Tech News
GLOBAL RETAIL INNOVATION STEPS INTO SMARTER PHASE DRIVEN BY AI AND AUTOMATION
Retail stores and supermarkets are now in the midst of an innovative transformation. Spaces that once used to be defined by stocked shelves and friendly sales associates are now experiencing the ripples of the accelerated digital transformation. Artificial intelligence (AI), automation and data-driven insights are paving the way for smart stores which, on one hand, offer shoppers personalised experiences, while on the other hand, help retailers better understand evolving customer behaviour.
Global trends show how food retailers are also piloting AI-first experiences that match personalisation and ease of eCommerce platforms. By integrating advanced features such as AI sensors, smart carts, autonomous checkout counters and real-time inventory engines, retailers are offering efficient, fast and hassle-free shopping. This shift also gives retailers the benefit of higher conversion and lower operating costs.
As technologies like AI continue to evolve, retailers are leveraging them to optimise pricing, predict consumer behaviour and enhance in-store experiences to create a dynamic retail environment internationally. Current trends indicate a shift towards AI-powered automation in supply chain management, augmented reality for enhanced shopping experiences, and AI-driven marketing strategies which will be discussed at Gulfood 2026, the largest global food show in depth.
Speaking of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Artificial Intelligence in Retail market report stated the nation is projected to grow from USD 16.82 million in 2023 to USD 157.86 million in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.21 per cent. The UAE’s grocery market is also expanding rapidly, projected to reach USD 38.6 million by 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7 per cent through 2029, with online sales accounting for 15 per cent of total sales. Likewise, Saudi Arabia’s online grocery sector was valued at USD 1.54 billion in 2024 and is expected to expand further, with a projected CAGR of 15.9 per cent through 2033.
Government initiatives to promote AI integration
The UAE government strives to capitalise on this positive market landscape by fostering a favourable environment for AI deployment and integration. Initiatives such as the UAE National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 aims to boost government performance and create new markets with high economic value by 2031, thereby positioning the country as a global hub for AI innovations. In line with this, the UAE government is encouraging retail businesses to integrate AI technologies into their operations.
Similarly, the UAE continues to host major global and regional events that accelerate the transformation of the retail sector and showcase the future of tech-enabled commerce. For instance, Gulfood 2026, the world’s largest annual food show, which is being held in Dubai, from January 26 to January 30 will showcase a wide array of innovations happening in the food retail sector. By convening global F&B leaders and decision-makers, including CEOs, heads of state, trade officials, investors, academics, scientists, tech innovators and more under one roof, it will set the ideal stage to lead open discussions and exchange ideas on the possibilities of AI integration and digital transformation in food retail.
Predictive Analytics and Demand Forecasting with AI
The growing momentum of technological innovations is further highlighted by increased use of AI-powered predictive analytics in the country’s retail market. Businesses are now leveraging data to forecast customer demand and optimise inventory management. AI-algorithms that accurately predict purchasing patterns, help retailers retain optimal stock levels, reduce waste and reinforce supply chain efficiency. It also helps retailers design engaging promotional campaigns, refine customer engagement strategies and align their stocks with seasonal trends. This aspect of predictive analytics is beneficial in the UAE’s rapidly evolving retail market, where demand fluctuations can be unpredictable and competitive pressures are high.
The country’s growing focus on AI-powered retail innovations is already being translated into real-world examples. Fully automated stores, such as Carrefour’s Dubai pilot, have proven that AI-powered retail is more than just a concept. These stores demonstrate how automation can improve efficiency, though they can also pose several challenges related to error resolution and data privacy.
Looking ahead, retailers that continue to embrace innovation are projected to unlock new market possibilities. The integration of AI will help refine everything from product selections and store operations to marketing campaigns, helping business leaders make informed decisions. Meanwhile, from a shopper’s perspective, the combination of advanced edge computing and digital signage can offer a personalised shopping experience. The integration of AI will also improve visual search capabilities, helping consumers to find items on retail websites simply with a picture of the item.
As the region’s retail sector continues to leverage AI’s vast possibilities, the key to success of these efforts lies in balancing innovations with customer centricity. The insights shared at Al-Futtaim’s AI in Retail Roundtable [3] offer a clear roadmap for GCC retailers to harness AI responsibly and effectively. In order to localise the experience, brands must design AI solutions that respect the region’s cultural diversity while meeting the expectations of an evolving customer base. Another key point highlighted during the roundtable is humanising the digital experience to ensure that technology strengthens emotional connections rather than replacing them. Retailers should also focus on seamless personalisation across channels, linking online and offline journeys into one unified experience.
