Robotics and AI for Transforming Economy – Opportunities and Challenges in UAE
Professor, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Centre for Autonomous Robotic Systems
Abstract
The transformative potential of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly central to economic diversification strategies, particularly in rapidly modernizing states such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This talk examines the evolving role of Khalifa University on promoting Robotics and AI in shaping a post-oil, knowledge-based economy, with a critical lens on the UAE’s national development agenda. Drawing from ongoing initiatives like the UAE AI Strategy 2031 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution policies, we explore how intelligent systems are being integrated into key sectors —manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, energy, and public services—to enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability.
From an academic perspective, the UAE presents a rich “case study” for analyzing the co-evolution of technological innovation and institutional transformation. The deployment of robotics and AI is not only a matter of technical implementation but also of socio-economic engineering, demanding interdisciplinary inquiry into areas such as labor economics, ethics, cybersecurity, and governance. While opportunities abound—ranging from intelligent automation to data-driven policymaking—the challenges are equally complex. These include workforce skills training, the need for lifelong learning infrastructures, and the development of transparent regulatory frameworks.
The emphasizes the importance of Khalifa University research and higher education in shaping this transformation and action as catalysts for innovation, talent development, and knowledge transfer, fostering stronger academia-industry-government collaboration. Furthermore, the UAE’s ambition to become a global AI hub calls for critical reflection on the localization of technologies, cultural context, and long-term sustainability.
Biography
Jorge Dias has an Habilitation/Doctor of Science (2011) and a Ph.D. degree on Electrical Engineering (1994) by the University of Coimbra, Portugal. He is Full Professor at Khalifa University (Abu Dhabi, UAE). Jorge Dias coordinates research activities in Artificial Perception from the KUCARS (Khalifa University Center of Autonomous Robotic Systems).
His expertise is in the area of Robotics and AI, with speciality in Artificial Perception (Computer Vision and Robotic Vision). He have been doing contributions on the advancement of Robotics since 1984. Jorge Dias published several articles in the area of Computer Vision and Robotics that include more than 300 publications in international journals and conference proceedings. In 2011 published book on Probabilistic Robot Perception that addresses the use of statistical modeling and Artificial Intelligence for Perception, Planning and Decision in Robots.
Jorge Dias has been principal investigator and consortia coordinator from several research international projects, mainly in Europe. He was the Project Coordinator of two European Consortium for the Projects “Social Robot” and”GrowMeUP” that were developed to support the inclusivity and wellbeing for of the Elderly generation. More recently he coordinated the RISE Marie Curie project ECOBOTICS.sea that develops robots for surveillance of ecosystems, animal behavior and ecosystems modelling.