Abu Dhabi, UAE. Ahmed Gamal, Regional Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at VAST Data, shared insights on AI infrastructure, adoption, and regional growth during the Machines Can Think Summit 2026. Gamal spoke in an interview with Justin Cooke at the event.
Gamal leads regional operations for VAST Data, a company delivering an AI operating system and unified data platform designed to support large scale AI projects across industries.
“Machines Can Think brings together AI experts, government leaders, vendors, and system integrators,” Gamal said. “This setting helps align on real use cases and the AI roadmap for 2026 across the UAE and the wider region.”
Gamal pointed to the UAE’s national AI strategy as a major driver of momentum. The country aims to become a global AI hub by 2031, with artificial intelligence contributing up to 14 percent of national GDP. Sovereign AI infrastructure projects form a core part of this vision.
He highlighted Stargate as one of the most significant initiatives underway. The project represents one of the largest AI data center developments outside the United States, with close to five gigawatts of power capacity designed to support large scale AI workloads.
“Stargate will power a massive AI infrastructure,” Gamal said. “This positions the UAE as an exporter of AI technology to the world.”
Looking ahead, Gamal emphasized that AI adoption already moved beyond pilot projects. Governments and enterprises now deploy AI in real environments with measurable outcomes.
“AI moved from proof of concept to production,” he said. “Education, healthcare, and smart cities already see real impact on quality of life.”
Gamal noted that return on investment now drives adoption decisions. Governments, enterprises, and individuals view AI as a competitive requirement rather than an optional experiment.
In closing, Gamal delivered a clear message on urgency and responsibility.
“AI is no longer a luxury,” he said. “People need to learn AI and use it responsibly.”
The discussion reflected core themes of the Machines Can Think Summit 2026, national AI infrastructure, real world adoption, and responsible growth across the region.
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Interview conducted by Justin Cooke at Machines Can Think Summit 2026