Above all, the key to guaranteeing the success of this transformation is transparency and trust. By seeking consent and clearly communicating how data boosts customers’ convenience, retailers can build loyalty that lasts well beyond the transaction.
Tech News
The Executive Health Upgrade: Why Personalized Prevention Is the UAE’s Next Premium Category
How Prana AI + SindyXR Want to Make Personalized Health Routine in the UAE
By Integrator Web Editor

Most healthcare is built for emergencies. But the biggest risks to long-term health often develop quietly—sleep debt, metabolic drift, chronic stress, early cardiovascular strain. Prana AI and SindyXR are building a UAE-first model that treats health like a modern dashboard: establish your baseline, detect drift early, and guide course-correction through an AI “longevity OS” paired with concierge support.
The UAE is rapidly becoming a proving ground for next-generation, consumer-friendly health models that blend premium services with data-driven personalization. This article explores a shift underway in Dubai and the wider Emirates: moving from reactive, appointment-led care toward continuous, proactive “health operating systems.” Prana AI and SindyXR are among the emerging players aiming to productize prevention—making personal health measurable, understandable, and easier to follow through on.
“Most healthcare is built for emergencies. Personalized health is built for trajectory.” – Christopher M. Hill, Board Chair, President, and CEO of SindyXR
From Firefighting to Flight-Checking
Most of us treat health like a fire alarm: we respond when it’s loud enough to ignore. A symptom appears, we book an appointment, get a prescription or advice, and move on. That model isn’t “bad”—it’s just built for a different job.
Reactive healthcare is excellent at handling acute problems. But the biggest threats to long-term wellbeing often don’t arrive with sirens. They creep in quietly: chronic stress patterns, sleep erosion, metabolic instability, early cardiovascular risk, burnout. By the time something becomes obvious, the fix is harder, slower, and more expensive.
This is why “personalized health”—often described as preventive, longevity-focused, or precision wellness—is accelerating globally. The promise is simple and non-medical: know your baseline, track changes over time, and act early with clarity.
In the UAE, where performance, pace, global mobility, and high expectations are everyday realities, that promise is especially relevant. People want health experiences that match how they actually live: fast, discreet, premium, and practical—with minimal friction and real follow-through.
Personalized Health, Explained Without the White Coat
Personalized health doesn’t require a medical degree to understand. It’s a system that does four things well:
- Establishes your baseline — a clear snapshot of how your body is functioning today.
- Detects drift over time — what’s improving, what’s stuck, what’s slipping.
- Translates data into action — simple, tailored steps you can actually do.
- Keeps you consistent — so improvements don’t fade after a “good month.”
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s trajectory. You’re not trying to “win health.” You’re trying to reduce risk and increase resilience—month after month.
“Think of it as a health command center: baseline, drift detection, and guided course-correction.” – Charles Cavo, DO Co-founder, Pounds Transformation
Why the UAE Is Ready for This Category
Dubai and the wider UAE are fertile ground for this model for three reasons:
- High intent: Many professionals already invest in fitness, nutrition, mental performance, recovery, and longevity practices.
- High friction: Even motivated people struggle to stay consistent when travel, deadlines, and family responsibilities pile up.
- High expectations: Premium experience isn’t a “nice to have” in the UAE; it’s a baseline for adoption.
Most people don’t need more information. They need a system that makes follow-through easier than falling off track.
That’s the core thesis behind Prana AI + SindyXR: the real disruption isn’t “one more health test.” It’s a repeatable operating model around the person that converts insight into sustained action.
Prana AI + SindyXR: A Hybrid ‘Longevity Concierge’ Built for Busy Lives
The Prana AI + SindyXR approach can be understood as three layers working together—each solving a different part of the real-world problem.
Layer 1: Precision diagnostics (the baseline)
This is the “what’s happening inside my body?” layer—advanced diagnostics designed to establish a meaningful baseline across key health domains. Not just a basic annual check, but a deeper view intended to help identify risk patterns early and prioritize what matters now.
