The UAE government’s initiatives on net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 gained further momentum, with the US data analytical major SAS organising an executive event to discuss the way forward on digitisation and sustainable development in the country.
The event, organised at the Museum of the Future, brought together regional and business leaders across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) to discuss ways of continuing accelerating economic progress and digitalisation of society while ensuring a sustainable future for next generations.
“SAS is committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in alignment with UAE’s Sustainability Agenda. The UAE pledged to ‘leave no one behind’ and to shift the world to a sustainable and resilient path,” Tayfun Topkoc, managing director, META at SAS, said.
“For executives across the region, sustainability, talent growth and Cloud adoption are on the top of their agendas. Our goal is to empower companies to become truly data driven and make sustainable decisions based on analytical insights, ” he added.
Highlighting the importance of sound business practices and praising the UAE government’s commitment to net-zero carbon emissions, Meghan Gregonis, US Consul-General in Dubai, revealed SAS planned to partner with entities in the UAE to educate the next generation of data scientists and explore innovative ways to leverage artificial intelligence to build a more sustainable future.
“As the UAE prepares to host COP28 in November 2023, we are delighted to see US companies, such as SAS, aligned with the UAE’s vision to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Gregonis said.
Participants at the event, titled ‘Executive Experience 2022 – Building the Future with Sustainable AI’, agreed that cloud computing is the key, as it allows companies to shift focus and resources from operational work to innovation and agility.
Being a fundamental part of the country’s digital transformation as outlined in the UAE’s Vision, cloud computing makes companies more resilient and agile to withstand difficult and volatile times.
The talent gap was also addressed to a great extent by the participants. While investing in a team of data scientists with complementary talents could deliver significant value for organisations, the lack of skilled employees is becoming a challenge globally, with demand outstripping supply.
To address this problem, SAS said it was collaborating with universities across the region, bridging the gap between businesses and academia.
SAS also announced a nation-wide programme to be launched by the end of the year, with the aim of equipping the next generation of Emirati youth with the digital skills needed to compete in the current and future marketplace, contributing to the UAE’s Vision and driving the nation in the next 50 years.
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