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Amira Khalil

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Amira Khalil writes for ICN.live since early 2024 and covers Health, AI trends, and global markets, with contributions to Finance Magnates, The National Business, and DailyMoney. Her writing reflects a strong interest in cultural change within digital economies. She studied Broadcast Journalism at Cairo University.
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi

AIREV has announced that Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the UAE-based AI company behind OnDemand, a sovereign-grade agentic AI operating system engineered in the UAE and deployed in markets worldwide.

The move aligns one of the country’s flagship technology companies with the national trade agenda, as the UAE works to expand its export base into high-value digital and AI services.

Al Zeyoudi’s new position reflects the growing role of advanced technologies and digital services within the UAE’s foreign trade strategy, following a record year for the country’s non-oil trade performance.

Al Zeyoudi said the growth of AI in the UAE through companies such as AIREV reflects the next stage of the country’s export ambitions. “The UAE has built one of the world’s most dynamic trading economies, and our next frontier is to export not only goods and services, but homegrown technology and the intellectual property behind it. AIREV is a UAE company whose sovereign platform and agentic solutions have earned the validation of leading global technology firms and now travels into the world’s most demanding markets. I look forward to supporting the company as it scales, ensuring its growth contributes directly to our national goal of increasing non-oil exports and consolidating the UAE’s position as a hub for advanced industries.”

AIREV entered the UAE market through the NextGen FDI initiative and was anchored by Core42, a G42 company, in February 2024. In the roughly two and a half years since, it has grown into a production-grade agentic operating system carrying a valuation of approximately US$200 million.

Its flagship platform, OnDemand, is a no- and low-code operating system for building, deploying, and managing autonomous AI agents. The platform is designed to run wherever a customer requires, giving governments and regulated enterprises full control over their data, models, and infrastructure. OnDemand serves more than four million AI-first users worldwide and offers over 300 specialised agents and tools across more than 50 languages.

Over the past year, AIREV has established a network of strategic partnerships spanning the global AI and semiconductor ecosystem. The company entered a strategic partnership with Intel to optimise OnDemand for Intel processors and subsequently to bring autonomous AI agents to Intel’s next-generation AI PCs. It also entered a partnership with US chip company Tenstorrent to co-develop a high-performance agentic AI stack for enterprise and sovereign applications, launching a dedicated Agentic AI Development Node in the UAE.

Working through the private sector, AIREV has registered OnDemand for the North American market and built a distribution pipeline reaching from Abu Dhabi into the United States technology economy – the first time a UAE software company has combined silicon certification, hardware pre-install, and US-market registration in a single, self-reinforcing motion. The scale of that activity is measured in throughput: across 2025, AIREV’s products collectively surpassed one trillion tokens, a first among GCC technology companies at that scale, and in the second quarter of 2026 alone reached 6.8 trillion, roughly a sixfold increase. Each token generated abroad represents a unit of UAE-engineered intelligence delivered into a foreign market.

The company’s capital base reflects the same export thesis. Alongside Core42, AIREV has attracted inbound investment from VentureWave Capital, one of Ireland’s leading venture firms, together with Titian Capital, and is currently progressing a Series A2 funding round. On the distribution side, Redington, one of the largest technology distributors across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, has been appointed as AIREV’s distributor for 2026 to 2027 with planned expansion into Europe, giving OnDemand an established channel reach at scale.

Muhammad Khalid, Founder and CEO of AIREV, said the chairmanship gives the company an exceptional platform for global growth. “To have Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi as Chairman is an important moment on AIREV’s journey by linking the UAE’s foreign trade strategy of expanding the nation’s network of partners with a company that exports developed technology to markets around the world. Together, we will continue to prove that Emirati AI is not only globally viable, but globally exportable.”

AIREV’s growth reflects a wider shift that the UAE’s trade strategy is working to accelerate: moving the country from an importer of advanced technology to an exporter of it. By embedding UAE-engineered software inside certified global hardware and carrying it outward through established enterprise and government channels, every OnDemand deployment abroad converts domestic software engineering into non-oil export value – the highest-margin and fastest-compounding category of the diversification mandate set out in the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.


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Abu Dhabi's economic licence growth

Abu Dhabi’s economic licence growth reached 21 percent during the first quarter of 2026. The figure compares against the same three-month period recorded across the emirate one year earlier. Officials at the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA) released the new data this week. These numbers show strong demand for new economic licences that Abu Dhabi continues to attract. The body works as the arm of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). It develops and regulates the business sector across every region within the wider emirate.

Active licences across the emirate climbed 12 percent during the same opening quarter period. Growth appeared in every region, with Al Ain leading at a 58 percent rise. Al Dhafra recorded a 28 percent increase, while Abu Dhabi City posted 18 percent. New commercial licences grew 20 percent across the period, according to official records released. Professional licences rose sharply, jumping a strong 193 percent over the prior year’s figure. Agriculture, fisheries, and livestock activities each saw their licence count rise by 5 percent. Industry also moved forward, with production-phase licences climbing 3 percent across the opening quarter. Around 34 new industrial facilities entered full operation during the first three months of 2026.

