Page 139 - HBMSU PR REPORT - APRIL 2025

AI reshaping business future in Dubai, region: IBM

By OneArabia

Published: Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 0:32 [GST]

IBM has generated over US$3.5 billion in return on investment over the past two years through the
deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the company, according to Shukri Eid,
General Manager of IBM Gulf, Levant and Pakistan.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during Dubai AI Week, Eid emphasised that AI has
become a strategic priority for organisations in the region, serving as a powerful tool to enhance
productivity and maximise returns.

He noted that IBM plays a pivotal role in helping businesses identify and implement high-impact
use cases across areas such as human resources, supply chain, procurement and application
development.

Eid predicted that AI’s impact would accelerate in the future with the adoption of “AI assistants”
and “AI agents” capable of understanding context and making independent decisions with minimal
human oversight.

Regarding the outlook for AI in Dubai and the wider Middle East, Eid said the region is currently
witnessing substantial investments in AI, spanning infrastructure, applications, and model
development. “Last year, we observed that many companies moved beyond experimentation and
started realising tangible returns from their AI investments,” he noted.

He stressed that success in this transition requires robust data platforms and the use of more
specialised and efficient AI models to improve accuracy and reduce costs, while also maintaining a
critical balance between innovation, security, and reliability. He highlighted the importance of
partnerships in accelerating digital transformation.

On a study conducted by IBM in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, Eid revealed that
preliminary findings show 26 percent of organisations in the region have appointed a Chief AI
Officer, with this figure expected to rise to between 50 and 65 percent over the next two years.
He added that organisations with this dedicated leadership role are achieving 10 percent higher
returns on their AI investments, underlining the value of appointing leadership for AI-driven
transformation. He noted that the UAE was among the first countries to establish such roles in both
public and private sector institutions.

Eid reaffirmed IBM’s commitment to supporting the UAE and Dubai in becoming central to global AI
development through partnerships with entities such as the Dubai Future Foundation, Mashreq
Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

https://www.onearabia.me/business/ai-business-future-dubai-ibm-011-106507.html