• Falcon H1 leads global sovereign AI rankings (Middle East AI News)

• Egypt expands AI insurance regulatory sandbox (Middle East AI News)

• DESAISIV launches AI insurance agent funding round (Wamda)

Stories that you may have missed…

• Konecta opens Cairo Generative AI Centre

• Dubai University launches design and AI degree

• Abu Dhabi prepares world first AI court platform

• Qatar University advances needle free glucose monitoring

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

• Deezer

• Soundcloud

• Spotify

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Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

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Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#UAE #LLMs - Counterpoint Research’s new Sovereign AI LLM Index ranks the Middle East as the world’s most mature sovereign AI region for the first half of 2026. The UAE’s Falcon H1 tops the index across all four measured dimensions: government-led ownership, foundational model build, local language depth and mass application deployment. Falcon H1 was developed by Abu Dhabi-based Technology Innovation Institute (TII), now ranked as the UAE’s leading sovereign LLM developer. Saudi Arabia’s ALLaM, Falcon H1, UAE-developed Jais 2 and K2 Think V2 all sit at the leading edge of the index’s sovereignty spectrum, ahead of Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, France and Switzerland.

SO WHAT? - Sovereign AI has moved from a national pride project to something governments treat as a hard security requirement. According to Counterpoint, the recent restriction on Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 provides evidence that the risk of relying on foreign-developed models is rising, not falling. The Middle East’s lead here isn’t just about having built big models, it’s about having built government-owned models deployed at national scale, like the integration of Falcon H1 into the UAE’s TAMM super app. That combination of ownership and real citizen usage is what separates a genuine sovereign AI capability from a research showcase.

KEY POINTS:

• Counterpoint Research’s Sovereign AI LLM Index assessed more than 80 countries and 170 active models, evaluating ecosystem maturity across ownership, foundational build, native-language depth and real-world application.

• The UAE’s Falcon H1, developed by Technology Innovation Institute (TII), ranks number one globally and leads all four evaluation dimensions, with strong integration into citizen-facing services such as the UAE’s TAMM super app.

• Four Middle East models sit at the leading edge of the sovereignty spectrum: Falcon H1, ALLaM (Saudi Arabia), Jais 2 and K2 Think V2. LLM strengths include government-affiliated ownership and full Arabic dialect coverage.

• Russia’s GigaChat 3.1 Ultra, a 702-billion-parameter model built and trained by Sber AI on its own Christofari supercomputer, is the UAE’s closest global counterpart in vertical integration as per the index.

• India’s Sarvam 105B, developed under the government IndiaAI Mission, marks the country’s first foundational frontier model, supporting 22 Indian languages and deployed through the Indus app.

• South Korea has committed $1 trillion to long-term sovereign AI investment and holds the highest global share of foundational LLMs at 17%, followed by Japan at 11%, backed by Japan’s METI-led GENIAC programme.

• Globally, 56% of sovereign LLMs are adapted models built on existing open-source bases rather than foundational builds developed from scratch, though Counterpoint notes countries are increasingly moving to reduce reliance on foreign open-source foundations.

• The Middle East’s sovereign AI landscape is expanding further, with Qatar’s Fanar 3.0 confirmed for a December 2026 launch, Iraq developing a government-led sovereign LLM, and Oman scaling its national model Mu’een, while Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain remain in the strategy phase.

ZOOM OUT - Falcon H1 Arabic was launched in January 2026, built on a hybrid Mamba-Transformer architecture that marked a clean break from the transformer-only design of earlier Falcon 3 models. TII released three sizes, from 3 billion to 34 billion parameters, and claimed its largest model beat systems more than twice its size, including Meta's Llama-3.3 70B and Alibaba Cloud's Qwen2.5 72B, on the Open Arabic LLM Leaderboard. The models also extend context length to 256,000 tokens, enough to process full legal contracts or medical records without losing continuity.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Counterpoint

Read more AI model news:

• Cohere launches high accuracy Arabic transcription model (Middle East AI News)

• HUMAIN, Cohere to build Arabic AI models (Middle East AI News)

• TokenAI’s Horus Hiero multimodal AI reads hieroglyphics (Middle East AI News)

• Inception42 advances Arabic AI for enterprise with Seraj (Middle East AI News)

• Saudi-Kurdish deal launches first Kurdish AI platform: KI (Middle East AI News)

Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest!

