UAE-based global technology group e& has announced a strategic collaboration with IBM to develop an enterprise-grade agentic artificial intelligence foundation. The initiative, revealed at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, will initially focus on enhancing the company’s policy, risk, and compliance functions.
From Chatbots to Action-Oriented AI
This collaboration marks a significant evolution for e&, moving beyond traditional natural language processing-based chatbots towards a more sophisticated, action-oriented AI. The new solution is designed to be deeply integrated into core enterprise systems, governed by strict controls to ensure traceability and alignment with governance requirements.
The new agentic AI solution is built on IBM watsonx Orchestrate, a platform that provides access to over 500 tools and customizable, domain-specific agents. Integrated with IBM OpenPages and the broader watsonx portfolio, the system aims to empower employees and auditors to efficiently access, interpret, and act upon complex legal, regulatory, and compliance information.
Successful Proof of Concept at Enterprise Scale
The viability of the project was demonstrated through a joint proof of concept delivered in just eight weeks. The trial, conducted by IBM, Gulf Business Machines (GBM), and e&, successfully showcased the deployment of agentic AI at an enterprise scale under real-world conditions.
IBM’s Client Engineering team led the design and system integration, with GBM providing crucial support through project coordination and its deep familiarity with e&’s existing OpenPages and watsonx Assistant environment.
Hatem Dowidar, Group Chief Executive Officer of e&, stated that the collaboration supports the scaling of trusted, governed agentic AI by embedding intelligence directly into risk and compliance workflows.
A Strategic Move for Governance and Efficiency
According to e&, the solution is engineered to enable complex reasoning and task execution within defined governance, risk, and compliance controls. The primary goals are to streamline compliance processes, significantly reduce response times, and facilitate continuous self-service access to critical information across the entire organization.
The project is one of the region’s first enterprise-grade implementations of agentic AI. It also utilizes watsonx.governance, which is already in use at e&, to ensure robust oversight.
Ana Paula Assis, Senior Vice President and Chair for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific at IBM, noted that the proof of concept shows how agentic AI can be designed and validated for enterprise-scale use with governance and accountability built in from the start.
About e&
e& is one of the world’s leading technology and investment groups. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the Group operates in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. e& provides innovative solutions and services in five main business pillars: etisalat by e&, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise, and e& capital.
Source: Fast Company Middle East
