Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE), one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with Alibaba Cloud, a leading global provider of AI infrastructure and the intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation to support the adoption of Agentic AI technologies by Dubai’s private sector through capability building and training, startup incubation and support, and enterprise adoption.
The MoU was signed during the Dubai Business Forum – China, which was organised recently by Dubai Chambers in Shenzhen, by Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, and Dr. Feifei Li, Chief Technology Officer and President of International Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
The MoU supports the objectives of the initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to accelerate the private sector’s transition towards Agentic AI. The programme is overseen by Dubai Chambers.
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, commented: “We are committed to strengthening international partnerships in Agentic AI as an important enabler for knowledge exchange and broader access to specialised technologies and expertise. By deepening cooperation with partners from around the world, we are working to empower Dubai-based companies to develop their capabilities and leverage these technologies to enhance their operations and create innovative solutions and new business models. This will contribute to the growth of the digital economy and further strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for advanced technology.”
Eric Wan, General Manager of Middle East, Turkey and Central Asia, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: “Agentic AI is moving from experimentation to everyday business use, and the companies that move first will set the pace for Dubai’s digital economy. Having served customers in the UAE since 2016, we are pleased to bring our technology, training and startup programmes to the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s community — helping local businesses build the skills and confidence to put AI agents to work in their own operations.”
The MoU focuses on three areas of cooperation, covering the development of Agentic AI skills through the Dubai Chambers Academy, support for the establishment and acceleration of startups, and enabling enterprises to test and deploy solutions.
In the area of training and capability building, the cooperation includes access to training content, certifications, technical workshops, and expert-led sessions, as well as train-the-trainer programmes and educational resources for company employees.
The MoU also provides support to startups through technical mentorship, technology credits, compute resources, and software licences, in addition to connecting selected startups with Alibaba Cloud programmes and its network.
The third area of cooperation will explore ways to support enterprise pilots and production deployments, provide technical and implementation expertise, and showcase proven solutions through Alibaba Cloud Marketplace.
Alibaba Cloud has been a leading provider of cloud services to local private companies and public institutions in the UAE and the wider Middle East region since 2016 with two data centres launched. Alibaba Cloud Marketplace is an online platform that connects cloud users with independent software vendors, enabling them to discover, test, purchase, deploy, and manage third-party applications, data, and services.
The two parties will also collaborate on the development of case studies assessing business impact and commercial value.
