American eCommerce giant Amazon has introduced its Echo lineup of smart speakers in the UAE with a localized version of its virtual assistant, Alexa.
According to the statement, Alexa will deliver local pronunciations and intonation, local knowledge, and nearly 200 Alexa skills from regional developers and brands including skills from Etisalat, Expo 2020, Domino’s, Fatafeat, Careem, Emirates NBD, DEWA, and so on.
Mr. Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, welcomed Alexa’s entry into the local market, remarking it as “on our way to becoming a world leader in artificial intelligence.”
“Much like AI is at the core of Alexa’s personality, we are working on doing the same for the entire nation-building an AI-driven economy that contributes significantly to education, government development, and the happiness of our community,” Mr. Al Olama said.
As per the statement, the Echo devices that were launched in the UAE include the fourth-generation Echo, Echo Dots, and Echo Shows 5, 8, and 10. Alexa, a cloud-based assistant, will answer questions, play music, read the news, recite the Quran, set timers and alarms, provide sports scores, and manage lights at home, and so on.
Mr. Tom Taylor, senior vice president for Amazon Alexa commented, “The team has worked hard to create an all-new Arabic experience designed from the ground up for Arabic-speaking customers and to optimize the Alexa experience in English for English-speakers to enjoy.”
“Not only is Alexa coming to the region with Arabic capabilities but Expo 2020 Dubai content is very much part of its introduction. This kind of innovation and cutting-edge technology is in the spirit of Expo 2020 and its themes, and we hope Alexa users have fun discovering even more about this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Ms. Manal Al Bayat, chief engagement officer of Expo 2020 Dubai.