As usual, lots of news to share this week! In this edition, Konecta opens a $100 million generative AI hub in Cairo; Abu Dhabi prepares to launch an integrated AI judicial platform; Ajman completes the UAE’s first government transaction using agentic AI; Saudi Arabia retains its lead in MENA digital government; and G42 joins NVIDIA’s new Open Secure AI Alliance.

Scroll down for more news!

Thanks for reading!

/Carrington

Digital Government

Ajman completes first agentic AI transaction

#UAE #AgenticAI- Ajman completed the UAE’s first government transaction using agentic AI, renewing a trade licence through the AjmanOne app. The assistant alerts customers before expiry, coordinates lease renewals with Ajman Municipality when required, and completes licensing automatically, shifting public services beyond chatbots towards proactive, cross-agency delivery. (Middle East AI News)

Saudi Arabia tops MENA digital government index

#Saudi #maturity - Saudi Arabia retained first place in ESCWA’s 2025 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index, scoring 99 percent overall. The assessment covered 100 priority services across 17 countries, with full marks for service availability and public outreach and strong results for adoption, accessibility and integration. (Saudi Press Agency)

Justice

Abu Dhabi prepares integrated AI judicial platform

#UAE #legaltech - The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) and Department of Government Enablement are preparing what they describe as the world’s first integrated AI judicial platform. Beginning in September, an eighteen-month rollout will support decisions across court workflows under full human supervision, creating a potential global test case for responsible justice technology. (Middle East AI News)

FDI

Konecta opens $100M AI hub in Egypt

#Egypt #FDI - Spanish outsourcing group Konecta has opened its regional headquarters and first global generative AI centre of excellence in New Cairo. Part of a $100 million investment, the facility employs 800 specialists and is expected to expand to around 3,000 staff by the end of 2028. (Middle East AI News)

R&D

Qatar University builds needle-free glucose wearable

#Qatar #healthcare - Qatar University has developed GlucoWatch, a needle-free wearable that uses AI to estimate blood glucose from heart rate, blood pressure and demographic data. The student-led prototype sends readings and alerts to a mobile app, has a published US patent application, won gold in Kuwait and is moving towards clinical validation. (Middle East AI News)

Finance & Banking

UAE finance call centre hits 97% resolution

#UAE #GovTech - The UAE Ministry of Finance achieved a 97% first-contact resolution rate in the first half of 2026 after expanding generative AI across its Abu Dhabi call centre. Average answer time fell to eight seconds, while customer happiness reached 95%. (Middle East AI News)

Education

UAE leads MENA in QS future skills ranking

#UAE #skills - The UAE ranked seventeenth globally and first in the Middle East and North Africa in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027. It also placed third worldwide for economic transformation, reflecting strong academic readiness and skills alignment but a domestic graduate pipeline that is not yet keeping pace. (Middle East AI News)

CUD launches design and AI degree in UAE

#UAE #design - Canadian University Dubai has launched a Bachelor of Science in Design and Artificial Intelligence for its autumn 2026 intake. The accredited degree combines design studios with computing, mathematics, programming and human-computer interaction, preparing graduates to develop intelligent products, responsive environments and digital services. (Middle East AI News)

Saudi Arabia wins six AI Olympiad awards

#Saudi #competitions - Saudi Arabia’s national AI team won six awards at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, held virtually from China with 129 students from 18 countries. Supported by Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education and KAUST Academy, the delegation earned one gold medal, three silvers and two certificates of appreciation. (Saudi Press Agency)

Abu Dhabi launches AI policy training

#UAE #training - Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement has launched an AI policy programme with Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The initiative will train senior government leaders responsible for designing and delivering policy, strengthening practical understanding of artificial intelligence within public administration. (Middle East AI News)

Corporate Moves

B Capital appoints ex-G42 AI chief in Qatar

#Qatar #venturecapital - B Capital has appointed former G42 chief AI officer Dr Andrew Jackson as general partner and chief AI officer in Doha. He will direct global AI strategy across investment, portfolio management and operations, adding technical depth as the venture firm expands in Qatar and increases its focus on artificial intelligence. (Middle East AI News)

