Technology

Dubai Municipality has officially deployed an advanced smart surveying robot, marking a significant milestone in the emirate's continuous pursuit of world-class digital infrastructure and smart governance.

Dubai Municipality has officially deployed an advanced smart surveying robot, marking a significant milestone in the emirate's continuous pursuit of world-class digital infrastructure and smart governance.

This cutting-edge technological initiative is designed to drastically strengthen municipal geospatial data capabilities, ensuring that urban planning, land surveying, and construction oversight operate with unprecedented precision, reliability, and operational efficiency. By integrating autonomous robotics into everyday municipal operations, Dubai continues to cement its status as a global pioneer in smart city evolution, innovative public administration, and sustainable urban development for the future.

Elevating urban planning through advanced geospatial tech

Modern metropolitan areas require dynamic, highly accurate spatial data to manage rapid population growth, complex infrastructure projects, and environmental sustainability goals effectively. Traditional land surveying methods, while historically reliable, often demand extensive human resources, significant physical labour, and extended timeframes, particularly when mapping intricate topographical features, coastal regions, or dense urban zones.

The introduction of the smart surveying robot by Dubai Municipality addresses these operational challenges head-on. Equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, high-resolution imaging systems, and real-time data transmission modules, the robot can capture spatial measurements with extreme accuracy. This technological leap ensures that urban planners, civil engineers, and government policymakers have continuous access to pristine, up-to-date geographic information systems (GIS) data whenever critical infrastructural decisions need to be finalised and executed.

Core capabilities and technological highlights

The deployment introduces several groundbreaking technical capabilities that fundamentally transform how municipal surveys are conducted across the emirate:

• High-Precision Laser Scanning: Utilises advanced LiDAR technology to capture comprehensive three-dimensional point clouds of terrain, buildings, and civil infrastructure with millimetre-level accuracy.

• Autonomous Navigation Systems: Features intelligent path-planning algorithms that enable the robot to navigate complex terrain and active construction sites safely without requiring constant human intervention.

• Real-Time Data Integration: Instantly synchronises captured spatial datasets with central municipal databases, eliminating administrative bottlenecks and drastically reducing human error in data entry.

• Enhanced Safety Protocols: Minimises the need for human surveyors to enter hazardous environments, unstable slopes, or high-traffic roadways during active data collection campaigns.

• Environmental Resilience: Engineered specifically to withstand extreme regional temperatures, airborne dust, and varying weather conditions, ensuring uninterrupted operation throughout the year.

Strengthening Dubai’s digital infrastructure

Beyond immediate surveying tasks, this deployment forms a foundational pillar of Dubai’s broader digital transformation strategy. Accurate geospatial intelligence serves as the indispensable backbone for numerous municipal services, including property registration, infrastructure maintenance, disaster risk management, and environmental monitoring.

By automating routine data collection processes, Dubai Municipality frees up skilled surveying professionals to focus on complex analytical tasks, strategic urban planning, and rigorous quality assurance. This pivotal shift not only accelerates project lifecycles across both public and private sectors but also reduces long-term operational costs for municipal authorities. Furthermore, the availability of reliable, highly granular geospatial data strongly supports private developers, architects, and investors by providing transparent, highly accurate baseline data for new commercial and residential real estate ventures across the emirate.

Future outlook for smart governance and mapping

As Dubai advances further into the digital era of artificial intelligence and automated governance, the role of advanced robotics in municipal administration is set to expand exponentially. The successful integration of the smart surveying robot establishes a highly scalable blueprint that other regional and international municipalities can emulate to modernise their own administrative frameworks.

This visionary initiative highlights Dubai Municipality's proactive approach to adopting emerging technologies. By bridging the critical gap between physical land development and digital data ecosystems, the city ensures that its urban landscape grows intelligently, sustainably, and efficiently for generations to come.

Rwaj has recently raised US$1.2mn (SAR 4.5 million) in a pre-seed funding round.

The Middle Eastern e-commerce landscape is undergoing a significant transformation.

