Alibaba Cloud, the data intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, held its inaugural Middle East and Africa (MEA) Internet Summit in partnership with UAE-based artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing company Group 42.
Drawing the participation of technology experts and executives from the region’s top 100 internet companies, the summit took place during the Ghyma Conference 2019. Among the distinguished guests were Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, chairman of the Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi; Mohammed Gheyath, executive director information security operations, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority; Ibrahim Ajami, head of Mubadala Ventures; Peng Xiao, CEO, Group 42; and Selina Yuan, president, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International.
Topics covered included maximising the potential of cloud and AI, leveraging the internet to thrive in the new digital age, taking e-commerce to the next stage of growth, the start-up and financial technology (FinTech) landscapes in the Middle East and Africa and the online entertainment revolution in the region.
The MEA Internet Summit builds on Alibaba’s existing partnerships with over 30 local vendors across a wide variety of technology segments. In addition, the company invests in the development of UAE youth through its collaboration with Khalifa University that identifies opportunities in areas such as data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and cloud computing.
“This is an exciting time for internet companies across the globe, and lately we have seen a surge in the number of innovations spanning diverse domains – from retail to fintech and entertainment,” said Yuan. “At Alibaba Cloud, our mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. We are proud of our role in helping enterprises expanding into some of the fastest-growing vertical markets through our proven technology capabilities, such as AI and machine learning.”
“As a leader in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in the UAE, we are proud to partner with Alibaba Cloud to help governments and key industries thrive in the age of digital transformation. Our first MEA Internet Summit aims to provide a platform for industry executives, developers, scientists, investors and pioneers from top internet companies in the region to exchange experiences and ideas on adopting emerging technologies to drive growth and social progress, both locally and internationally,” added Xiao.
“Our economic policy and strategic plans not only see innovation as a technological aspect, but also believe in the importance of building people, their ability to innovate and the transfer and application of knowledge to embody the principles of sustainability,” stated Al Hajri.
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