Islam

Qatar expands AI access to trusted Sharia guidance

#Qatar #Sharia - Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs says AI is widening access to trusted Sharia knowledge and religious guidance through Islamweb. Presented at the Katara Tech Forum in Doha, the tools improve information retrieval, analysis, classification and moderation while helping scholars use resources more efficiently. (The Peninsula)

Infrastructure

Uptime Institute and T964 partner in Iraq

#Iraq #infrastructure - Uptime Institute has named Iraqi technology company T964 as its business partner in Iraq. The companies will promote international data-centre standards, professional training and resilient infrastructure, supporting the development of carrier-neutral facilities, cloud services, telecommunications networks and AI-ready platforms across the country. (Iraqi News)

Environment

Morocco tests AI and drones against toxic algae

#Morocco #water - Morocco is testing artificial intelligence, aquatic drones, ecological sensors and satellite imagery to detect toxic algae before blooms threaten reservoirs. The monitoring system combines real-time data with predictive models, helping authorities protect scarce freshwater supplies used for drinking and irrigation as climate and water pressures intensify. (Noticias Ambientales)

Tunisia tests AI drones for crops and fires

#Tunisia #agriculture - Tunisian innovator Hassan Hamrouni has developed a drone and sensor platform that analyses crop images, detects plant disease and provides early fire warnings. Tests reportedly achieved about 95% accuracy, while registration is under way with Tunisia’s National Institute for Standardisation and Industrial Property (INNORPI). (Agenzia Nova)

Cybersecurity

G42 joins NVIDIA-backed open security alliance

#UAE #cybersecurity - Abu Dhabi-based G42 has joined NVIDIA and more than 50 technology groups as an inaugural partner of the Open Secure AI Alliance. The industry coalition will develop and share open models, tools and agent-security frameworks designed to improve transparency, vulnerability remediation and trust in artificial intelligence systems. (NVIDIA Blog)

Automotive

Morocco deploys AI patrol vehicles in Casablanca

#Morocco #security - Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security has deployed Amane and Madar, AI-equipped patrol vehicles, in Casablanca. Using 360-degree cameras, number-plate recognition and real-time access to police databases, the systems are designed to strengthen urban security operations and give officers faster information during patrols. (Morocco World News)

Harlem Group launches Iraq’s first AI dealer assistant

#Iraq #automotive - Harlem Group has launched Iraq’s first artificial intelligence assistant for automotive dealerships. Operating through WhatsApp around the clock, the service answers customer questions about vehicles and connects with dealership systems to book maintenance, giving buyers and owners a faster digital route to sales and after-sales support. (iQ Cars)

Fashion

Fipera launches AI content platform for fashion

#UAE #brandcontent - UAE-based consultancy Fipera has launched neofashion.ai, a self-service platform that creates product photography, video and campaign content from brands’ own images and references. Built in the UAE, it offers a free tier, credit-based pricing, Shopify integration and enterprise controls for catalogue-scale visual production. (Campaign Middle East)

Ethics

Riyadh opens registration for UNESCO AI ethics forum

#Saudi #policy - Registration has opened for the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, scheduled in Riyadh from 14 to 17 September. Hosted in Saudi Arabia, the event will bring policymakers and experts together to discuss governance, capacity-building, responsible innovation and international approaches to artificial intelligence policy. (Saudi Press Agency)

[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]

#Egypt #fintech - Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has granted initial approval for two new AI insurance projects to join its regulatory sandbox. Approvals have been given to an AI assistant called Ameen, developed by Egyptian software firm EG InsurTech with Assurex Insurance Brokerage, and an AI Voice Agent & Chatbot Platform from Allianz Insurance Egypt, developed with tech partner Olimi AI. Both will test AI applications for insurance services before commercial launch. The approvals bring the FRA Sandbox’s total to seven projects in its first year, with the insurance sector remaining the most represented segment among applicants.