WHAT THE INDUSTRIAL GAINS MEAN FOR YOU

These industrial gains support the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy (ADIS) and its long-term targets. Stronger supply chains and higher local production help the wider Abu Dhabi business ecosystem. Abu Dhabi’s economic licence growth shows the emirate can sustain momentum despite regional pressure. For investors like you, these figures point toward steady demand and genuine new opportunity.

Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, the Undersecretary of ADDED, welcomed the strong latest quarterly results. He said, “These strong indicators reaffirm the resilience and attractiveness of Abu Dhabi’s economy.” Al Mazrouei pointed to the emirate’s policies and legislative frameworks as central economic strengths. He also stressed continued engagement with companies, investors, and stakeholders right across the emirate.

ABU DHABI’S ECONOMIC LICENCE GROWTH SPREADS BEYOND THE CAPITAL

Smaller licence types also recorded strong gains during the opening quarter of the year. Tajer Abu Dhabi licences increased 17 percent, helping many home-based traders expand their work. Freelance licences soared 261 percent, a clear sign of strong independent business activity here. Mobdea licences grew 15 percent, supporting Emirati women who run small creative home enterprises. Advertisements rose 26 percent, while promotional offers added a further 2 percent across the quarter.

As I see it, these results point to broad confidence in the local economy. Mohamed Munif Al Mansoori, the Director General of ADRA, addressed the rising business demand. He said the authority will keep pace with ongoing changes across the wider business sector.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR YOUR NEXT MOVE

Strong Abu Dhabi’s economic licence growth reflects steady progress toward Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification. The emirate keeps shifting away from oil toward sectors like industry, tourism, and technology. For entrepreneurs, simpler procedures and faster approvals make local business setup far more practical. Your timing matters because the new economic licences Abu Dhabi issues keep climbing each quarter. The Abu Dhabi business ecosystem rewards firms ready to act on clear market signals. Abu Dhabi’s economic licence growth gives you a strong reason to plan ahead now.

Free travel insurance for UAE visitors

Free travel insurance for UAE visitors now lands as Etihad supports a fresh tourism plan. Etihad Airways teamed up with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi for this offer. The airline works with insurer Daman to cover every eligible international guest flying into Abu Dhabi. You receive this Etihad Daman insurance coverage automatically with each qualifying ticket you buy abroad. No separate form or payment applies here, so the process stays simple for arriving travellers.

Etihad free medical travel insurance explained

The plan runs from July to December 2026 and covers you for up to fifteen days. Any guest with a point of origin and point of sale outside the UAE qualifies. Travellers using the Etihad stopover programme also gain cover for their full Abu Dhabi stay. Your cover starts on arrival and supports you through hospital visits or urgent medical care. Antonoaldo Neves, the Etihad chief executive, welcomed the offer with these words to guests. “This is what it looks like when an airline and a destination truly invest in their visitors.” Strong demand returns as this Abu Dhabi visitors’ insurance reassures people booking trips to the Gulf. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed a full resumption of air traffic on May 2. A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran still shapes how people plan trips. Demand for Gulf flights climbs again as airlines report stronger bookings for the summer season.

What free travel insurance for UAE visitors means for you

Free travel insurance for UAE visitors removes one worry before you board your flight. Medical cover gives you support if you face an unexpected health issue during your stay. Emirates airline has not shared its full plan, yet its leaders point to broader passenger support. His comments point to support beyond fares, including help for families during travel problems. Tim Clark, the Emirates president, told Reuters the carrier plans incentives beyond simple ticket prices. Clark described an Emirates repatriation guarantee for travellers caught in any future operational disruption. “We would get you back irrespective of whether it is on Emirates or not,” he said.

Emirates repatriation guarantee and the bigger picture

The airline would fly stranded guests home on other carriers if needed, Clark explained to reporters. Emirates earlier dropped its profit targets while the regional conflict weighed on travel demand. Both carriers want to rebuild trust after airspace closures raised costs across the region this year. Airlines across the Gulf now spend more on guest care to win back nervous travellers. From my standpoint, this dual approach gives you clear reasons to trust UAE travel again. UAE travel insurance 2026 now sits at the centre of this confidence-building effort. You should check the terms before you travel, since dates and conditions apply to each ticket.

Reading the fine print helps you understand what each policy will and will not cover. Free travel insurance for UAE visitors shows how airlines now compete on safety and care. These offers give you stronger protection and more choice when you book your next Gulf trip. With free travel insurance for UAE visitors, you gain real peace of mind on arrival.