Dubai, UAE: India’s Consul General in Dubai, Satish Sivan, emphasized that the India-UAE partnership has become a benchmark for global and bilateral collaboration.

Speaking at the Indiaspora Global AI Summit on February 26, 2025, at the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), Sivan participated in a panel discussion titled “Leadership Dialogue: Investing in an AI-Ready Workforce.” The event concluded the four-day Indiaspora Forum for Good (IFG) 2025 from February 23-26, 2025, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Sivan highlighted the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed in just 88 days of negotiation in 2022, covering 99 per cent of tariff lines.

The agreement has significantly boosted bilateral trade, increasing from $60 billion to $85 billion within two years. Both nations are now aiming for $100 billion in non-oil trade, despite the current geopolitical landscape, he noted.

AI and India-UAE Collaboration

Sivan underscored the strategic AI collaboration between India and the UAE, emphasizing its role in sectors such as urban development, infrastructure, waste management, healthcare, and education.

“I think India and UAE would be able to collaborate and deliver for global good,” he added. 

Indiaspora’s Executive Director Sanjeev Joshipura moderated the panel, which also featured Director of Projects at DFF, Hamad Al Shirawi.

Citing an IBM Consultancy report, Sivan noted that India leads globally in AI adoption, with 58 per cent of Indian companies already integrating AI into their operations, followed by the UAE and the U.S. He said these three countries are actually at the forefront of adopting AI.

AI Regulation and Future Prospects

He emphasized that AI itself is not new but has gained prominence since the launch of ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, in 2022. Sivan stated that generative AI needs to be “handled,” rather than strictly “regulated.” The key challenge, he noted, is to ensure that its benefits reach the public while mitigating risks.

“The Government of India has been very active in collaborating with partners,” he added, highlighting India’s 2018 MoU with the UAE on AI cooperation such as healthcare, education, agriculture, space technologies. He also pointed out India’s leadership in global AI governance, including its role in co-chairing the AI Action Summit with France.

Emphasizing that India is at the forefront of global collaboration, he pointed out that, in 2015 both countries jointly launched the International Solar Alliance. India and France are important partners on the Solar Alliance.  

Sivan stated that India is actively working with the UAE, US, France, and other like-minded nations to emphasize the significance of utilizing AI for the greater good of humanity. Additionally, he highlighted the need to build capacities through a sustainable manner. He also noted that India collaborates on green energy, solar power, and sustainable development models.

AI Week in Dubai: A Call for Greater Indian Participation

Al Shirawi invited CG Sivan to encourage greater participation from Indian businesses in Dubai’s AI Week from April 21-25, 2025.

Dubai believes in “collaboration,” more than “competition,” Al Shirawi said, praising the synergy between the UAE, India, and the U.S. He mentioned that’s the approach of a “global,” Dubai.

According to him, Dubai’s AI Week will host major events, bringing together global CXOs, investors, innovators, government entities, policymakers and academia to create an impact in the AI field. DFF will also have special programs such as AI Retreat, Dubai AI Assembly, and the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, alongside collaborations with entities like the Dubai International Financial Center.

Al Shirawi also emphasized DFF’s key focus areas, particularly the Device Center for AI, which is dedicated to advancing AI governance, policymaking, and real-world applications. The center aims to drive meaningful progress in the field.

Additionally, DFF is actively engaged in raising awareness about AI through various initiatives and projects. One notable effort is the “One Million Prompters” initiative, designed to equip one million individuals with essential skills in prompt engineering.

“We aim to future-proof Dubai,” he said, reinforcing the city’s commitment to global AI leadership.

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