SO WHAT? - Insurance dominating Egypt’s fintech sandbox in its debut year says something about where the sector sees the most room to improve customer experience through AI. Payments and lending have typically been the focus of much regional fintech. With global insurers like Allianz now testing AI tools inside the same FRA Sandbox, it is also functioning as a place where multinational and domestic players get evaluated on equal footing before going to market.

KEY POINTS:

• The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has granted initial approval for two new insurance sandbox projects testing AI applications: Ameen AI Assistant, developed by EG InsurTech with Assurex Insurance Brokerage, and an AI Voice Agent & Chatbot Platform, developed by Allianz Insurance Egypt with tech partner Olimi AI.

• FRA Chairman Dr Islam Azzam said the approvals bring the total number of provisionally accepted sandbox projects to seven within its first year of operation.

• The AI tools aim to allow better analysis of customer trends, preferences, grievances and product demand, improving customer experience in the sector.

• Insurance is nowthe most represented sector among FRA Sandbox applicants, reflecting the industry’s drive to improve business management and product efficiency.

• Five other projects previously received provisional approval, including insurance initiatives from GIG and Orient with EG InsurTech, microfinance digital brokerage platform Cassbana, and Lumin Soft’s e-passport identity verification tool developed with Azimut.

• The FRA Sandbox has provided regulatory guidance to approximately 40 companies since launch, reviewing concepts and offering mentorship on compliance and admission criteria.

• The initiative has also hosted workshops and seminars on cybersecurity awareness and the digitisation of financial solutions.

ZOOM OUT - The FRA Sandbox launched in November 2024 under Decree No. 163, issued by the Board of Directors of Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA). It was built to let non-bank financial institutions and registered fintech companies test new products and business models under FRA supervision before commercial launch. The sandbox followed a string of earlier regulatory groundwork: Law No. 5 of 2022 on fintech use in the non-bank financial sector, Decree No. 58 of 2022 on licensing fintech companies, and a set of 2023 decrees covering technological infrastructure, digital identity, digital contracts and Egypt's first eKYC framework. The FRA Sandbox aims to help startups build investor trust and attract capital while keeping consumer protection and compliance central to the process.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: FRA

Read more fintech news:

• DIFC gets first AI-native asset manager (Middle East AI News)

• Deutsche Bank opens Qatar research hub (Middle East AI News)

• Emirates NBD, Techstars launch AI FinTech accelerator (Middle East AI News)

• G42 and Santander sign AI partnership (Middle East AI News)

• UAE banks lead MEA AI banking rankings (Middle East AI News)

• Konecta opens Cairo Generative AI Centre (Middle East AI News)

• Uptime partnership advances Iraq’s digital infrastructure (Iraqi News)

• Dubai University launches design and AI degree (Middle East AI News)

Stories that you may have missed…

• Abu Dhabi prepares world first AI court platform

• Qatar University advances needle free glucose monitoring

• UAE leads MENA in Future Skills Index

• Ajman AI agent renews trade licences

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

• Deezer

• Soundcloud

• Spotify

• YouTube

Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

Or to sign-up for email notifications for this podcast? Navigate to your Settings page, scroll down to Subscriptions, click on Middle East AI News and change your Notifications preferences. You’re find more help here.

Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#Egypt #FDI - Spanish outsourcing company Konecta has opened its regional headquarters and first global centre of excellence for generative AI in New Cairo, as part of a $100 million investment plan in Egypt. The facility, inaugurated by Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology H.E. Raafat Hindy, will serve clients across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The AI centre will offer digital customer experience, AI, data analytics, technical support and IoT services. The regional headquarters currently employs 800 Egyptian specialists across seven languages, with Konecta planning to grow the local workforce to around 3,000 by the end of 2028.

SO WHAT? - Outsourcing firms setting up in Egypt isn’t new, but Konecta is one of a growing number of global groups locating global AI services centres in the country. The move puts Egyptian teams directly on the development and localisation of Konecta’s core AI products, including its Kolibri agentic AI platform. For a country trying to grow its tech export sector, that distinction between service delivery and product development is exactly the kind of investment officials have been chasing.

KEY POINTS:

• Konecta has opened its regional headquarters and first global centre of excellence for generative AI in New Cairo, part of a $100 million investment plan in Egypt.

