DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 28, 2024/ — By H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, part of Digital Dubai (https://www.DigitalDubai.ae/). Al Nasser is a globally recognized leader in planning and implementing city-wide digital transformation and building holistic data ecosystems.
Digital Dubai’s participation at GITEX Africa 2024 has presented a great opportunity for us to delve into some of the key themes of the event. With a 50-person strong contingency, representing nine Dubai government entities, our goal is to collaborate, share knowledge and understand what the African public and private sector entities, have developed to support and grow its ecosystems, as well as to understand what they are working on in the technology space. One of the core themes I’d like to explore is AI.
In recent years, the global landscape has witnessed a remarkable surge in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology across various sectors. Africa, with its rich potential and diverse challenges, stands at the cusp of a transformative era driven by AI innovations. As we delve into the future of AI in Africa, it becomes increasingly evident that harnessing this technology holds immense promise for sustainable development, economic growth, and social empowerment across the continent.
According to a recent report by the International Data Corporation (apo-opa.co/4bS52ac) 1 (IDC), it was predicted that spending on AI in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa (META) region will top $3.0 billion this year, up 32% from 2023. Available data from Statista states that the continent’s AI market will grow 30% annually over the next six years to a value of $17 billion (apo-opa.co/4bYyqM5) 2. This surge takes the continent into the global AI innovation race. According to the AI Everything Expo at GITEX AFRICA, this year centres the world’s attention on Africa’s booming AI phenomenon. This surge is not merely about adopting the latest tech tr
