Introduction
DMCC, the leading international business district that drives the flow of global trade through Dubai, is revolutionizing operations and employee experiences through the adoption of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Generative AI (GenAI). By embracing cutting-edge AI-driven solutions, DMCC is enhancing operational agility, automating key processes, and redefining digital efficiency for businesses within its ecosystem. As a pioneer in AI adoption, DMCC is setting a new benchmark for innovation, automation, and seamless digital experiences.
About DMCC
Established in 2002, DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) was founded to position Dubai as a global gateway for commodity trade and enterprise. Over the years, it has become a key economic driver, contributing to 15% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) to Dubai and 7% of its GDP. DMCC is home to world-class developments such as Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and Uptown Dubai, accommodating over 100,000 working professionals, residents, and visitors. Recognized by the Financial Times’ fDi Intelligence as the world’s number one Knowledge Zone in 2024, having been awarded the publication’s Global Free Zone of the Year for nine consecutive years, DMCC continues to push the boundaries of business excellence and digital transformation.
Challenges Before Implementation
Before adopting OCI GenAI, DMCC faced several operational challenges:
- Manual handling of HR processes – While DMCC had Fusion self-service for leave applications, employees needed to access the intranet, click an SSO link, and manually enter three fields to apply for leave. However, other HR queries, such as approvals and general inquiries, were still manually handled, consuming valuable employee time.
- Overloaded HR teams for policy-related queries – Although employees could check their leave balance on their own, they still relied on HR for policy-related inquiries, leading to an increased workload for HR teams.
- Scalability of automation across departments – The organization needed to expand automation beyond isolated HR functions to enhance efficiency across multiple departments.
- Limited integration between enterprise systems – While DMCC had not integrated Fusion with other applications and did not currently require it, optimizing existing workflows and AI-driven enhancements could further streamline operations.
- The need for a digital assistant – A key requirement was an AI-powered assistant capable of understanding natural language, providing instant and accurate responses, and seamlessly interacting with enterprise systems to enhance user experience and productivity.
To overcome these challenges, DMCC needed an AI-powered platform that could provide immediate impact, integrate with their existing ecosystem, and continuously adapt to evolving business needs.
Why OCI GenAI?
DMCC partnered with Oracle for its seamless integration with Fusion applications, enterprise-grade security, and OCI Generative AI capabilities. A successful PoC with Conneqtion Group solidified Oracle as the ideal choice. Key reasons for selecting Oracle included:
- Leveraging OCI Generative AI and Oracle Digital Assistant to deliver contextual responses and enable self-service for HR, finance, and supply chain operations.
- Using OCI AI-Powered Document Understanding to automate document processing and extract key insights with enhanced accuracy.
- Enhancing AI responses with Oracle 23ai Vector Store for real-time retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) from enterprise documents.
- Ensuring faster processing, cost efficiency, and compliance with Oracle’s cloud-native AI services.
- Oracle’s robust cloud security met DMCC’s compliance requirements.
With Oracle’s trusted AI ecosystem and DMCC’s vision for innovation, the partnership was a natural fit.
Implementation Highlights
DMCC’s GenAI implementation was executed through a phased roadmap, ensuring seamless deployment and alignment with organizational goals:
- A tailored Proof of Concept (PoC) was conducted by Conneqtion Group to validate AI-driven automation.
- Employees receive instant AI-driven responses to HR policy inquiries in any language, reducing HR workload and improving efficiency.
- Using Oracle HCM Fusion, Oracle Digital Assistant (ODA), and OCI Generative AI, employees can seamlessly request leaves and HR letters.
- One-Click Expense AI Agent verifies expenses using Oracle Document Understanding and Fusion REST APIs, reducing manual effort and ensuring compliance.
- AI Adoption Dashboard built with OCI technologies offers real-time insights into employee engagement, absence trends, and workforce planning.
