RuZe Liang is the AI architect and AI Tech Lead for Tonomus, NEOM. He has 10 years’ experience in AI, machine learning and deep learning, with advanced knowledge of LLMs. RuZe has successfully delivered megaprojects and PoC for both public and private sectors. He holds an h-index of 21 following his PhD, and in 2022 he was honoured as an outstanding alumnus by the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
In our latest post, RuZe Liang reflects on the pivotal stages in his career, including his move to the Middle East, a region that’s fast establishing itself as a thriving global hub for AI and data. With its rapid tech advancements, numerous conferences and emphasis on continuous learning, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates offer a top-notch working environment to attract international talent:
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution began in October 2012, when neural networks returned to the academic forefront. Following this pivotal year, advancements in AI rapidly accelerated, garnering increasing attention from the US, China, Europe, and the MENA region, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
After obtaining my master’s degree in Taiwan, I headed to Saudi Arabia for my PhD. With the world-class supercomputing facility and strong academic resources, I’ve learnt many machine learning and deep learning knowledge and skills, and have been trained to be a problem solver. With the AI wave starting to surge, my AI journey evolved with the Middle East region.
The decision to work in UAE and KSA was driven by the region’s rapid technological advancements and the growing demand for data science expertise. UAE is on the track of being a preferred global AI hub thanks to the concerted efforts of the government in partnership with the private sectors, making the country an indispensable partner of choice for AI developers, startups, and companies from around the world. By 2023, more than 100k workers were employed for AI-related jobs. Meanwhile, KSA was determined to become the centre of AI innovation and the largest investor for the 2030 vision, creating > 40 billion USD investments to foster AI and other key technologies. All these recent actions indicate that UAE and KSA set goals for creating AI-incubating settings, attracting global talent to move to the Middle East.
Immersed in such an attractive and competitive working environment, my roles have been diverse, impactful, and challenging. In my early career as a data scientist, I have dedicated myself to several projects that heavily utilised natural language processing (NLP), computer visions (CV), and audio recognition to solve a variety of problems in different scenarios, ranging from social media, marketing, healthcare, education, and the oil & gas field. In order to achieve a minimum viable product (MVP), I developed a data pipeline and ML pipeline starting from data acquisition, preprocess, storage, data upload, model building, training, validation, and deployment, eventually automating the entire pipelines on the cloud or on-premises to deliver. With my extensive professional experience and expanded network, I started leading various teams, including AI, delivery, and engineering teams, offering direction and guidance to each. Concurrently, I designed comprehensive solutions and architectures by integrating different products, assessed network latency, calculated computational costs, developed solution matrices, and planned project delivery phases. I believe I’m on the right track to keep sharpening my AI skills, and to absorb these in-domain and outdomain knowledge and experiences.
As highly internationalised countries, the UAE and KSA offer tax-free packages and a topnotch environment to attract a significant influx of international talent, forming a cross-culture atmosphere and work style. Unlike the work culture in Asia, which often involves long hours, the work environment in the Middle East is more aligned with European and American standards. Some companies provide hybrid working styles, allowing employees to decide to work from home or office. The public sectors (together with a few private sectors) further introduce a four-day, work-week program, meaning employees would get three days off – Friday through Sunday. Besides this, the emphasis on continuous learning and opportunities for professional growth is obvious across several firms, encouraging people to participate in various AI events or conferences organised by the government, including Kaggle Days Meetup Dubai, AI Everything Global, LEAP Riyadh, and so on. This demonstrates that the UAE and KSA provide excellent working conditions with professional events, conferences, and meetups offering the opportunity to connect with fellow AI specialists and to stay updated with industry trends, fostering the development of leading AI technology giants.
Living & social life in the UAE and Saudi Arabia has been an enriching and unique experience, composed of a blend of Arabic tradition and modernity. In the UAE, cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi offer a cosmopolitan lifestyle with world-class amenities, providing residents with a variety of choices to enjoy. During the weekday, I will work out or exercise in the gym, or night-walk to refresh after work. On the weekend, I prefer going shopping with my local Emirati friend in the world’s biggest Dubai mall, visiting the Louvre Abu Dhabi for a tour of stunning modern architecture and Arabic history, or enjoying a social drink alone. The same life is also aligned with KSA, except alcoholic beverages aren’t allowed due to the law. Riyadh, the capital of KSA, offers a rich cultural life in such a great cosmopolitan city. My first site-tour was to visit Diriyah, guided by a Saudi colleague, enjoying the traditional ancient Saudi scene and participating in traditional Saudi festivals. The blend of historical charm and modern advancements makes Riyadh a fascinating place to live and work, reflecting the kingdom’s commitment to progress while preserving its cultural heritage. In brief, it’s a memorable life in the Middle East, with its astonishing city culture and the Arabic people’s warm hospitality.
Currently the KSA and UAE offer immense growth opportunities in data science and AI, focusing on smart city planning, AI-driven solutions, digital transformation projects, and several Giga-scale construction projects. Each of the projects required several experts and professionals in the domain field to bring up key AI solutions, project management, integration capability, contractor coordination, practical implementation plans, and timely project delivery. Meanwhile, the local government also puts in place various investments and vision funding to support AI and other advanced technology development, encouraging more and more people with ambitions and skills to start their businesses here. So far, there are nearly 2000 AI start-ups established in the Middle East, and various headhunters and talent acquisition teams are eagerly looking for candidates to relocate. All of which suggests that the opportunities for AI talents and for firms in UAE and KSA are tremendously high.
Conclusion
Reflecting on these years in the Middle East, I’ve invested my best time and finest years to these countries and contributed myself to their AI development and expansion. Combined with making good friends with several Emiratis and Saudis, the blend of professional opportunities and cultural enrichment makes my journey here full of meaning, and very precious. I feel very proud and honoured to be part of them and to offer my AI expertise and project experiences during their crucial time. We have not yet reached the final destination, and there will be more challenges to come. But I believe: Overcome the challenges, and the rewards will follow.
