Omar Al Olama
{{Short description|United Arab Emirates politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Family name hatnote|Al Olama|lang=Arabic}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Omar Sultan Al Olama
| image = Omar Sultan Al Olama at the 2023 World Economic Forum (cropped).jpg
| caption = Omar Sultan Al Olama in 2023
| imagesize =
| office = Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications {{refn |group=lower-alpha| When Al Olama was sworn in, his title was listed as the Minister of State for Digital Economy, Artificial Intelligence and Remote Work Applications{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2020/July/11-07/The-UAE-government-ministers-sworn-in |title= UAE Cabinet ministers take their oath before Mohammed bin Rashid |publisher=Government of Dubai Media Office |date=2020-07-11 |accessdate=2024-03-05 }} but it is currently listed as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications on the United Arab Emirates Cabinet's website {{cite web|url=https://uaecabinet.ae/en/cabinet-members?page=6 |title=Members Of The Cabinet |website=uaecabinet.ae |publisher=Ministry of Cabinet Affairs |access-date=2024-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620204648/https://uaecabinet.ae/en/cabinet-members?page=6 |archive-date=2023-06-20}}
}}
| president = Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
| primeminister = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
| predecessor = Position established
| term_start = 11 July 2020
| office2 = Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence
| president2 = Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
| primeminister2 = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
| predecessor2 = Position established
| successor2 = Position abolished
| term_start2 = 20 October 2017
| term_end2 = 11 July 2020
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|2|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| alma_mater = American University in Dubai
American University in Sharjah
| nationality = Emirati
}}
Omar Sultan Al Olama (Arabic: عمر سلطان العلماء; born 16 February 1990) is Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications in the United Arab Emirates. He was appointed in October 2017{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/media-41683743|title=UAE: First minister of artificial intelligence don land|date=19 October 2017|work=BBC|access-date=5 July 2018}} by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The UAE was the first country to appoint a minister for artificial intelligence.{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/world-first-ai-minister-uae-2017-12?IR=T|title=The United Arab Emirates is the first country in the world to hire a minister for artificial intelligence|date=16 December 2017|access-date=5 July 2018}}
Early life and education
Al Olama was born on 16 February 1990 in Dubai. He has a bachelor's degree in Business and Administration and Management from the American University in Dubai, and a Diploma in Excellence and Project Management from the American University in Sharjah.{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-sultan-alolama-305b8366/|title=LinkedIn Profile Page}}
Career
Between February 2012 and May 2014, Al Olama was member of the corporate planning at the UAE's Prime Minister's Office. From November 2015 to November 2016, he was Deputy Head of Minister's Office at the UAE's Prime Minister's Office. Between December 2015 and October 2017, he was Secretary General of the World Organization of Racing Drones. In November 2017, he was appointed member of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation and Deputy Managing Director of the Foundation. In July 2016, Al Olama was appointed the managing director, and later in 2021 appointed Vice-Chair of the World Government Summit.{{Cite web |title=His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama {{!}} World Government Summit |url=https://www.worldgovernmentsummit.org/about/leadership/omar-sultan-al-olama |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=World Government Summit - Omar Sultan Al Olama |language=en}} In 2021, Al Olama was appointed as the Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, a sub-section of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.{{Cite web |last=Mansoor |first=Zainab |date=2021-06-27 |title=Sheikh Mohammed approves new board of Dubai Chambers |url=https://gulfbusiness.com/sheikh-mohammed-approves-new-board-of-dubai-chambers/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |language=en-US}}
During the cabinet reshuffle in 2023, Al Olama was appointed as the Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, concurrently maintaining his role as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.{{Cite web |last=National |first=The |date=2023-02-07 |title=Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announces Cabinet reshuffle |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/02/07/sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-announces-uae-cabinet-reshuffle/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=The National |language=en}}
Memberships
In November 2017, Al Olama was appointed as a member of the Future of Digital Economy and Society Council,{{Cite news|url=https://www.mocaf.gov.ae/en/media/news/uae-minister-of-state-for-artificial-intelligence-appointed-as-a-member-in-the-world-economic-forum-s-future-of-digital-economy-and-society-group|title=UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence appointed as a member in the World Economic Forum's Future of Digital Economy and Society Group|date=10 November 2017}} part of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Later in 2023, the World Economic Forum selected Al Olama to join the steering committee of the AI Governance Alliance, a group comprising 10 global leaders in the digital and technological fields.{{Cite web |title=Steering Committee |url=https://initiatives.weforum.org/ai-governance-alliance/steering-committee}}
In 2019, Al Olama was appointed as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.{{Cite web |title=Leadership and governance |url=https://mbzuai.ac.ae/about/leadership/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=MBZUAI |language=en}}
In 2022, Al Olama was appointed by the UAE Cabinet as Vice-Chair of the Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation{{Cite web |last=National |first=The |date=2022-08-01 |title=UAE to establish higher committee to drive digital transformation of government |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/2022/08/01/uae-to-establish-higher-committee-for-government-digital-transformation/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=The National |language=en}} and also appointed by the Government of Dubai as Vice-Chair of the Higher Committee for Future Technology.{{Cite web |last=People |first=Dubai |date=2022-07-26 |title=Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy formed in Dubai |url=https://dubaipeople.ae/2022/07/26/higher-committee-for-future-technology-and-digital-economy-formed-in-dubai/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Dubai People |language=en-US}} In 2022, Al Olama was appointed Chairman of the oversight committee of the Dubai Future District Fund.{{Cite web |title=Governance |url=https://dfdf.vc/people/governance/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Dubai Future District Fund |language=en-US}} Since 2023, Al Olama has been on the High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |title=Members |url=https://www.un.org/en/ai-advisory-body/members |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=United Nations |language=en}}
In 2023, Al Olama, recognized as the world's first minister for artificial intelligence, was included in Time Magazine's inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in AI.{{Cite web |title=UAE's Minister of Artificial Intelligence earns spot on Time Magazine's Top 100 AI voices list |url=https://fastcompanyme.com/news/uaes-minister-of-artificial-intelligence-earns-spot-on-time-magazines-top-100-ai-voices-list/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Fast Company Middle East {{!}} The future of tech, business and innovation. |language=en}}
Notes
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