Crucially, the output has to be readable, not intimidating: scores, trends, and plain-language insights that allow non-medical professionals to understand what they should focus on—without getting buried in numbers.
Layer 2: Prana AI as the Personal Longevity OS (the daily system)
This is where personalization becomes real. Many wellness apps can nudge, but they often lack context—your baseline and your changes over time.
Prana AI’s role is to function like a health command center:
- Daily routines that fit real schedules (sleep, movement, recovery, nutrition prompts)
- Wearable integration where available (to track trends, not obsess over single readings)
- Progress tracking that emphasizes trajectory (what’s changing, what isn’t)
- Quarterly and annual comparisons to identify drift early
The design intent is simple: reduce decisions. When people are busy, friction kills follow-through. The “OS” needs to feel like a co-pilot—not a second job.
Layer 3: SindyXR concierge + expert ecosystem (the follow-through engine)
The uncomfortable truth about health is that many people already know what to do. The problem is friction:
- booking
- scheduling
- follow-up
- accountability
- decision fatigue
SindyXR’s concierge layer aims to handle the “life admin” of better health—connecting users to curated experts, creating structured sessions, enabling community learning (webinars and roundtables), and coordinating next steps so momentum doesn’t fade.
This is the difference between:
- “I should do something about this,” and
- “It’s scheduled, guided, and underway.”
“The innovation isn’t one more test—it’s the operating model around the person.” – Sumit Puri, CEO & Co-Founder, Prana AI
The Closed Loop Most Health Experiences Don’t Deliver
Here’s what separates a premium testing service from a real system: the loop.
Most offerings stop at “test + report.” Some add “test + report + generic advice.”
The Prana AI + SindyXR model is designed to deliver a full cycle:
In other words:
- you don’t just learn your numbers,
- you change the trajectory, and
- you prove it over time.
That loop is the true product: a repeatable “operating model” for personal health.
Who It’s For First: The Executive Longevity Circle
The initial positioning is clear: this is built for people who are time-poor, performance-driven, and outcome-focused—CXOs, founders, board-level leaders, and globally mobile professionals (often 45+).
It’s a pragmatic wedge. High-touch membership models can:
- protect quality while the system is refined,
- build trust through experience rather than marketing,
- generate credible outcomes stories (the only marketing that matters in health).
From there, the model can expand into broader segments and partnerships—especially in an environment like the UAE where premium experience and measurable outcomes are powerful adoption catalysts.
The Trust Test: No Magic Claims, Just Clear Guardrails
AI in health is powerful—and sensitive. Adoption depends on trust:
- What is informational vs diagnostic?
- How is data stored and consent managed?
- How are recommendations explained?
- Where does clinician oversight come in?
The healthiest framing is simple: AI doesn’t replace doctors. It reduces noise, spots patterns, and improves follow-through. It helps people act earlier, more consistently, and with fewer blind spots.
What Success Looks Like in the UAE
If Prana AI + SindyXR execute well, the UAE could become a flagship market for a new category: personalized preventive health that feels as seamless as concierge banking.
Success won’t be measured by how “advanced” the tech sounds. It will be measured by:
- consistent engagement over months (not weeks),
- measurable improvement in key markers,
- fewer health surprises,
- better energy, sleep, recovery, and resilience.
Because the future of health won’t be another appointment.
It will be a smarter system around you—quietly keeping you on course.
“The UAE is uniquely positioned to lead this shift: people here value time, discretion, and outcomes. Personalized health will win when it feels as seamless as concierge banking—and as measurable as a performance dashboard.” – Subrato Basu, Global Managing Partner, The Executive Board
Tech News
AL OSTAD PALLET FACTORY APPOINTS ZAYSTACK INTELLIZENCE TO ADVISE ON DIGITISATION AND AUTOMATION PROGRAMME
Process digitalisation programme set to create another industry benchmark for Dubai Industrial City-headquartered Al Ostad Pallet Factory

Al Ostad Pallet Factory, based in Dubai Industrial City, has appointed ZayStack Intellizence to deliver a groundbreaking programme to digitise and automate core business processes across sales, procurement, production, inventory, and delivery.
Under the agreement, ZayStack will support an initial three-month phase focused on “quick wins and foundations”, including current-state assessment, process mapping and advanced software and AI tool recommendations. The project will also see rollout of practical templates, dashboards and minimum viable automations, designed to improve visibility and accountability across operations.
