STANDPOINT by Atique Naqvi

HyperloopTT will begin the process of integrating their full-scale passenger capsule for passenger trials as early as 2020 The commercial operations of super high-speed hyperloop transportation in the UAE’s capital are likely to be realized only by 2023, however, the trial runs could begin as early as 2020, Bibop Gresta Chairman of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) told Zawya. With tubes assembled and pumps installed, HyperloopTT will begin the process of integrating its full-scale passenger capsule for passenger trials as early as 2020 for the multi-billion-dollar commercial project connecting Abu Dhabi with Dubai and Al Ain, the chairman said.. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

"The private sector in the UAE should invest more in AI as no business is immune to new technologies" Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics in healthcare, trade, and transportation are set to boost several ancillary industries and provide huge growth opportunities for the businesses in the GCC. While the UAE government is figuring out opportunities in artificial intelligence to make targeted investments, the private sector should venture into the area more robustly as no business sector is immune from new technologies and right investments now will set the tone for future growth, according to the German-Australian scientist and AI expert Dr. Christian Guttmann. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

50% of government transactions to be on Blockchain by 2021. Government departments in the United Arab Emirates are adopting blockchain technologies faster than the private sector, and there are more than 30 projects under development as part of Smart Dubai initiative alone. As part of this initiative, Smart Dubai has launched a blockchain platform as a service to host government use cases, and over all there are more than 30 blockchain platforms under development. “Through this policy, government entities are encouraged to establish integration channels with the aim to improve functioning of services that cut across areas of responsibility of several entities, and increasingly to enable digital integration with the private sector,” the report said. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

Jebel Ali Port in Dubai The dwindling buying power of consumers, owing to slow economic growth, is adversely affecting trading companies and putting pressure on average industrial rents in the UAE. Though rents have plunged in the first two quarters of 2019, this is seen as an opportunity for firms to scale up their businesses. Average headline industrial rents have softened in Abu Dhabi and Dubai by 12.1 percent and 4.8 percent respectively in the first two quarters of 2019, according to global real estate consulting and research firm Knight Frank. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

The insurance market for small and medium enterprises (SME) in Dubai is likely to see significant growth in the first two quarters of 2020 owing to the positive sentiment around Expo 2020 and increased economic activity, a senior insurance executive said. Shrinking profits of SMEs have curtailed the spending power of such businesses in the past 12 to 24 months resulting in slow growth for SME insurance market, said a senior AXA Gulf executive. Speaking to Zawya on the sidelines of Smart SME MENA conference in Dubai last Wednesday, Lee said the growth opportunities in the SME insurance market is a result of strong initiatives by both Dubai and Abu Dhabi Governments. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

Have you heard of job titles such as A.I. Ethicist, VR Architect, and Systems Farmer? Over the next three decades, new technologies are expected to create jobs that do not exist today. The findings of a new study titled ‘Future Skills for Business’ by British multinational defense, security, and aerospace company BAE Systems were that 47 percent of the people aged between 16 and 24 believe that one day they will work in a role that doesn’t exist yet. “Only 18 percent think they are equipped with the skills required to future-proof their careers and 74 percent feel that they are not getting enough information about careers that will be available in the future,” said the study. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

First 3D printed office structure in Dubai Few industries are witnessing a widespread adoption of 3D printing technology, which represents only 0.1 percent of the total $13.1 trillion value added through the global manufacturing industry. Advisory firm Moody’s Investors Service says that 3D printing technology is used in niche applications and will help boost companies’ profitability and market shares in a limited number of industries. Click here to read from the original article on Zawya news website - a Thomson Reuters company.

POLITICAL POLICY MAKERS ARE HEAVILY FOCUSED ON DOMESTIC ISSUES IGNORING GLOBAL PROBLEMS The world is entering into a dangerous zone, where the ill-effects of the current government policies will be seen in the decades to come, reveals the Political Risk Outlook 2019 by Eurasia Group. The New York-headquartered political risk consultancy identifies the most challenging political and geopolitical trends and stress points for global investors and market participants in 2019, as well as a few red herrings-issues that, despite media attention, are unlikely to pose a significant threat or drive instability in the coming year. Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer and Chairman Cliff Kupchan presented this year’s report. “The political risk outlook for 2019 is reasonably good,” said Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer. “But nearly all of the geopolitical developments that matter are now trending in the wrong direction. That’s unprecedented in my lifetime. These issues, if left unaddr