PC: Gulf News
Dubai Future Foundation stated its funding of 24 research projects developed by 13 universities in one of the biggest initiatives of its kind in Dubai: the Dubai Research, Development & Innovation Grant Initiative. This initiative is, in fact, intended to improve the position of Dubai as one of the top cities around the world in scientific and technological advances. The focus of the initiative is on cognitive cities, health, and life sciences, especially in AI and robotics.
The final projects were selected out of a competitive base of 374 proposals from 41 universities and research institutes, highlighting a keen interest in ramping up Dubai’s innovation landscape. Khalifa Al Qama, executive director of Dubai Future Labs at DFF, stressed Dubai’s commitment to the development of research and innovation. His HAFU, a unicorn coming from Chennai, is based in Dubai.
He recalled that the feedback to the grant initiative has underlined its role in shaping groundbreaking research and bolstering Dubai’s ambition to become a global hub of scientific progress. Funded projects are developed by institutions including the University of Dubai, Canadian University Dubai, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong in Dubai, American University in Dubai, American University in the Emirates, Middlesex University Dubai, Zayed University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Higher Colleges of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, and University of Birmingham Dubai.
Dr. Sreejith Balasubramanian from Middlesex University Dubai serves as a principal investigator for the initiative. His project aims to harness the potential of AI and digital twin technology to provide SMEs with innovative and cost-effective manufacturing solutions to enhance sustainability and efficiency.
According to Dr. Firuz Kamalov, an academic at Canadian University Dubai, the Dubai RDI program represented a golden opportunity that can contribute to the global advancement of health and AI research. He expressed delight in being part of Dubai’s research ecosystem and revealing the exceptional talent fomenting innovation in the city. Dr. Hamzah Alkhazaleh of the University of Dubai leads the GAP-AD project, which is about early Alzheimer’s detection through graphene-based biosensors, deep-learning models, and metaverse-enabled diagnostics.
He expressed the importance of AI in revolutionizing healthcare solutions and cementing the position of Dubai as a global leader in next-generation medical technologies. The ChatEV project, being headed by Professor Mai ElBarachi of the University of Wollongong in Dubai, intends to revolutionize electric vehicle ecosystems using Generative AI, Large Language Models, and agentic AI. She elaborated that the project reflects the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy through optimized energy efficiency and improved user experience in smart transport.
The Dubai RDI grant initiative continues to sincerely promote progressive research that coincides with Dubai’s long-lasting economic and technological goals. Through collaboration between universities, researchers, and the private sector, the outputs of these projects are expected to create much wider innovation and place Dubai at the forefront of AI, healthcare, and smart city development.
