In The Spotlight
Dubai Chambers has launched the "Chamber AI Hub", marking a significant milestone as the world’s first chamber-led Agentic AI marketplace.
Dubai launches world’s first agentic AI marketplace
The private sector in Dubai is experiencing a significant shift, embracing artificial intelligence to streamline operations and enhance competitiveness.
The integration of advanced technologies is no longer just an option; it is an absolute necessity as the global business landscape rapidly evolves,.
Dubai Chambers has launched the "Chamber AI Hub", marking a significant milestone as the world’s first chamber-led Agentic AI marketplace. This innovative platform enables companies operating within Dubai to access a suite of ready-to-use, specialised AI solutions designed to tackle a wide array of business challenges.
The initiative is a direct response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, who aims to accelerate the adoption of Agentic AI across the city's private sector.
H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, commented: “Success in the transition to Agentic AI is measured not by technology adoption alone, but by how effectively companies use these tools to address business challenges and deliver tangible results. This is why we are connecting knowledge with practical application, building capabilities, and expanding access to specialised solutions and high-quality tools that help companies adapt to change and evolve the way they work. Through this approach, we are preparing a private sector that is equipped to respond to technological transformation and contribute to shaping the opportunities of the future economy.”
Key features of the AI marketplace
The Chamber AI Hub is designed to be accessible, practical, and highly secure. It offers a comprehensive ecosystem for businesses looking to integrate AI into their daily operations.
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Current offerings: The platform currently provides access to 22 specialised AI agents.
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Functional areas: These agents cover seven key areas: Compliance, Procurement, Operations, Finance, Sales, Human Resources, and Logistics.
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Future expansion: There are plans to expand the offering to a total of 100 AI agents.
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Specific tasks: The available solutions support tasks such as supplier discovery, evaluation of vendor proposals, monitoring supply chain risks, contract review, invoice matching, generating business proposals, screening resumes, lead scoring, and handling IT help desk requests.
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Sandbox environment: Companies can test any AI agent in a secure sandbox before full activation.
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Flexible pricing: Members receive complimentary credits to start, with options to transition to usage-based paid packages, along with competitive benefits.
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Management tools: Dashboards provide visibility into usage levels, costs, and success rates. A company admin portal allows administrators to monitor their teams’ use of the agents, and a readiness assessment helps determine preparedness.
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Compliance and security: The platform complies with UAE regulatory requirements, observing strict data privacy and protection standards. All data is hosted within the UAE, ensuring each company's information remains isolated.
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Language support: The AI agents support both Arabic and English.
A broader vision for Dubai's private sector
The launch of the Chamber AI Hub is part of a much larger programme overseen by Dubai Chambers. The ambitious goal is to enable more than 295,000 private sector companies and roll out the planned 100 specialised AI agents over the next two years.
Furthermore, the programme features specialised training tracks designed to educate 14,000 companies from various Business Groups and Business Councils. This training aims to empower them to effectively deploy Agentic AI technologies within their administrative and operational processes. The initiative also focuses on supporting the growth of companies that specialise in developing these AI solutions, thereby promoting knowledge-sharing and building robust institutional capabilities across the entire Dubai Chambers ecosystem.
Expo Centre Sharjah is gearing up to host SteelFab 2027, convening global manufacturers, investors, technology providers, and industrial decision-makers to access burgeoning opportunities across the UAE, GCC, and wider Middle East and North Africa.
SteelFab 2027 to connect global metalworking leaders in Sharjah
Expo Centre Sharjah is gearing up to host SteelFab 2027, convening global manufacturers, investors, technology providers, and industrial decision-makers to access burgeoning opportunities across the UAE, GCC, and wider Middle East and North Africa.
The upcoming edition reinforces the event's evolution from a conventional trade exhibition into a strategic industrial platform facilitating cross-border investment, commercial partnerships, and advanced technology adoption.
The metalworking and steel fabrication sectors across the Middle East are experiencing rapid modernisation, catalysed by heavy regional infrastructure, energy projects, and targeted national industrial strategies. SteelFab 2027 acts as a bridge uniting international industrial capability with high-potential regional markets.
Building on the commercial momentum of SteelFab 2026
The trajectory of the 2027 show builds upon the commercial outcomes and scale recorded during its 2026 edition. The previous event served as a major conduit for cross-border industrial trade, yielding commercial agreements, supply-chain tie-ups, and distribution network expansions through structured business-to-business meetings.
Key operational metrics and participant demographics from the previous edition include:
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Exhibition scale: Welcomed 350 exhibitors and more than 600 leading domestic and international brands spanning 25,000 square metres of space.
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Global footprint: Drew international participation from 35 nations, including major industrial markets such as the UK, Germany, China, Turkey, India, the UAE, Taiwan, Thailand, and Egypt.
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Export breadth: Hosted participating global manufacturing enterprises that export to more than 70 countries worldwide.
His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, said: “SteelFab 2027 will build on the exhibition’s strong international momentum and further strengthen its role as a gateway connecting global industrial expertise with opportunities across the UAE and the wider region. By bringing manufacturers, investors, technology leaders and buyers together in Sharjah, the exhibition creates a highly effective environment for partnerships, knowledge exchange and sustainable commercial growth.”
“SteelFab contributes directly to Sharjah’s economic development by attracting international businesses, supporting industrial activity and strengthening the Emirate’s position as a destination for business tourism and specialised exhibitions. Its impact also supports the UAE’s industrial ambitions by encouraging high-value investment, accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies and connecting local and regional manufacturers with international markets and supply chains.”