The recently inked agreement is part of Al Ostad’s continuing evolution, ensuring it keeps delivering value to its ever-growing customer base, building on more than 25 years in business with strong investment in the technology-driven future of the logistics sector.
The engagement aims to help Al Ostad reduce manual, person-dependent workflows and move towards a more digitally enabled, data-driven operating model that supports long-term growth, improved decision-making, and stronger customer communication. The project will help employees understand how to use cutting-edge AI tools to increase productivity.
Alex George, Managing Director, Al Ostad Pallet Factory, said: “Al Ostad Pallet Factory has grown on the strength of operational know-how and a hands-on approach. Now, we need to ensure our team is AI prepared, and that we all understand how to make best use of AI across our business.
“This programme is about putting the right digital foundations in place so we can improve visibility, reduce friction in day-to-day workflows, and scale with confidence, all while continuing to deliver reliably for our customers.”
Alex is keen to implement cutting-edge technologies at his 8,000 square meter DIC manufacturing facility, and is intent on becoming “best in class” for logistics and packaging solutions, aiming for the number one position regionally.
“We’re on track,” Alex says with confidence. “It’s about being ready for the future – a future where technology, sustainability, and supply chain resilience define the leaders in manufacturing. We want to be at the forefront of that shift.”
Alex believes the new workflows Zaystack will deliver will create a new industry benchmark in the region.
Tarun Malik, Partner, ZayStack Intellizence LLP, said: “Manufacturing businesses don’t need ‘digital’ for its own sake, they need practical systems that improve speed, accuracy and accountability. We’ll be working closely with Al Ostad to identify critical workflows and establish the dashboards, templates and ‘intelligent’ automation foundations that support sustainable, long-term adoption.”
The programme also includes a review of document management and IT readiness (hardware and network), with training and change-management support to help teams adopt new ways of working.
Tech News
BOLT GAINS GROWTH MOMENTUM AS 1,823 NATIONAL TAXIS JOIN PLATFORM

Marking another milestone towards shaping the future of urban mobility in the UAE, Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), together with its strategic partner Bolt, has entered into a strategic alliance with National Taxi LLC to enhance the ride-hailing experience for residents and visitors across Dubai.
The partnership was formalised through the signing of an agreement between Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi Company, and Toufic Mitri, Managing Director of National Taxi LLC, marking a significant milestone in Dubai’s journey toward smarter, more accessible, and customer-centric transport solutions.
Under the agreement, 1,823 National Taxi vehicles will be seamlessly integrated into the Bolt platform, significantly expanding fleet capacity and service coverage. The integration will increase availability, reduce waiting times, and enhance overall operational efficiency, delivering faster ETAs and a more reliable customer experience, particularly during peak periods. The expanded fleet also supports higher driver earnings through increased trip volumes, while reinforcing Bolt’s position as a trusted and growing e-hailing platform in Dubai.

Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi Company, said: “At DTC, we are committed to building strategic partnerships that enhance customer experience while strengthening Dubai’s mobility ecosystem. Through this collaboration, and with the addition of National taxis to our existing fleet of over 10,000 taxis on the Bolt platform, we are expanding access to taxis and embedding them more deeply into the digital ride-hailing experience. This integration brings us closer to reaching 80 percent target set by Dubai Government of converting street hailing trips to e-hailing.”
“The growing demand for taxi services in Dubai is being driven by rapid digital transformation, sustained urbanisation, strong tourism growth, and ongoing fleet modernisation, key pillars of a thriving city’s economy. By aligning our services with these drivers, we are building a resilient, future-ready mobility network that supports economic growth, improves driver opportunities, and delivers seamless journeys for residents and visitors alike.”, he added.
“We are glad to have our fleet of 1823 taxis on one of the UAE’s leading e-hailing platforms, Bolt. This partnership represents a significant step forward in optimising fleet utilisation and enhancing operational efficiency. With the smart technology and real-time demand matching capabilities of the Bolt platform, we are able to reduce idle time, improve driver productivity, and deliver faster, more reliable service to customers. Beyond efficiency, this collaboration enables us to elevate service quality while supporting more sustainable mobility through better route optimisation and reduced unnecessary mileage.”, said Toufic Mitri, Managing Director of National Taxi LLC.
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