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Analytical review
According to a PwC Middle East study (June 2025), the UAE is experiencing a shortage of 27,000 AI specialists with an ongoing demand of 30,100 experts. This creates a unique window of opportunity:
The MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence) program has allocated 120 grants to Russian specialists for 2025/26 academic year.
The Fund of $1.2 billion is used to cover:
Full tuition ($48,000/year)
Fellowship ($2,400/month)
Guaranteed internships at Microsoft Research, ADNOC AIQ and Group42 (source: official site of MBZUAI, section «Grants»).
Personnel transfer economy: Numbers and risks
Real consequences for the Russian market:
Direct losses:
Each outgoing middle/senior developer costs the company $102,000-218,000 (calculations HeadHunter Russia, Q2 2025):
[Replacement cost] = (3.8 months average AP 950,000) + onboarding
Indirect threats:
Leak of know-how: 89% of MBZUAI graduates work on projects that compete with Russian counterparts (analyst East-West Digital News).
Case: Strategy «Kaspersky 42»
Russia’s first hybrid R&D hub in partnership with Group42 (UAE):
| Arometer | Meaning | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $8.4 m | Tax benefits of TOSIR «Innopolis» |
| Retention scheme | Contract with clawback clause | Return guarantee 93% employees |
| Cooperation model | Distance learning during training | Saving up to 70% performance |
Result in 18 months:
14 employees remained loyal during training at MBZUAI
Created joint product KasperskySec for Oil&Gas (integration with ADNOC)
Comprehensive strategy for business: 4 effective steps
- Audit of command with reference to MBZUAI criteria
Key selection parameters at the university:
Publications in Q1/Q2 journals (IEEE, Springer)
Wins in NVIDIA Inception level hackathons
Experience of industrial implementation ML (>3 projects) - Structuring of «dual jurisdiction» contracts
The model agreement includes:
Recording of repayment obligations in the format:
Scholarship refund = [Grant amount] [1 – (Months worked/36)]
Remote work matching mechanism (up to 20 h/day during the training period)
. Building alliances through development institutions
Optimal channels:
Russian Export Center: Concessional financing of joint R&D
Dubai Future Foundation: Accelerated Product Certification
Skolkovo: Inclusion in the program «Technological bridge Russia-UAE»
- Cultural and legal training for migrants
Mandatory modules:
«UAE Personal Data Code» (PDPL 2024)
Shariah compliance in IT development
Basic Arabic for technical communication
Reduce R&D expenditure by 18-25% through access to university laboratories
Increase UAE market share from 2% to 9-14% in 3 years
Attract investments of Gulf funds at 3.5-5.8% annual rates
Recommended action
Analysts – perform stress test team: Test template from BCG
Lawyers – adapt contracts to Clause 4B MBZUAI Memorandum (Sample)
Strategists should apply to the Autonomous Cluster «Innopolis» by 15.09.2025 to receive grant platforms.
«Entering the global market begins not with a product, but with integration into educational ecosystems» – Alexei Komarov, SNN «Rosnano».
// Data sources: MBZUAI Academic Reports 2024-25, Central Bank of UAE, hh.ru IT Salary Monitor, PwC Middle East calculations.
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