Abu Dhabi-based AppliedAI is expanding into Asia

Abu Dhabi-based AppliedAI is taking its enterprise AI model to Asia: UAE–based AI firm AppliedAI is expanding into Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong this month, along with launching its latest platform Opus 2.0, according to a press release (pdf). The firm counts state AI firm G42, Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, and telecom giant e& among its backers.

The push is aimed at highly regulated sectors — such as banking, ins., and healthcare — where AI adoption often stalls after the pilot phase.

Why these markets? These markets stand out for their regulatory depth and sector concentration, founder and CEO Arya H. Bolurfrushan tells EnterpriseAM UAE. The operating model is intentionally hands-on, he said, adding that “AI adoption will be extremely localized […] You want folks to be in the office with you, helping you go through this, because it is your core process.”

Opus? Opus is built around a controlled approach to AI agents in enterprise workflows. The core idea is to move away from open-ended systems and instead structure processes into defined steps that can be tracked and reproduced. The platform charges based on completed work rather than software access.

The core pitch is control. Regulated sectors need a different design approach, Bolurfrushan said. “It’s not a black box where you say what you want to do and then have no idea what happens,” he said. “There’s a governed module that has full audit trails and traces who did what,” he added.

The backdrop: The expansion reflects a broader trend of UAE AI firms expanding into Asia and exporting their tech there. Earlier this year, Data analytics firm Presight, for example, lined up contracts and engagements in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia, while G42 signed a framework agreement in Ho Chi Minh City with a consortium to develop hyperscale data centers in Vietnam.