• The facility will serve markets across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, offering digital customer experience, AI, data analytics, technical support and IoT services.

• The regional headquarters currently employs 800 Egyptian specialists working in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, with plans to grow the workforce to approximately 3,000 by the end of 2028.

• Ahmed Al-Harrany, Vice Chairperson of Konecta for the Middle East and Africa, said Egypt hosts the group’s first global centre of excellence in generative AI, not just an operational site.

• Minister H.E. Raafat Hindi said the expansion reflects Egypt’s efforts to attract investment and provide high-value digital services to global markets.

• The launch follows a memorandum of understanding signed between ITIDA and Konecta in January 2025, in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

• Konecta, founded in Madrid in 1999, employs 109,000 people across 28 countries, providing services in 40 languages.

ZOOM OUT - Egypt ranks 16th globally, in the inaugural Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index published by talent firm Ataraxis in June (second in Africa behind only South Africa). The index measures population AI adoption, workforce AI literacy, enterprise AI adoption and AI education pipeline strength across 25 leading outsourcing destinations. Eight African countries made the global top 25, including Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and Ghana.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Konecta

#UAE #education - Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has introduced a new Bachelor of Science in Design and Artificial Intelligence (BSc DAI), which combines design studio work with computing, mathematics and AI. The degree covers visualisation, interaction design, human-computer interaction, programming and AI-enabled design processes. The curriculum is aimed at preparing graduates for careers spanning spatial, product and service design. The BSc DAI was added to meet the growing demand for professionals who can combine design thinking with computational and AI capabilities. Applications are now open for entry in Fall 2026.

SO WHAT? - Design has typically been taught separately from computer science at university level. Meanwhile, the increasing demand for AI skills has put pressure on students to study afterwards or in training courses outside of the university curricula. CUD’s programme takes the opposite approach, training designers and technologists as the same discipline rather than two skill sets bolted together. That matters for a design sector where AI-generated visuals, generative design tools and computational modelling are becoming standard.

KEY POINTS:

• Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has launched a Bachelor of Science in Design and Artificial Intelligence (BSc DAI), an interdisciplinary programme combining design, computing, mathematics and AI.

• The new curriculum covers visualisation, interaction design, human-computer interaction, programming, computational methods and AI-enabled design processes across spatial, product and service design.

• The programme emphasises human-centred, data-informed design, teaching students to apply AI techniques and algorithmic thinking. The BSc. also considers ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications.

• Experiential learning includes design studios, internships and collaborative industry projects, alongside sustainability, entrepreneurship, research and community engagement components.

• Massimo Imparato, Dean of Canadian University Dubai’s School of Architecture and Interior Design, expects the programme to equip students with the technical ability, creative vision and ethical understanding to lead innovation in the design industry.

• Graduates will learn to develop intelligent products, responsive environments, interactive experiences and digital services that adapt to evolving user needs.

• The degree is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) and follows CUD’s Canadian curriculum model.

• Applications for the BSc. DAI programme are open now for entry in Fall 2026.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Canadian University Dubai

Read more about education and training:

• UAE ranks top in MENA on QS World Future Skills Index (Middle East AI News)

• Abu Dhabi launches AI policy training for leaders (Middle East AI News)

• ASUS, Intel open AI Lab in Ibri area (Middle East AI News)

• UAE trains 25,000 teachers in AI in seven weeks (Middle East AI News)

• SDAIA trains 215 students from 28 universities (Middle East AI News)

• Abu Dhabi prepares world first AI court platform (Middle East AI News)

• Qatar uses AI to expand trusted Sharia knowledge (The Peninsula)

• Riyadh opens registration for UNESCO AI ethics forum (Saudi Press Agency)

Stories that you may have missed…

• Qatar University advances needle free glucose monitoring

• UAE leads MENA in Future Skills Index

• Ajman AI agent renews trade licences

• Former G42 AI chief joins B Capital

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

• Deezer

• Soundcloud

• Spotify

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Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

Or to sign-up for email notifications for this podcast? Navigate to your Settings page, scroll down to Subscriptions, click on Middle East AI News and change your Notifications preferences. You’re find more help here.

Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#UAE #justice - The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), working with the Department of Government Enablement, has held coordination meetings to plan the rollout of its AI Judicial Platform, described as the world’s first integrated system of its kind. The platform will support judicial and legal decision-making using AI under full human supervision and validation, applied across the full judicial workflow. The first phase is set to begin in September, with a phased implementation running over 18 months. The project’s joint steering committee is chaired by Counsellor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the ADJD.

SO WHAT? - Courts are one of the more cautious adopters of AI, for good reason: errors carry legal consequences. Abu Dhabi framing this as AI support “under full human supervision and validation,” rather than automated decision-making, is a deliberate distinction. Other jurisdictions considering AI platforms are bound to watch this project closely. If the emirate’s AI Judicial Platform launches as planned, it becomes a live test case for how far AI can go in judicial workflows before human sign-off becomes the bottleneck rather than the safeguard.

KEY POINTS:

• The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) and the Department of Government Enablement, have held coordination meetings on implementing the AI Judicial Platform, described as the world’s first integrated AI system of its kind for judicial work.

• The platform will support judicial and legal decision-making through AI under full human supervision and validation, aiming to improve procedural efficiency while maintaining accuracy and consistency.

• Chaired by Counsellor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the ADJD, the project’s joint steering committee discussed the proposed work plan for launching the platform across the full judicial workflow.

• The first phase of the project is expected to begin in September 2026, with a phased implementation process planned to run over 18 months.

• He said the project also aligns with the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the ADJD, to advance the judicial system to international standards.

• The platform will provide an integrated suite of smart solutions intended to modernise judicial operations and streamline procedures.

• By applying AI across various stages of litigation, the platform is expected to support faster case completion and improve the accuracy and quality of judicial processes.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Emirates News Agency

• Qatar University advances needle free glucose monitoring (Middle East AI News)

• UAE platform brings AI fashion content to retailers (Campaign Middle East)

• Harlem Group launches Iraq AI car dealership assistant (IQCars)

Stories that you may have missed…

• UAE leads MENA in Future Skills Index

• Ajman AI agent renews trade licences

• Former G42 AI chief joins B Capital

• UAE Finance GenAI call centre hits 97 percent resolution

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

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Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

Or to sign-up for email notifications for this podcast? Navigate to your Settings page, scroll down to Subscriptions, click on Middle East AI News and change your Notifications preferences. You’re find more help here.

Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#Qatar #R&D - Qatar University has developed GlucoWatch, a wearable device that estimates blood glucose levels without finger pricks or blood samples, using AI to analyse physiological signals. The device, led by Qatar University researcher and inventor Dr Khalid Abualsaud alongside university computer engineering students, estimates glucose readings from heart rate, blood pressure and demographic data, feeding results to a connected mobile app. A US patent application for the technology has been published.

SO WHAT? - Finger pricks are the single biggest reason people with diabetes stop tracking their glucose consistently, which makes non-invasive monitoring one of the most sought-after breakthroughs in medical device research globally. Big med-tech firms have poured years and considerable funding into cracking this problem with limited commercial success so far. A patented, working prototype coming out of a university graduation project, rather than a corporate lab, is the kind of result that gets noticed well beyond Qatar.

KEY POINTS:

• Qatar University has developed GlucoWatch, a wearable device that uses AI and physiological signal analysis to estimate blood glucose levels: without finger pricks or blood samples.

• A US patent application for the technology has been published under number US20240138776A.

• The device analyses heart rate signals, blood pressure readings and selected demographic data, to generate glucose estimates, viewable through a connected mobile application.

• The research team was led by Qatar University researcher and inventor Dr Khalid Abualsaud, with contributions from computer engineering students Nora Al Bardini, Mazoon Al Shahwani, Fatima Al Kaabi and Sara Al Muhannadi.

• The system is designed to support diabetes management by issuing alerts when glucose levels fall outside medically approved ranges. Meanwhile, the app allows users to share health data with family members or healthcare providers under privacy safeguards.

• The project began as a graduation project by computer engineering students before evolving into a specialised research initiative, progressing through prototype design, AI algorithm development, mobile app creation and initial validation testing against reference measurements.

