It’s the final day of Gitex, and the penultimate day brought with it more AI training initiatives, sovereign platforms, and digital asset partnerships.

AI-

Investment Ministry and Microsoft to train 100k employees in AI: Microsoft will provide AI training to 100k employees across UAE government entities as part of the Investment Ministry’s AI National Skilling Initiative, geared towards specific industries, according to a press release. The initiative is part of an MoU the two signed to collaborate on using AI for investment analytics and financial forecasting.

In other training-related news, AWS and e& will train 30k in AI and cloud tech: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and telecom operator e& are training 30k citizens in artificial intelligence and machine learning as part of their AI Nation — Afaaq program, according to a press release (pdf). The e& Academy will deliver the training, and AWS will provide vouchers for industry-grade certificates as well as access to its digital training content and cloud coach support sessions. It is the latest move as part of a USD 1 bn partnership between the two firms signed in 2024.

e& is also partnering with Chinese partially state-owned technology company ZTE Corporation to co-develop 5.5G private-network solutions, TechAfrica News reports. The partnership looks to develop the smart city sector and will focus on solutions for drone deployment, smart surveillance, and other mission-critical operations for city operators and infrastructure firms.

…and launching a new Optical Innovation Center in partnership with Huawei, which aims to boost the deployment of AI in infrastructure such as transport and in-home connectivity, according to a press release. The two will partner on lab development and field trials, and the partnership’s initial focus points are hollow-core fibers to use in data centers, optical transport networks, AI agents to support infrastructure services, and technology to keep systems running in remote locations.

PLUS- e& enterprise, Intel, and Dell launch sovereign AI platform: e&’s tech solutions arm e& enterprise is launching the region’s first sovereign inference AI platform, powered by semiconductor giant Intel’s Gaudi 3 hardware and Dell’s AI Factory infrastructure, according to a press release. The in-country system will enable real-time, high-volume AI adoption across different workloads for enterprises and government agencies. The platform ensures data residency and compliance across sectors such as healthcare, finance, energy, and telecoms.

Meanwhile, data analytics firm Presight will launch an AI facility management system across Khazna’s 30 UAE data centers, according to a press release (pdf). It will deploy an AI-powered command and control platform to monitor energy, cooling, equipment performance, and security to reduce downtime across the 30 facilities and flag any issues before they arise. It will also improve operational efficiency by implementing smarter cooling systems and predictive maintenance.

Resource management also got some attention: The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) signed an MoU with AI-powered space tech firm Space42 to use AI and satellite imagery for energy and water management across the emirate, Wam reports. The partnership will provide high-resolution optical, radar, and thermal data to support infrastructure monitoring, flood resilience modeling, and real-time analysis of water and electricity systems, aiming to improve operational efficiency and sustainability.

ALSO FROM SPACE42- The firm signed MoUs with xMap, FortyGuard, AIRMO, and AlphaGEO to integrate their AI technologies into its geospatial intelligence platform GIQ, according to a press release. Each startup will contribute specialized tools — xMap for real-time environmental analytics, FortyGuard for AI-driven heat mapping, AIRMO for climate monitoring and emissions modeling, and AlphaGEO for advanced visualization and data fusion — to support GIQ’s capabilities in urban planning, climate resilience, and environmental management.

TELECOMS-

du, Elcome to bring 5G and Starlink to sea: UAE telecom operator du partnered with maritime electronics player and Starlink reseller Elcome to provide better connection at sea, according to a press release. The tie-up will combine du’s 5G and Starlink satellite systems to extend broadband and connectivity to hard-to-reach offshore locations, including on cargo ships, offshore gas rigs, merchant vessels, and private yachts.

CRYPTO-

Ajman Bank, Fasset to roll out shariah-compliant digital asset services: Ajman Bank signed an MoU with UAE-based digital asset platform Fasset to jointly launch shariah-compliant virtual asset offerings in the UAE, according to a press release. The partnership will see Fasset provide blockchain infrastructure and wallet solutions to enable tokenized assets, including S&P Shariah ETFs, gold-backed products, and stablecoin payment rails, integrated within Ajman Bank’s regulated environment for retail and institutional clients.

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