No longer confined to static product catalogues and traditional online storefronts, retail in the region is rapidly pivoting towards social commerce and interactive live shopping. Capitalising on this behavioural shift, Jeddah-based startup Rwaj has recently raised US$1.2mn (SAR 4.5 million) in a pre-seed funding round. The investment aims to scale the company's live social shopping and auction marketplace across the region, reflecting a broader trend of formalising the social retail economy.

Across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), independent sellers, boutique brands, and local merchants have already embraced live selling. However, this burgeoning sector has historically operated through highly fragmented channels. Until recently, sellers would showcase their merchandise via social media livestreams, collect orders through direct messages or scattered comment threads, and manually coordinate payments and logistics on separate platforms.

While this grassroots approach to social commerce demonstrates clear consumer demand and high engagement, it introduces substantial friction. The lack of integrated infrastructure often results in security risks for buyers and heavy administrative burdens for sellers. Managing inventory, tracking payments, and dispatching couriers manually is not scalable. The digital retail space has urgently required a robust solution to standardise these interactions, bringing reliability and trust to a sector that heavily relies on real-time product demonstration.

Standardising social commerce

Rwaj, founded in 2024 by Taher Alblowe, was established specifically to build secure, reliable infrastructure around this existing consumer behaviour. By consolidating livestream selling, auction mechanics, digital payments, and shipping into a single application, the platform aims to eliminate the logistical headaches associated with independent social retail.

The start-up is utilising its $1.2 million capital injection to accelerate product development and regional growth, focusing heavily on delivering an Arabic-first bilingual experience tailored to the local demographic. Rather than restricting its marketplace to a specific category of goods, the platform accommodates any product that benefits from live demonstration, from electronics to fashion and collectables.

Rwaj’s integrated system provides several key operational features designed to streamline the sales pipeline:

• Flexible Sales Formats: Sellers can stream live and choose to offer their inventory at fixed prices or run timed auctions where buyers submit bids in real time.

• Secure Payment Escrow: To eliminate the transaction risks associated with informal social commerce, funds are held securely in escrow until the buyer confirms the successful delivery of their item.

• Diverse Payment Integration: The platform supports seamless, immediate checkouts using Mada, Apple Pay, and standard debit or credit cards.

• Automated Logistics: Shipping is handled directly through integrated carriers, completely removing the need for sellers to manually book external couriers or manage tracking numbers.

This deep consolidation of services ensures that neither the buyer nor the seller needs to migrate to a third-party application to finalise a sale.

“We built Rwaj so a seller can go live, sell at a fixed price or by auction, get paid, and ship without leaving the app, and a buyer can purchase or bid knowing their money is protected until the item is in their hands,” said Taher Alblowe, Founder and CEO of Rwaj.

Building a retail community

The ambition behind formalising livestream retail extends beyond simply providing a transactional utility. Rwaj is strategically positioning itself as a social marketplace. The digital ecosystem is designed to foster ongoing, long-term relationships between merchants and consumers. Buyers are actively encouraged to follow their favourite sellers, discover new retail entrepreneurs through the wider community, and consistently return for future scheduled livestreams. This infrastructure gives independent retailers a measurable way to build a loyal audience that persists well beyond any individual broadcast.

The next critical phase of growth for the digital economy in the Middle East will depend on whether these existing social selling behaviours can be permanently migrated onto dedicated, structured platforms. For Rwaj, this means leveraging its GCC-wide seller network as a foundation for broader regional expansion. Furthermore, the platform’s structured payment and shipping integrations provide local sellers with a viable, risk-free pathway to reach an international buyer base, effectively opening up global markets from a smartphone camera.

This pre-seed funding round signals a rapidly maturing market. As interactive shopping transitions from informal social media streams to dedicated, escrow-protected environments, the standard for online retail in the Middle East is being redefined.

Conducted by Ciena with Censuswide, the research polled 100 service provider experts in the UAE and 100 in Saudi Arabia, forming part of a global analysis of 1,200 respondents across 12 countries.

