.” www.intelligentcio.com