‘Ai.SHA’ is an Azure OpenAI-powered digital assistant that can address queries regarding Qatar’s business opportunities, investment ecosystem, business setup and expansion and more.
Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency, Invest Qatar has teamed up with Microsoft for the development and launch of the ‘Ask Ai.SHA’ initiative.
On Tuesday, Invest Qatar published a press release which said ‘Ai.SHA’ is an Azure OpenAI-powered digital assistant that can address queries regarding Qatar’s business opportunities, investment ecosystem, business setup and expansion and more.
After opening the chat window, which is now live on Invest Qatar’s website, users are greeted with a friendly “Hi!” by the chatbot.
The welcome message also adds that ‘Ai.SHA’ has “done [her] homework on the investment landscape and business environment of Qatar,” and can direct users to non-virtual assistants if unable to answer any queries.
Invest Qatar says that their joint venture with Microsoft began in 2023, with a memorandum of understanding between the two entities to bolster Qatari innovation in the digital sector.
In a statement, Hamad Rashid Al-Naimi, Invest Qatar’s Strategy Manager, said “Ai.SHA will open new avenues for interested investors and streamline the decision-making process, enhancing its accessibility and efficiency.”
Invest Qatar’s cooperation with Microsoft to develop ‘Ai.SHA’ was also motivated by wanting to contribute to advancing Qatar’s knowledge-based economy, in line with the National Vision 2030 government manifesto.
QNV 2030 stipulated that a knowledge-based Qatari economy will be underscored by “innovation; entrepreneurship; excellence in education; a world-class infrastructural backbone; the efficient delivery of public services; and transparent and accountable government”.
According to a Zawya report, Invest Qatar’s ‘Ai.SHA’ has etched Invest Qatar as being one of the world’s first investment promotion agencies to utilise such technology to enhance services for Qatar’s investors and businesses.
Automation in Qatar’s Labour Ministry
On November 28 2023, Invest Qatar announced that it entered into a partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Labour to encourage joint initiatives that would develop and nurture the talents within Qatar’s workforce.
As part of this drive, the MoL has also co-opted artificial intelligence technologies within its framework.
Since November 2022, the MoL has partnered with Microsoft for its Cloud transition, which aims to refine the ministry’s operations, revitalise its management and improve customer satisfaction by facilitating smoother experiences, Qatar News Agency reported on December 31 2023.
QNA’s report also added that in a regional first, the MoL will incorporate A100 graphic processing units and Microsoft Azure technology to develop and enhance its services.
In a post via X, the MoL said the expansion of using artificial intelligence technologies within their framework was to update their management and enhance services.
This will maintain data and security privacy, promote AI initiatives in Qatar and leverage cloud computing infrastructure, the X post added.
In a statement to QNA, Sheikha Najwa Al-Thani, the MoL’s Assistant Undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs, said: “The incorporation of this new GPU infrastructure marks a notable milestone in Qatar’s dedication to adopting the most advanced technologies for enhancing management and service effectiveness.”