Telecommunications providers across the Middle East are realigning their strategic priorities, recognising artificial intelligence not just as an operational tool, but as a primary catalyst for commercial expansion.

A recent study has underscored this shifting landscape, revealing that service providers in both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia anticipate high-capacity AI-driven network services will become a dominant force in generating net-new revenue over the next three to five years.

Conducted by Ciena with Censuswide, the research polled 100 service provider experts in the UAE and 100 in Saudi Arabia, forming part of a global analysis of 1,200 respondents across 12 countries. The findings demonstrate a clear consensus on the financial potential of AI infrastructure, including the connectivity required by enterprises, hyperscalers, and neoscalers. According to the data, 96 per cent of UAE service providers and 90 per cent of their Saudi counterparts expect AI-enabled network services to primarily drive near-term revenue growth.

To support premium enterprise AI service-level agreements (SLAs), robust network infrastructure is essential. The survey highlights a pronounced urgency within the region, particularly in the UAE, where 97 per cent of service providers report an immediate need for optical network upgrades. This figure noticeably outpaces the Saudi Arabian average of 86 per cent and the global average of 88 per cent, indicating an aggressive approach to network modernisation.

Pete Hall, regional managing director for the Middle East and Africa at Ciena, articulated the nuances regarding this transition.

“Globally, service providers are balancing optimism with urgency about AI-driven revenue opportunities,” Hall stated. Addressing the distinct positioning of the Gulf, he added, “The survey findings for UAE and Saudi Arabia showed the same optimism, but urgency sits at the center of the conversation. In the UAE, service providers are treating network upgrades and automation as something to act on now, not plan for later. In Saudi Arabia, service providers are also focused on AI inference, service reliability, and sovereign infrastructure requirements.”

Divergent cloud and interconnectivity strategies

While the ambition to monetise AI is shared, service providers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are charting divergent paths for cloud connectivity and data centre strategies:

• AI Inference and Data Centres: Growth in AI inference data centres is expected to influence demand for interconnect services heavily. In Saudi Arabia, 58 per cent of respondents foresee this increase, tracking above the global average of 49 per cent. Conversely, only 37 per cent of UAE providers share this expectation.

• Multi-Cloud Connectivity Models: Saudi operators prioritise multi-cloud connectivity management, leading as a revenue driver for 64 per cent of respondents. In a reversal of global patterns, 57 per cent of UAE providers still view traditional fixed-capacity services as their primary revenue model, placing it ahead of multi-cloud management (46 per cent).

• Wholesale Hyperscaler Demand: Accommodating hyperscalers is universally critical. This segment is viewed as a substantial contributor to wholesale revenue growth by 99 per cent of UAE respondents and 91 per cent of Saudi respondents, aligning with the global average of 95 per cent.

Expanding portfolios and quantum-safe security

Beyond core connectivity, telecommunications organisations are identifying emerging avenues to expand AI-related revenue streams. Physical AI ecosystems, encompassing industrial robotics and remote-control systems, present a significant opportunity. Fifty-two per cent of UAE respondents and 37 per cent of Saudi respondents anticipate physical AI will account for more than 15 per cent of total enterprise AI revenue within five years. Furthermore, service providers across both markets recognise strong commercial potential in offering GPU-as-a-service.

Network performance and security posture are also undergoing rigorous re-evaluation. In Saudi Arabia, guaranteeing performance stability and maintaining low jitter is considered the leading premium monetisation opportunity. This focus on reliability is cited by 42 per cent of Saudi respondents, surpassing the global baseline of 35 per cent.

Meanwhile, the UAE is demonstrating rapid acceleration toward advanced security frameworks. The deployment of quantum-safe encryption is emerging as a near-term reality. Fifty-four per cent of UAE service providers confirm they have launched or expect to launch quantum-safe offerings within twelve months, compared to 38 per cent among Saudi counterparts. This highlights the UAE's expedited timeline for commercialising secure network solutions.

