{
  "id": 9121616,
  "title": "How Abu Dhabi is building the foundations of an AI economy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/how-abu-dhabi-is-building-the-foundations-of-an-ai-economy",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-22T09:56:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/advertorial/2026/09/22/how-abu-dhabi-is-building-the-foundations-of-an-ai-economy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abu Dhabi's economic narrative is changing, shifting away from its traditional reliance on oil. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key component in the emirate's diversification efforts, backed by significant investment, computing infrastructure, research institutions, and a burgeoning technology ecosystem. The shift is not merely about the amount of investment, but where Abu Dhabi intends to position itself in the global technology value chain.\n\nThe economic outlook for Abu Dhabi is evolving. The non-oil economy has grown by 7.6% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for approximately 54% of the country's GDP. The UAE has set a goal to increase the digital economy's contribution to GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% within a decade.\n\nA notable investment in this sector is the $49 billion MGX fund, launched this year, which targets semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and technology platforms. Another significant project is the planned 5-gigawatt UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi, which includes Stargate UAE, designed to bolster the emirate's computing capacity for advanced AI systems.\n\nThe government is also becoming a major consumer of technological services. It has allocated Dh13 billion to the Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027, aiming to become the world's first fully AI-native government. Despite these resources, success hinges on whether local companies can develop their own technologies and compete internationally.\n\nOrigen, an Abu Dhabi-based technology firm, exemplifies this potential. The company secured a $50 million strategic investment from BlueFive Capital to enhance product development and AI deployment. Origen specializes in AI systems for cities, intelligent infrastructure, and industrial environments, focusing on AI that can perceive, reason, and interact with the physical world.\n\nOne of Origen's most ambitious projects is Nabd, an AI-powered digital governance framework being developed with Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport. This project integrates over 70 data sources from numerous connected systems, transforming Abu Dhabi into a live three-dimensional digital representation.\n\nOrigen's appointment to lead this project is a testament to its technical capabilities, as it was selected through a competitive process involving international and local technology groups. This achievement signals Abu Dhabi's capacity to move beyond merely acquiring technology to building globally competitive technology.\n\nFrank Dai, Origen's CEO, views the company's establishment in Abu Dhabi as part of a broader shift in technology. He emphasizes that AI's transformative impact extends across almost every sector, potentially giving rise to new industries. Abu Dhabi's appeal to technology companies is bolstered by the UAE's political and economic stability, policy continuity, global connectivity, and ability to attract international talent.\n\nDespite these promising developments, significant challenges remain. While developing data centers and deploying capital is relatively quick, cultivating deep technical expertise, creating intellectual property, and nurturing globally competitive companies requires more time. Origen's journey reflects these challenges, as it strives to not only operate in complex, city-scale environments but also to scale its technology internationally.",
  "summary": "For decades, Abu Dhabi's economic story was inseparable from oil. Today, another story is taking shape — one that could determine how the emirate participates in the next generation of the global economy. Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly visible part of Abu Dhabi's diversification drive, backed by sovereign capital, computing infrastructure, research institutions and an…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}