• GlucoWatch won a gold medal at the International Invention Fair of the Middle East, held in Kuwait in 2023.

• The research team is now expanding its database, improving its AI models and developing an advanced version of the wearable device, alongside pursuing partnerships with healthcare and industrial organisations to bring the technology to market at an affordable cost.

• The research team aims to complete scientific validation and regulatory steps before introducing the device to patients in Qatar and beyond.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Qatar News Agency

• UAE leads MENA in Future Skills Index (Middle East AI News)

• Saudi AI team wins six AP AI Olympiad Awards (Saudi Press Agency)

• Casablanca deploys AI powered Smart Patrols (Morocco World News)

Stories that you may have missed…

• Ajman AI agent renews trade licences

• Former G42 AI chief joins B Capital

• UAE Finance GenAI call centre hits 97 percent resolution

• Abu Dhabi trains leaders in AI policy

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

• Deezer

• Soundcloud

• Spotify

• YouTube

Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

Or to sign-up for email notifications for this podcast? Navigate to your Settings page, scroll down to Subscriptions, click on Middle East AI News and change your Notifications preferences. You’re find more help here.

Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#UAE #education - UK-based higher education analytics firm QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) has ranked the UAE 17th out of 89 economies in its QS World Future Skills Index 2027, the top rank from the Middle East and North Africa. The UAE scored 86.5 overall, leading the MENA region on Skills Alignment (83.8) and Academic Readiness (85.0). The Emirates was also ranked third globally by the Index on Economic Transformation (98.9), behind only China and Taiwan. Saudi Arabia followed as the region’s third-highest scorer at 34th globally with a score of 72.1, with the report crediting the country’s push to diversify beyond oil and gas into renewables, mining and space technology.

SO WHAT? - The Economic Transformation score outpacing its Skills Alignment score tells a story about the UAE economy. The Emirates’ economic growth is moving faster than the domestic pipeline of job-ready graduates can keep up with. That’s not unique to the UAE, the report flags the same pattern globally, but it matters most in economies making the biggest AI-driven leaps. Fortunately, in recent years the country has become a magnet for global AI talent and so it is the combination of foreign and home-grown talent that powers the UAE’s fast-growing AI ecosystem.

KEY POINTS:

• UK-based higher education analytics firm QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) publshed its QS World Future Skills Index 2027.

• The UAE ranked 17th out of 89 economies globally with a final score of 86.5, the highest ranking for any MENA economy in the Index.

• The UAE topped the MENA region in Skills Alignment (83.8), a score comparable to India (82.7), which led South Asia, and well above the MENA regional median of 40.3.

• The UAE also led MENA in Academic Readiness with a score of 85.0, close to India’s 86.7, and above the regional median of 61.9.

• The UAE ranked third globally in Economic Transformation with 98.9, behind only China and Taiwan, and was the only MENA economy in the global top 10 for this indicator.

• Saudi Arabia ranked 34th globally with a score of 72.1, the third-highest in MENA after the UAE and Israel (23rd, 80.4).

• The report describes Saudi Arabia as an Over-Converting Economy, turning a comparatively weaker academic base into stronger economic output through coordinated industrial policy, foreign-talent integration and technology transfer.

• Saudi Arabia is cited as moving beyond its oil and gas base, using its universities’ research strengths to build industrial advantage in renewables, nuclear, mining and space technology.

• The Index ranks the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan as the top five economies in the Arab World.

• The United States topped the global index with a score of 99.2, followed by Australia (97.5), the United Kingdom (96.5), Germany (95.5) and Canada (93.7).

ZOOM OUT - Ranking 89 national economies, the QS World Future Skills Index 2027 found that AI is widening gaps between countries rather than disrupting them evenly. Five findings stand out: skills gaps persist globally even as some economies close them through targeted policy; an economy’s mix of AI-augmented versus AI-automated jobs will shape its long-term competitiveness; strong universities alone don’t drive growth without close coordination between higher education, industry and government; higher education is changing too slowly to match the pace of workplace transformation, frustrating employers; and smaller economies like the Netherlands and Singapore are proving that specialisation, not scale, can deliver outsized rankings.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: QS World Future Skills Index 2027

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Read more about AI skills and education in MENA:

• Abu Dhabi launches AI policy training for leaders (Middle East AI News)

• UAE trains 25,000 teachers in AI in seven weeks (Middle East AI News)

• SDAIA trains 215 students from 28 universities (Middle East AI News)

• Many UAE firms unprepared for AI risk (Middle East AI News)

• UAE education ministry to transform itself (Middle East AI News)

This was the week that MGX-led consortium completed its $40 billion acquisition of Texas-based data centre operator Aligned.