The GCC's digital transformation represents a monumental $260 billion economic opportunity.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stands at the precipice of a sweeping digital transformation, one that promises to reshape its economic landscape for decades to come.

Across the region, artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a theoretical technology into the bedrock of future economic diversification. According to a vital research study published by Strategy&, this digital pivot represents a staggering US$260bn economic opportunity for the Gulf. However, unlocking and sustaining this immense value is not guaranteed. The core finding of the report delivers a stark warning: to protect this $260bn windfall, the GCC must urgently secure critical AI chokepoints. If these vulnerabilities are left unaddressed, the region risks jeopardising its most promising avenue for post-oil economic growth.

The anatomy of global technology chokepoints

To comprehend the scale of the challenge facing the GCC, one must look at the broader architecture of the global AI industry. The concept of 'chokepoints' refers to the highly concentrated, easily disrupted nodes within the global supply chain that are absolutely essential for AI development and deployment. These bottlenecks are multifaceted, encompassing the physical, digital, and intellectual infrastructure required to sustain machine learning models.

Currently, the global AI ecosystem is overwhelmingly reliant on a handful of international suppliers. Advanced semiconductors, particularly the graphics processing units (GPUs) necessary for training complex AI models, are manufactured in highly concentrated geographic hubs. Similarly, high-bandwidth memory chips and the specialised networking equipment required to move data efficiently within vast data centres represent significant vulnerabilities. For the GCC, a region aggressively building its digital capacity whilst importing much of the foundational hardware, these global chokepoints represent a critical strategic risk. Over-reliance on external supply chains means that international trade disputes, manufacturing delays, or geopolitical shifts could severely restrict the Gulf’s access to the very tools it needs to realise its $260 billion AI ambitions.

Protecting a US$260bn economic engine

The US$260bn opportunity identified by Strategy& underscores just how deeply AI is expected to penetrate the Gulf’s primary industries. The GCC is rapidly transitioning away from hydrocarbon dependency, favouring knowledge-based economies championed by national frameworks such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s strategic digital initiatives. In this context, AI is slated to drive unprecedented productivity and operational optimisation across sectors ranging from logistics and aviation to healthcare, sovereign wealth management, and smart city development.

However, a topic-first analysis of global technology deployment reveals that an economic opportunity of this magnitude cannot be sustained on fragile foundations. The Strategy& report's focus on securing chokepoints is a clarion call for proactive defensive strategies. If the Gulf cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to advanced computing power, the deployment of enterprise AI applications will stall, significantly eroding the projected economic gain.

Strategic avenues for regional resilience

Securing these critical nodes requires a coordinated, multi-pronged approach to supply chain resilience and infrastructure sovereignty. To safeguard the future of its digital economy, the GCC must focus on several core strategies:

• Supply Chain Diversification: Moving aggressively away from single-source dependencies for vital hardware, including advanced AI processors and networking silicon, ensuring multiple procurement pathways.

• Sovereign Infrastructure Investment: Accelerating the construction of localised, state-of-the-art data centres. By bringing computational power within their own borders, GCC nations can ensure data sovereignty and operational continuity.

• Capitalising on Energy Supremacy: Artificial intelligence is incredibly energy-intensive. The Gulf states can leverage their massive, reliable energy grids—and growing renewable energy capacities—to position themselves as globally competitive hubs for sustainable AI computation.

• Cultivating Domestic Expertise: Reducing reliance on imported intellectual capital by heavily investing in local talent programmes, ensuring the region has the engineering and development expertise required to maintain sovereign AI systems.

Securing the digital horizon

This massive valuation is a testament to the GCC’s immense potential as a global technology leader. Yet, as the Strategy& study makes clear, potential alone is insufficient without highly secure infrastructure. By proactively identifying and reinforcing critical AI chokepoints, the Gulf can insulate its technological investments from global volatility. Securing these vital nodes is no longer merely a matter of standard IT procurement; it is a fundamental pillar of national economic security and the absolute key to realising a prosperous, digitally driven future.