Digital transformation and advanced industrial technologies
SteelFab 2027 will leverage the digital ecosystem introduced during the 2026 edition, which made history as the first trade show in the UAE and region to integrate AI-driven exhibition platforms. At the centre of this operational model is AetherEx, a proprietary digital twin platform designed to prolong market exposure for exhibitors beyond physical show dates. The system incorporates interactive virtual pavilions alongside real-time analytical dashboards that track buyer behaviour and gauge visitor sentiment.
Concurrently, the showcase maintains comprehensive coverage of heavy machinery, smart fabrication, and metalworking processes. Building on previous product displays, the event showcases next-generation solutions engineered to streamline industrial efficiency, such as:
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Next-generation steel production machinery, cost-efficient laser-cutting tools, and AI-driven manufacturing robotics for intricate fabrications.
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Heavy-duty CNC machines designed specifically for demanding oil, gas, and aerospace applications.
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Precision press brakes, metal-forming equipment, advanced laser-marking tools, and cutting-edge welding systems.
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Powder-coating setups spanning manual booths to automated systems, industrial curing ovens, pre-treatment tunnels, and specialised plant machinery for air-conditioning and electrical cabinet production.
SteelFab 2027 underpins Sharjah’s position as a pivotal trade hub and manufacturing gateway for the regional industrial economy by uniting digital twin technology with shop-floor machinery.
According to new research by IDC, nearly half of the region's organisations are either already transitioning away from SF₆ or planning to do so within the next two years.
Middle East grids embrace SF₆-free infrastructure
The Middle East is on the cusp of a significant shift in its medium-voltage infrastructure.
According to new research by IDC, nearly half of the region's organisations are either already transitioning away from SF₆ or planning to do so within the next two years.
WETEX serves as a crucial platform for discussing the future of utility infrastructure, and this year, the spotlight is firmly on the move towards SF₆-free technologies. The newly published IDC White Paper, titled "SF₆-Free MV Switchgear: Industry Readiness, Decision Drivers, and the Way Forward", surveyed 700 medium-voltage infrastructure decision-makers globally.
Readiness and regulatory expectations
The survey, spanning electric utilities, data centres, electro-intensive industries, and physical infrastructure sectors, paints a clear picture of a region anticipating swift regulatory changes.
In the Middle East, the findings reveal a strong appetite for modernisation:
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14% of organisations have already commenced their transition to SF₆-free equipment.
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32% anticipate beginning this transition within two years.
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Nearly all remaining respondents expect to make the change within five years.
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99% consider it likely that SF₆ regulations will be introduced in their countries within the next half-decade.
Despite this forward-looking approach, there are hurdles to overcome. Decision-makers in the Middle East pointed to several barriers:
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Technical readiness (58%)
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Supply chain availability (47%)
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Product availability (46%)
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Cost (42%)
Interestingly, the perception of cost is heavily influenced by how lifecycle expenses are calculated. At present, only 29% evaluate the full lifecycle cost of their equipment, which includes the complex end-of-life handling of SF₆. However, across the entire global sample, 92% rate the management of SF₆ at the end of its lifecycle as a major or moderate cost. Factoring these long-term expenses into initial procurement decisions substantially narrows the perceived cost gap between traditional and SF₆-free alternatives.
The pivotal role of national utilities
Utilities are undeniably setting the pace. Globally, 73% of survey participants stated that guidance from utilities or grid operators directly influences their own procurement strategies. Furthermore, IDC identifies national utilities within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as being among the markets expected to transition most rapidly once clear guidance is established.
Electric utilities are leading across every readiness metric measured in the study. Currently, 79% express a willingness to adopt SF₆-free equipment, and 62% are proactively piloting new technologies ahead of formal regulations.
The IDC study was sponsored by Schneider Electric. Emphasising the importance of these trends:
“Utilities across the Gulf are making decisions today about how their grids will run for decades to come,” said Amel Chadli, Gulf Cluster and Countries President at Schneider Electric. “This research tells us the region is ready to move, and that it is looking to its utilities to set the direction. WETEX brings those decision-makers together in one place, which is why we chose to share these findings here, alongside the technology that makes the transition practical.”
Practical solutions across the asset lifecycle
At WETEX, the practical application of this transition is being showcased comprehensively. Demonstrations follow the complete lifecycle of energy and water assets, moving seamlessly from the initial design phase through to building, operation, and maintenance.
Organisations can deploy proven SF₆-free medium-voltage ranges that utilise pure air and vacuum interruption, enhanced with digital monitoring. Modern switchgear solutions, including RM AirSeT, GM AirSeT, and MCSET with EvoPact, are proving their viability, with over 150,000 similar functions active worldwide.
Alongside switchgear, the transition to smarter grids is supported by an array of digital technologies:
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ETAP’s electrical digital twins tailored for grid design.
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The One Digital Grid Platform and EcoStruxure Power Automation System for real-time grid operation.
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EcoCare, EcoFit, and EcoConsult services for the maintenance and modernisation of installed assets.
For water operators facing similar modernisation challenges, new digital twin tools allow for the comprehensive planning of networks before any capital is committed. Smart pumping stations, built on Altivar Process drives and EcoStruxure Automation Expert, alongside the AVEVA Digital Water Platform, offer in-depth smart water network analytics. This enables the operation of an entire water system from a single, unified digital environment. With technology now running in over 40,000 water and environment installations across more than 150 countries, and partnerships with ten of the world’s largest electric grid operators, the pathway to sustainable, efficient infrastructure is clearer than ever.