DUBAI: The UAE is now using artificial intelligence to guide production decisions in its oil and gas sector, replacing traditional simulation-based methods, a senior official said during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

Speaking during the Factories That Think panel, the UAE’s Minister for Foreign Trade Thani Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi said the move marked a major step in the country’s adoption of AI, robotics and digital technologies across manufacturing, logistics, and energy sectors.

“Now we are applying AI. The AI tells us where to produce. We don’t need simulation engineers anymore to tell us where,” Al-Zeyoudi explained.

He said digitalization was also transforming the entire value chain, adding: “Digitalization and digital twinning are not only happening in factories, they are now across the entire value chain, from extraction and manufacturing to logistics, distribution and customs clearance.”

Al-Zeyoudi highlighted the UAE’s global logistics network, and said: “We have historically invested heavily in logistics, and today we are connected to around 250 ports around the world.

“The majority of consignments are now cleared before they arrive. What used to take a few days now takes just a matter of minutes.”

The minister also discussed the country’s shift away from labor-intensive models, and said: “This is no longer about wages; it’s about digitalization and improving efficiency in how we run operations.”

Robotics are being deployed at industrial sites to reduce downtime, and Al-Zeyoudi said: “Sites that used to shut down for three to six months can now be monitored by robotics during operation, reducing downtime to just a couple of days.”