050: RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? How the Middle East is driving technology innovation and spend
Release Date: 05/23/2023
059: AI & Advertising: From MAD MEN to MACHINE LEARNING
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056: DEMYSTIFYING AI: The NO BULLSHIT Guide
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In this episode of TechBurst Talks, we’re cutting through the AI hype and making sense of the endless buzzwords flooding the industry. You’ve heard them before—AI, ML, DL, LLM, SLM, RAG, ChatGPT, Custom GPT, NLP—but what do they actually mean? Joining me is Bernard Leong, host of the Analyse Asia podcast, founder of Dorje.ai, and a leading expert in AI. Together, we break down these terms in a way that’s accessible, practical, and bullshit-free—no matter your background. What makes this episode different? Bernard and I learn in completely different ways: 🔹 Bernard,...
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In this episode of the Techburst Talks podcast, we delve deep into the current challenges and future prospects of the telecom industry. I'm joined by industry veterans from and , CEO of , the discussion spans a wide array of topics including: the financial viability of 5G - is anyone actually making $$$? the adaptation of telcos to new technologies like IoT - can telcos deliver complex solutions? and the increasing importance of customer-centric business models. The conversation also examines the role of #AI in transforming the industry, the impact of global markets, and the structural...
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053: The NO BULLSHIT Journey: Discovering Your True Self
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052: THE MIDDLE EAST STARTUP ECOSYSTEM: The money is there, now what?
TechBurst Talks
If you keep up to date with the latest technology news, you know that the momentum and investment has shifted from Asia to the Middle East. But gone are the days where countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE just import technology and talent - the new trend across the Middle East is how to create a home-grown technology startup ecosystem - and this is what we are going to cover in today’s podcast. Let’s face it - money is not going to be an issue - but as we have seen from other countries, just throwing money at the startup ecosystem is no guarantee that it will be successful. ...
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051: AI, CHATGPT & FLYING TAXIS: How Government-led initiatives drive the Middle East's Innovation Ecosystem
TechBurst Talks
In Part II of our Middle East Deep Dive, we talk with Carrington Malin to find out how the government's in the Middle East are driving unprecedented growth and innovation. But it's more than just the tech, they are up-skilling their workforces and training students on how to leverage emerging technologies to transform the traditional industries that support their economies - and develop new ones. Exciting times to say the least... Show Notes: 1:00 Intro to Carrington Malin and the various roles he has played in the Middle East’s technology ecosystem for the past 30 years. 5:00...
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050: RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? How the Middle East is driving technology innovation and spend
TechBurst Talks
This is the first in a series on Technology and Innovation trends in the Middle East. Things have gone quiet in Asia post-pandemic - and the global recession has not helped. However, the Middle East is thriving. Hardly a week goes by where there isn’t another jaw-dropping announcement related to emerging technologies like AI, autonomous vehicles and the Metaverse in the Middle East - or the massive investment in initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s NEOM. To help us delve deeper into the Middle East’s technology innovation landscape, I’m joined by . He's based in Abu Dhabi,...
info_outlineThis is the first in a series on Technology and Innovation trends in the Middle East. Things have gone quiet in Asia post-pandemic - and the global recession has not helped.
However, the Middle East is thriving.
Hardly a week goes by where there isn’t another jaw-dropping announcement related to emerging technologies like AI, autonomous vehicles and the Metaverse in the Middle East - or the massive investment in initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s NEOM.
To help us delve deeper into the Middle East’s technology innovation landscape, I’m joined by Danial Mausoof. He's based in Abu Dhabi, but covers the Middle East and Africa as part of his job, so we are lucky to have him with us to share his unique insights and perspectives.
Show Notes:
02:45 Key market trends in the Middle East
06:30 The Talent Issue: How the Middle East is starting to build a local talent pool to drive and support innovation
08:30 Overview of the three key markets: Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi
13:00 Why the recession has not derailed tech spend in the Middle East.
16:45 The state of 5G in the Middle East - and why they could lead in 5G monetisation
23:00 Artificial Intelligence: How the combination of investment, education and regulation is making the Middle East a leader in AI
28:00 Smart Cities: How the greenfield Smart Cities like NEOM will drive global innovation
33:00 Autonomous Vehicles: How the Middle East’s progressive regulatory environments have ensured they will lead in self-driving taxis and, believe it or not, flying taxis
40:00 Our future forecasts - when will we go beyond the hype on….
- 5G
- 5G monetisation
- Artificial Intelligence
- Large Language Models (e.g. ChatGPT)
- Metaverse
- Smart Cities
- Autonomous Vehicles