The rise of the robots and the impact on Dubai's economy

**The rise of the robot revolution has the potential increased productivity and economic growth.**Off the back of this, Dubai has launched a robotics and automation programme, led by the Dubai Future Foundation, to grow its future economy.

An initiative that looks to advance the contribution of the sector to 9% GDP within the next 10 years.

The programme was announced by the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He revealed the move looks to advance the emirate to become one of the top 10 cities in robotics and automation globally.

Khalfan Belhoul the CEO of Dubai Future Foundation says that robotics and AI combined will change the way we mobilise. He noted, from healthcare procedures and surgeries to the consumer and retail sector there will be a lot of involvement. He told Euronews, “We can only imagine the involvement of robotics to tap into our daily life when it comes to our retail experience. All the way from going to school to visiting the doctors. So you'll probably see more (advanced robotics) as we advance_._”

Experts have noted that increased efficiency means a serious addition to the economy, while reports suggest AI could add up to 13 trillion Euros to the global economy by 2030.

Commenting on the announcement, Scott Livermore, the Chief Economist and Managing Director of Oxford Economics Middle East stated there need to be several pillars to achieve this. He noted, if there is a comprehensive set of policies aimed at supporting investment in privatization and utilization, and a continuation of policies to attract foreign investment and foreign talent, then the policy could be a significant success.

He told Euronews, “Firstly, a