{"id":112953,"date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/02\/11\/this-morning-an-emirati-chatgpt-is-in-the-works-more-robotaxis-are-coming-to-dubai\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T00:00:00","slug":"this-morning-an-emirati-chatgpt-is-in-the-works-more-robotaxis-are-coming-to-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/02\/11\/this-morning-an-emirati-chatgpt-is-in-the-works-more-robotaxis-are-coming-to-dubai\/","title":{"rendered":"THIS MORNING: An Emirati ChatGPT is in the works + more robotaxis are coming to Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, everyone.<\/strong> Industrial interest in our Northern Emirates is our big story today, as we take a deep dive into why firms are looking to Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain and what it means for the sector. Our friends at Mashreq, along with Binghatti and Emirates NBD, are looking toward debt markets, and a raft of firms are offering up their earnings for inspection.<\/p>\n

PLUS- The new age is firmly upon the UAE<\/strong> as ChatGPT looks to roll out an Emirati version, and Uber and Baidu plan to bring their robotaxis to Dubai. There\u2019s also good news for sports firms, some new regulations from DIFC, and Masdar is making moves in Jordan.<\/p>\n

WEATHER- It\u2019s another hot but partly cloudy day in both Dubai an<\/strong>d Abu Dhabi<\/strong>, with Dubai seeing a high of 29\u00b0C and an overnight low of 18\u00b0C, while the capital will see a high of 29\u00b0C and a cooler low of 15\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

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Watch this space<\/p>\n

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<\/a> AI <\/strong>\u2014 State-owned AI firm G42 is partnering with OpenAI to build a UAE-tailored <\/strong>version of ChatGPT<\/strong>, Semafor<\/a> reports, citing people it says are familiar with the matter. The proposed version is designed for government use, set to understand the Emirati Arabic dialect, and programmed to adhere to content guidelines. The standard version of ChatGPT will still be available in the UAE, but responses may be adjusted to reflect local culture and regulations.<\/p>\n

REMEMBER- <\/strong>The UAE has long aimed to develop AI models fluent in Arabic<\/a> and aligned with its cultural values. Initiatives like the Technology Innovation Institute\u2019s Falcon and Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI\u2019s Jais exemplify this approach, building smaller niche tools optimized for Arabic enterprise, government, or even student use, rather than trying to compete at the global LLM scale.<\/p>\n

G42 and OpenAI are already working together <\/strong>on other UAE-based AI projects such as Stargate UAE<\/a>, part of a wider 5 GW US-UAE data center complex<\/a> in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n

IN OTH<\/strong>ER AI NEWS \u2014 <\/strong>MGX <\/strong>could back US-based AI startup Anthropic<\/strong>, with discussions underway for the state AI investor to plug hundreds of mns of USD into the startup as part of a wider USD 20 bn funding round, Bloomberg<\/a> reports, citing people it says are familiar with the matter. The anticipated round is expected to double the startup\u2019s valuation. An announcement is expected soon, though the investment size and structure are subject to change.<\/p>\n

We have a<\/strong>n idea who else may take part in the round: <\/strong>Private equity giant Blackstone is reportedly investing USD 200 mn in the startup, raising its stake to about USD 1 bn, as part of its ongoing funding round, Reuters<\/a> reports, citing people it says are familiar with the move.<\/p>\n

MGX has had its eyes on Anthropic for a while: <\/strong>MGX was in early talks<\/a> with Anthropic when the startup\u2019s CEO Dario Amodei toured the region late last year.<\/p>\n

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Data point<\/p>\n

<\/a> 19<\/strong>.6 mn \u2014 that\u2019s the total number <\/strong>of international visitors Dubai saw in 202<\/strong>5<\/strong>, a 5% y-o-y rise, according to the Dubai Economy and Tourism Department data picked up by the Dubai Media Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where are they coming from? <\/strong>Visitors from the GCC and wider MENA region accounted for the largest share at 26%, or 5.2 mn visitors, followed by Western Europe at 21%, or 4.1 mn visitors. Tourists from the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe, along with visitors from South Asia, were next up, each adding 2.9 mn visitors.<\/p>\n

Growth in hospitality offerings was a key driver.<\/strong> The emirate\u2019s inventory reached over 154k rooms across 827 hotels by the end of December, placing it neck and neck with London and significantly ahead of global peers like New York and Singapore.<\/p>\n

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PSA<\/p>\n

The UAE is formalizing corporate tax exemptions for the sports sector: <\/strong>The Finance Ministry issued a cabinet decision establishing a formal corporate tax exemption framework for specific sports entities, state news agency Wam<\/a> reports. The corporate tax is 9%.<\/p>\n

Why it matters: <\/strong>The UAE is extending a carrot to both international and local sports governance by reducing the fiscal burden on non-commercial sporting bodies.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Dubai residents, you can start hailing driverless cars on Uber as <\/strong>of next month <\/strong>if you\u2019re within the Jumeirah area, according to a statement<\/a>. China\u2019s Baidu is bringing Apollo Go to the platform, with expansions to other areas pending regulatory approvals and \u201coperational learnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

REMEMBER- Autonomous driving has taken off across the UAE in recent months<\/strong>, with Abu Dhabi having already rolled out licensed Level 4 robotaxis on Yas Island in December<\/a> and preparing to expand across core districts. WeRide received federal approval to operate its robotaxi services in October<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Dubai <\/strong>International Financial Center (DIFC) implemented its variable <\/strong>capital company (VCC) regulations<\/strong>, designed to expand options for investment structuring and asset management options for proprietary investment activity within the freezone, according to a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND- <\/strong>DIFC issued a consultation paper last June<\/a> for the new regulations, which are already in place in jurisdictions like Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n

The new rules: <\/strong>The regulation allows VCCs to be set up as standalone companies or as umbrella structures with incorporated or segregated sub-funds. Under the framework, share capital is aligned with net asset value, allowing the seamless issuance and redemption of shares and the movement of funds in and out without impacting the holding company or requiring shareholder approval. The structure also permits dividends to be paid out of capital as well as income, and it enables firms to hold separate asset and investment classes to cater to different risk profiles.<\/p>\n

Who is expected to opt in? <\/strong>The structure is expected to attract family-owned businesses, multi-asset holdings, and proprietary investment portfolios. DIFC widened eligibility criteria after the consultation paper, allowing any entity to set up a VCC as long as it appoints a corporate service provider. However, DIFC-regulated entities, authorized companies, publicly-listed firms, and government entities are exempt from this requirement. VCCs won\u2019t have to apply for DFSA authorization unless it carries out regulated financial activities.<\/p>\n

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Happening today<\/p>\n

It\u2019s day two of the <\/strong>US Chamber of Commerce\u2019s AI Acceleration<\/strong> business delegation\u2019s visit to the UAE.<\/strong> The delegation includes some 35 companies and 45 delegates, comprising a range of multinational \u201cgiants\u201d as well as smaller SMEs and startups with unique propositions, US Chamber of Commerce\u2019s VP of Middle East Affairs Steve Lutes has recently told EnterpriseAM UAE.<\/p>\n

On the agenda: <\/strong>The talks are aimed at taking US-UAE AI ties to the next level, with a focus on AI applications and the diffusion of AI across both economies, Lutes said. The goal is to facilitate conversations and partnerships between AI-adopting companies \u2014 in sectors like healthcare, energy, and finance \u2014 and technology providers capable of driving greater efficiency and productivity across those industries, he added.<\/p>\n

Also hap<\/strong>pening today:<\/strong><\/p>\n