UAE doubles down on K2 Think and AI strategy to grow digital economy

The UAE continues to position itself as a disproportionate player in the global AI race, and this piece knits together why: an assertive national AI strategy, flagship open‑source reasoning models like K2 Think, and a political narrative that casts AI as a core development pillar rather than a side project. The article leans heavily on quotes from leaders and KPMG’s CEO survey to argue that most Emirati executives now treat AI integration as a top priority and expect tangible returns within a few years. ([tawusal.com](https://tawusal.com/Newsy/5068.html))

The strategic bet is twofold. First, by funding MBZUAI and partnering with G42 on fully open‑weight reasoning models, the UAE is trying to build a sovereign stack that can compete with or complement U.S. and Chinese offerings. Second, by aggressively mainstreaming AI into governance, education, and non‑oil sectors, it aims to turn Abu Dhabi and Dubai into hubs for AI talent and capital across the broader Middle East and Global South. For AGI timelines, the main implication is that more jurisdictions are now pouring serious money into reasoning‑focused models and infrastructure, reducing dependence on a small handful of U.S. labs and increasing the diversity of approaches being tried.