(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Arab nations are making the 'right move' in the field of technology, especially the UAE, said Hani Al Mulqi, Prime Minister of Jordan, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the first day of the Knowledge Summit 2017, which is being held under the theme of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Al Mulqi said: "What the UAE has done by appointing ministries in this field such as artificial intelligence, will benefit the entire Arab region and the coming generations."
Mulqi's panel at the summit was being moderated by Reem Al Hashmi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and the General Manager of the Expo 2020. He also said that Arab countries can also "succeed in developing advanced technologies and not just the Western countries", adding that the youth should be allowed to explore in the fields of technology.
"The youth are luckier than us because the science is open for everyone and we must not frustrate them. We must allow them to commit mistakes and if they commit mistakes, they will make it better," he said.
"We should not stop them to make positive developments. In Jordan, we say that we got our country from our fathers and we have to make it better for our children. They will make mistakes, but they will succeed at the end," he said.
He also insisted that Arab governments must work together to adapt to the changes that the Fourth Revolution will bring.
"The Fourth Industrial Revolution stands out from its predecessors because it includes all people, all societies and governments, unlike the previous revolutions which were limited to certain specific sectors," Al Mulqi said. "Arab governments must work to develop their operations to suit the changes that this revolution brings, and to channel them to serve Arab societies."
"We cannot let what happened in the previous revolutions happen again. Arab countries were completely uninvolved in the Second Industrial Revolution and we simply received the technologies of the Third one, without any contribution from our end. We do have the ability to play a big role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must also have the will to do so. The UAE has made great strides in that regard and its successes are a source of pride for all the countries of the region."
Al Mulqi further told the audience at the Knowledge Summit that the Fourth Revolution will not cause unemployment rates to increase.
"Technology will not replace humans as this goes against the basic law of supply and demand: Unless these technologies leave room for people to have jobs, these people will not have the money to buy the products these technologies will produce. We simply need to adjust our policies and steer them towards the benefit of the people," he said.
StHe called on Arab leaders to set the necessary legislation and instruments to produce knowledge and channel these developments towards the progress and wellbeing of societies.
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