Fujairah has put artificial intelligence, advanced chips and economic competitiveness at the centre of a high-level policy discussion, with the Crown Prince of Fujairah saying the emirate will continue backing projects that strengthen the UAE’s position in the global AI race. The message came during a session at the Majlis Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi titled “The AI Race: From Optical Chips to Economic Power”, held in Fujairah on April 13.
H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi said investment in advanced technology and scientific innovation was essential to building a competitive, knowledge-based digital economy. The gathering focused on the growing importance of semiconductor technology linked to AI, especially optical computing, as countries and companies seek faster processing, lower power consumption and greater control over strategic technologies.
The discussion featured Professor Hoda Alkhzaimi, Strategic Advisor in Economics and Investment at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Dr Kanish Al Qubaisi, an Emirati researcher in advanced technology. According to the official account of the session, Dr Al Qubaisi presented a project involving an electro-optical chip that uses laser light to accelerate AI and machine-learning calculations while maintaining high energy efficiency. Professor Alkhzaimi argued that digital sovereignty now depends on combining scientific innovation with infrastructure development, a point that places chip design, computing capacity and local talent in the same strategic frame.
That framing reflects a wider shift in the AI economy. As generative AI moves from experimentation to deployment, the contest is no longer only about software models or headline-grabbing chatbots. It is also about the infrastructure beneath them: chips, data centres, power supply, networking equipment and the researchers able to translate laboratory ideas into commercial systems. Reuters has reported that the global build-out of AI infrastructure has drawn billions of dollars in spending commitments, while the demand for semiconductors and related hardware continues to reshape industrial priorities across the United States, Asia and the Gulf.
Optical and photonic technologies have gained particular attention because of one stubborn problem facing the AI boom: energy. Conventional electronic chips remain dominant, but the scale of training and running advanced models has pushed power demand sharply higher. In April last year, Reuters reported on Lightmatter’s work on a chip that uses light rather than electrons to perform computations, part of a broader push to improve speed while cutting electricity use. That helps explain why the Fujairah discussion placed optical chips alongside economic power rather than treating them as a niche academic subject.
For the UAE, the topic also fits a national pattern. The country has been positioning itself as an early mover in AI through state-backed investment, data-centre expansion, partnerships with major technology firms and programmes aimed at building domestic expertise. Microsoft said in a January 2026 report that the UAE ranked first globally in AI adoption among the working-age population at the end of 2025, at 64.0%. Reuters has also reported on the UAE’s expanding role in AI infrastructure and semiconductor supply-chain diplomacy, including large-scale projects tied to data-centre capacity and closer technology coordination with Washington.
Fujairah’s intervention is significant because it shows the AI agenda extending beyond the biggest commercial hubs into a wider emirate-level policy conversation. The event brought together officials, specialists and young participants, with attendees including UAE astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Dr Sulaiman Al Jassim, Chairman of the University of Fujairah. That mix suggested an effort to connect public policy, education and frontier research, rather than leaving AI solely to ministries, sovereign funds or multinational companies.
It also underlines a more practical challenge for Gulf economies. Prestige projects and capital commitments can attract attention, but sustained influence in AI will depend on whether governments can support research ecosystems, encourage commercialisation and develop skilled workforces fast enough to keep pace with global competition. Analysts have repeatedly warned that access to chips and capital alone will not secure long-term leadership without stronger local capabilities in engineering, design and deployment. Reuters Breakingviews made a similar point in examining the Middle East’s AI ambitions, arguing that talent depth may prove as important as money.
H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi said investment in advanced technology and scientific innovation was essential to building a competitive, knowledge-based digital economy. The gathering focused on the growing importance of semiconductor technology linked to AI, especially optical computing, as countries and companies seek faster processing, lower power consumption and greater control over strategic technologies.
The discussion featured Professor Hoda Alkhzaimi, Strategic Advisor in Economics and Investment at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Dr Kanish Al Qubaisi, an Emirati researcher in advanced technology. According to the official account of the session, Dr Al Qubaisi presented a project involving an electro-optical chip that uses laser light to accelerate AI and machine-learning calculations while maintaining high energy efficiency. Professor Alkhzaimi argued that digital sovereignty now depends on combining scientific innovation with infrastructure development, a point that places chip design, computing capacity and local talent in the same strategic frame.
That framing reflects a wider shift in the AI economy. As generative AI moves from experimentation to deployment, the contest is no longer only about software models or headline-grabbing chatbots. It is also about the infrastructure beneath them: chips, data centres, power supply, networking equipment and the researchers able to translate laboratory ideas into commercial systems. Reuters has reported that the global build-out of AI infrastructure has drawn billions of dollars in spending commitments, while the demand for semiconductors and related hardware continues to reshape industrial priorities across the United States, Asia and the Gulf.
Optical and photonic technologies have gained particular attention because of one stubborn problem facing the AI boom: energy. Conventional electronic chips remain dominant, but the scale of training and running advanced models has pushed power demand sharply higher. In April last year, Reuters reported on Lightmatter’s work on a chip that uses light rather than electrons to perform computations, part of a broader push to improve speed while cutting electricity use. That helps explain why the Fujairah discussion placed optical chips alongside economic power rather than treating them as a niche academic subject.
For the UAE, the topic also fits a national pattern. The country has been positioning itself as an early mover in AI through state-backed investment, data-centre expansion, partnerships with major technology firms and programmes aimed at building domestic expertise. Microsoft said in a January 2026 report that the UAE ranked first globally in AI adoption among the working-age population at the end of 2025, at 64.0%. Reuters has also reported on the UAE’s expanding role in AI infrastructure and semiconductor supply-chain diplomacy, including large-scale projects tied to data-centre capacity and closer technology coordination with Washington.
Fujairah’s intervention is significant because it shows the AI agenda extending beyond the biggest commercial hubs into a wider emirate-level policy conversation. The event brought together officials, specialists and young participants, with attendees including UAE astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Dr Sulaiman Al Jassim, Chairman of the University of Fujairah. That mix suggested an effort to connect public policy, education and frontier research, rather than leaving AI solely to ministries, sovereign funds or multinational companies.
It also underlines a more practical challenge for Gulf economies. Prestige projects and capital commitments can attract attention, but sustained influence in AI will depend on whether governments can support research ecosystems, encourage commercialisation and develop skilled workforces fast enough to keep pace with global competition. Analysts have repeatedly warned that access to chips and capital alone will not secure long-term leadership without stronger local capabilities in engineering, design and deployment. Reuters Breakingviews made a similar point in examining the Middle East’s AI ambitions, arguing that talent depth may prove as important as money.
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