Montenegro stands on the threshold of a technological leap — this was the message delivered by global investor Mohamed Alabbar at the second national conference on artificial intelligence in Podgorica, where he stated that his future projects in the country will be fully designed and managed by AI. According to him, small states have a unique opportunity to adopt AI faster and more effectively than large economies, and Montenegro is the ideal candidate.
A small state, a big opportunity: AI as a formula for development
At the opening of the conference "AI DIREKTNO: Crna Gora u vrijeme AI izazova"("Montenegro in the time of AI challenges"), held on December 3, the President of the Montenegro Managers Association, Budimir Raičković, emphasized that advanced technologies are becoming the foundation of economic growth for modern small states.
Raičković also reminded attendees that Podgorica was recently chosen as the European Youth Capital for 2028, noting that young people should be active participants in digital transformation, not just users.
Alabbar: “Montenegro can become a global leader in AI development”
The conference’s main speaker, the founder of Eagle Hills, Emaar, and Noon, delivered perhaps the most ambitious statement of the day: Montenegro could become the site of one of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence projects.
According to him, in such projects AI will monitor key quality-of-life parameters — from energy and environmental pollution to safety and childcare — in full compliance with laws and environmental standards. Alabbar also noted that the next stage of global development will be cities fully managed by AI. These, he said, will not simply be “smart cities,” but a new form of urbanization where decisions are made faster and more accurately thanks to algorithms.
AI as a new talent: the advantage of small countries
Alabbar’s remark that “talent is now in the machine” drew particular attention, as it gives an advantage to small and agile states. He gave an example: in the past, his team needed six months to design a complex covering one million square meters. Now, thanks to AI, it takes just two days. “The design generated by AI is so good that even the best architects couldn’t improve it. And it makes no mistakes,” he said.
Dukaj: “The AI development strategy will change the way we live and work”
