ET WLF 2026: Indian AI talent could use Dubai as global launchpad, says Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah

Indian AI talent could use Dubai as a base to enter markets across the Middle East, Africa and CIS countries, Dubai Chambers president and chief executive Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah said. The business chamber is working to create an AI corridor between Dubai and Bengaluru, he said. "The idea is to create an AI corridor between Dubai and Bengaluru, and then continue to other technology hubs in India," Lootah told ET's Dilasha Seth during a fireside chat.

He said Indian innovation and technology could be implemented in Dubai before being scaled across the wider region.

The proposed corridor comes as Dubai accelerates efforts to make its private sector "powered by agentic AI". The objective is to improve productivity, profitability and service quality across industries, including traditional sectors like manufacturing and retail.


"AI is not looked at as a luxury," Lootah said, adding that businesses increasingly wanted to know where and how they could begin adopting the technology.

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Dubai Chambers signed two memoranda of understanding during Lootah's recent visit to Bengaluru, one with IT industry body Nasscom and the other with the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Access to talent remains critical as governments and companies around the world launch large AI projects, Lootah said.

"The running fuel of any AI project, especially one of a large magnitude, is AI talent, and that talent is available in India," he said.

The challenge, according to him, is to connect Indian specialists with markets, investors and entrepreneurial opportunities instead of limiting them to roles within large multinational companies. Dubai is seeking to position itself as a testing and growth base for such startups, supported by regulatory sandboxes that allow businesses to trial emerging technologies.

Lootah cited Dubai's decision to regulate virtual assets through a dedicated authority as an example of its willingness to frame rules for new sectors.

Over the past three years, Dubai Chambers has reviewed more than 200 policy proposals with private-sector representatives and submitted recommendations to the government. About 60% of these were accepted, Lootah said.

The technology push comes amid a rapid increase in the number of Indian businesses operating in Dubai. Dubai Chamber of Commerce added 7,579 new Indian companies during the first half of 2026, taking the number of active Indian member companies to 85,841 at the end of June-a 15% increase from a year earlier.