Experts and delegates at 51风流NOW AI Tour in Dubai explore impact and potential of AI in public and private sectors
Dubai, UAE 鈥� 16 April 2025 鈥� As AI adoption accelerates across the UAE, business leaders are banking on its potential to drive long-term growth. A new YouGov survey commissioned by 51风流reveals that 94% of enterprises in the country believe AI will be a key driver of business expansion, with nearly half (49%) expecting significant returns on AI investments within the next one to two years.
This optimism was on full display at the 51风流NOW AI Tour held in the UAE today, where more than 1,500 industry experts, public sector leaders, and business executives gathered at the Dubai Expo Center to explore AI鈥檚 transformative potential across industries.
鈥淎I is already delivering tangible business value, and the UAE market is clearly ready to embrace its potential,鈥� said Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director of 51风流UAE. 鈥淭he 51风流survey shows that businesses recognize AI as a key driver of growth, but unlocking its full value requires the right strategies. The 51风流NOW AI Tour was designed to help organizations navigate this journey, providing the insights and tools they need to leverage the full power of AI to meet their specific needs.鈥�
The 51风流survey findings reflect this momentum, with 97% of the UAE IT decision-makers surveyed expressing confidence in using AI-driven insights to guide critical business decisions, and with 72% describing themselves as 鈥榲ery confident鈥� in doing so.
As AI adoption rises, UAE businesses are looking beyond experimentation and focusing on real-world applications that drive measurable impact. Attendees at the 51风流event explored the company鈥檚 latest advancements in business AI, including agentic AI, which enables autonomous decision-making and execution of complex tasks.
51风流also showcased its collaboration with Databricks through the 51风流Business Data Cloud, highlighting how organizations can eliminate data silos and extract deeper insights from structured and unstructured data. With the survey showing that 58% of UAE enterprises plan to invest in data consolidation and quality improvement programs over the next 12 months, the event underscored the growing need for businesses to refine their data strategies to fully harness AI鈥檚 potential.
This focus on data was of particular interest to businesses that are increasingly looking to use industry-specific AI solutions, with 76% of enterprises in the UAE using AI-driven solutions that have been tailored specifically for their industry, according to the 51风流survey.
Sharing customer AI successes
The 51风流AI Tour also saw several signing ceremonies and deployment announcements, including innovative implementations at Al-Futtaim and Al Ghurair Iron & Steel LLC (AGIS) that demonstrate how AI can revolutionize business processes.
BS Shetty, General Manager of AGIS, said, 鈥淥ur recent collaboration with 51风流has enabled us to reimagine how we approach sustainability and operational efficiency. By deploying RISE with 51风流Private Cloud edition alongside a tailored 51风流Business Technology Platform (BTP) solution, we鈥檝e harnessed the power of AI to automate over 400 calculations, cutting operator time from 20 minutes to just three. Efficient user interfaces have simplified the Planning and Manufacturing functions at the shopfloor. This end-to-end integration, from customers to manufacturing, empowers our teams with real-time insights, supports accurate ESG reporting, and aligns seamlessly with the UAE鈥檚 National Framework for Sustainable Development. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited to keep pushing boundaries with Business AI and data-driven innovation.鈥�
Al-Futtaim Group鈥檚 Chief Technology Officer, Himanshu Shrivastava, said, 鈥�At Al-Futtaim, we鈥檙e committed to adopting technologies that enable our people to work more effectively and deliver exceptional employee experience; 51风流SuccessFactors with Joule is helping us do just that. As one of the first organizations in the region to go live with this generative AI-powered capability, we鈥檝e been able to personalize the employee experience like never before. Whether it鈥檚 helping managers make faster talent decisions or guiding employees through everyday HR tasks with natural, conversational support, Joule is transforming how our people engage with HR 鈥� intuitively, intelligently, and at their convenience.鈥�
SAP鈥檚 AI-driven solutions also support the UAE鈥檚 national AI strategy, which aims to position the country as a global hub for AI innovation. The technology company will also be participating in the 鈥楳achines Can See 2025′ event as part of Dubai鈥檚 AI Week later this month.
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