Expand North Star: Dubai Leveraging AI to Combat Fraud and Boost Government Efficiency, Says Saeed Al Falasi

Expand North Star: Dubai Leveraging AI to Combat Fraud and Boost Government Efficiency, Says Saeed Al Falasi

The Dubai Future Foundation is actively harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to combat financial fraud and enhance operational efficiency across government services, says Saeed Al Falasi, Executive Director of Future Design and Acceleration at the Foundation.

Speaking to NorvanReports in an interview on using AI to detect and prevent fraud in the financial services sector on the sidelines of Expand North Star 2025 – the world’s largest startup and investor event – Mr Al Falasi highlighted the Foundation’s collaboration with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to tackle fraud in the fintech sector.

“Dubai actually has one of the largest numbers of fintech companies in the region, and one of the most important things that we’re working on is fraud detection,” said Mr Al Falasi.

He cited a notable initiative with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) where AI-driven facial recognition was deployed to allow investors to participate in court proceedings remotely, reducing the need for international travel while maintaining stringent verification standards.

“I think the IFC was one of the first government entities in the world to provide facial recognition specifically for court cases and to combat fraud,” he noted.

Mr Al Falasi also stressed the growing challenges posed by AI-enabled fraud, including the manipulation of documents and digital identities.

“Whether it’s creating videos of people, fake documentation, or altering passport copies, fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated,” he remarked.

Beyond fraud detection, the Executive Director emphasized the impact of the Future of AI Government Services Programme, which aims to integrate AI into daily government operations.

According to Mr Al Falasi, the programme has led to measurable improvements in operational efficiency and productivity, with the UAE Government now focused on consolidating these gains.

The remarks by Mr Al Falasi underline Dubai’s broader strategy to position itself as a global hub for AI innovation, particularly in fintech and government service delivery.