- Bilingual AI interactions in English and Arabic, seamlessly integrated with Fusion HCM, MS Teams, Intranet Portals, and mobile apps, with a customized UI/UX aligned to DMCC branding.
Deployment Timeline & Challenges Overcome
- 3 months to implement the HR policy RAG, Booking Absence, and Letter Requests.
- Challenges faced:
- LLM Hallucination – Continuous prompt redesign for accuracy.
- Agent Architecture Design – Generalizing the architecture across the whole system.
- Validations for Leaves / Letters – Rebuilding the validation mechanism referring to Fusion Fast Formulas.
- Date Extraction – Ensuring accurate interpretation of dates from user queries.
- Deployments from lower to higher environments using VB Studio for code maintenance and build pipeline.
- Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with SharePoint and MS Teams using OAuth2 verification.
- Optimized performance: Reduced boot-up time from 20 seconds to 10 seconds by deploying agents and custom components in Oracle Kubernetes Engine (OKE).
- Improved accuracy: Custom AI flows in the agent architecture enhanced the overall system efficiency.
Results That Exceeded Expectations
The deployment of Oracle GenAI at DMCC transformed operations, significantly improving efficiency, cost savings, and employee experience. AI automation cut HR workload, streamlined finances, and boosted self-service adoption. The scalable infrastructure now drives automation across enterprise functions, setting an innovation standard.
- Reduction in HR workload with AI-powered automation.
- Faster expense processing using the One-Click Expense AI Agent.
- Increase in employee adoption, reducing dependency on HR teams.
- Reduction in manual effort across HR and finance operations.
- Faster expense claim processing, accelerating approvals and compliance.
By leveraging Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and AI-driven automation, DMCC has set a benchmark for digital transformation, ensuring future-ready, scalable, and intelligent enterprise operations.
A Strategic Partnership for the Future
DMCC’s adoption of Oracle GenAI is a strategic move to establish itself as a leader in AI-driven enterprise transformation. This deal positions DMCC as a pioneering GenAI adopter, setting a precedent for other organizations in the region.
Oracle provided extensive support throughout the journey, from AI workshops to commercial structuring, ensuring that the solution aligned with DMCC’s long-term vision. The successful POC and Oracle’s ability to demonstrate a compelling, connected AI solution played a key role in securing the partnership.
Overcoming Challenges and Competitive Landscape
Ultimately, it was Oracle’s transparent approach and successful demonstration of AI capabilities earned the customer’s trust. Competing against multiple vendors, Oracle’s deep integration with Fusion, coupled with a well-executed PoC, provided the winning edge.
Future Roadmap
What’s next for DMCC in AI adoption?
- Expanding AI automation to Procurement and Finance GPT on Microsoft Teams.
- Implementing AI-driven valet parking for employees.
Quotes & Testimonials
“The integration of Oracle Generative AI into our HR and enterprise operations has been a game-changer for DMCC. In just three months, we have significantly improved efficiency, reduced HR workload, and enhanced employee self-service capabilities. By leveraging AI-driven automation, we’ve cut down response times, streamlined processes, and set a new benchmark for digital transformation across our business district. Our partnership with Oracle has enabled us to overcome complex challenges such as LLM hallucination, validation mechanisms, and seamless integration with enterprise platforms like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. This is just the beginning—our future roadmap includes expanding AI-driven automation into procurement, finance, and even employee services like valet parking, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and operational excellence.”
— Abdalla Al Ali, Director of Information Technology & Innovation, DMCC
Conclusion
DMCC’s adoption of Oracle GenAI marks a transformational shift in how enterprises leverage AI to drive operational excellence. Through automation, document understanding, and AI-powered interactions, DMCC is enhancing workforce productivity and future-proofing its operations. This strategic move not only benefits DMCC but also paves the way for broader adoption of AI solutions across industries.
With Oracle as a trusted AI partner, DMCC is poised to lead the way in GenAI innovation, setting a new standard for AI-driven business excellence in the UAE and beyond.
For more information about DMCC and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, see the following resources: