UAE highlights AI and food security as top growth sectors

Cisco executives emphasized that securing the rapid adoption of agentic AI is essential for UAE organisations. Jeetu Patel, Cisco President and Chief Product Officer, warned that "the ability to delegate a task in a trusted form is going to be the difference between being a market leader versus being bankrupt." Cisco outlined five measures—basic security controls, infrastructure upgrades, machine‑speed detection, embedded defenses, and AI‑driven protection—to close the AI trust gap.

At a panel hosted by Ajman Free Zone, business leaders identified AI, manufacturing, logistics and food security as the sectors with the greatest upside in the UAE. Group CEO of Virtuzone George Hojeige called AI "one of the biggest opportunities" and noted rising interest in data‑centres, e‑commerce and AI‑driven services. Zubair Ul Islam, Director of Sales at Ajman Free Zone Authority, highlighted food security as an "under‑served territory" with strong growth potential, especially in indoor farming. The panel also stressed the rising importance of compliance functions such as VAT, corporate tax and regulatory reporting for new enterprises.