In other news, e& UAE and Core42 launched a sovereign AI compute platform; the UAE Ministry of Finance reported a 97% call-resolution rate using generative AI; and new research found that Saudi AI-native startups are nearly five times more likely to reach $1 million than traditional startups.

Here are this week’s biggest AI news stories!

Sunday, July 19th

🔥 45% of Saudi Internet users now use AI

• ChatGPT tops list of downloaded apps, women use AI tools more than men

🔥 UAE firms locked into AI vendors, IBM finds

• 88% of executives in the UAE say switching AI vendor is hard, versus 71% globally

🔥 AI now features in 1 in 30 new Gulf jobs

• Gulf AI hiring triples in four years, with technology and banking sectors leading the surge

Monday, July 20th

🔊 Listen to Monday’s Daily News Minute

🔥 RAK-based Julphar taps IBM, SAP for major digital overhaul

• IBM Consulting leads massive migration to SAP S/4HANA Cloud

🔥 DIFC gets first AI-native asset manager

• Deep Finance Capital launches in Dubai, built around a proprietary AI framework

🔥 AI World Series reveals finalists

• AI World Series names 26 finalists shortlisted from more than 60 awards entries

Tuesday, July 21st

🔊 Listen to Tuesday’s Daily News Minute

🔥 MGX-led consortium completes $40 billion Aligned buyout

• AIP closes largest-ever data centre deal and adds $5 billion to fund US expansion

🔥 e& UAE, Core42 launch sovereign AI compute platform

• Sovereign AI Compute platform is the first joint offering under the companies’ global partnership

Wednesday, July 22nd

🔊 Listen to Wednesday’s Daily News Minute

🔥 SDAIA guide catalogues 100+ types of AI bias

• New reference supports the Kingdom’s AI ethics and risk-management frameworks

🔥 Saudi AI-native startups nearly 5X more likely to hit $1 million

• Saudi AI-native companies outpace traditional startups, but remain only 15% of the total

Thursday, July 23rd

🔊 Listen to Thursday’s Daily News Minute

🔥 Abu Dhabi launches AI policy training for leaders

• DGE partners with a Singapore school on AI policy training targeting government directors

🔥 GenAI pushes Ministry of Finance call resolution to 97%

• UAE Ministry of Finance cuts call-centre answer time to eight seconds using AI

🔥 Jordan hits 85.5% government service digitisation

• AI integration will be expanded as Jordan’s digitisation drive nears completion

Friday, July 24th

🔊 Listen to Friday’s Daily News Minute

🔥 Ajman launches trade licence renewal AI agent

• Trade licences renewed automatically via an AI assistant

🔥 Ex-G42 CAIO joins B Capital

• Andrew Jackson most recently led Stargate UAE governance at G42

Saturday, July 25th

🔊 Listen to Saturday’s Daily News Minute

• Ajman AI agent renews trade licences (Middle East AI News)

• Former G42 AI chief joins B Capital (Middle East AI News)

• Morocco deploys AI drones against toxic algae (Noticias Ambient Tales)

Middle East AI News is a media partner of Ai Everything Abu Dhabi (6-7 October). Register for the event here.

Stories that you may have missed…

• UAE Finance GenAI call centre hits 97 percent resolution

• Abu Dhabi trains leaders in AI policy

• Saudi AI startups outpace traditional rivals on revenue

• SDAIA guide maps more than 100 types of AI Bias

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#UAE #digitalgovernment - The Government of Ajman, through the Department of Digital Ajman, has completed the UAE’s first government transaction using Agentic AI, renewing a trade licence through a proactive, “headless” government service model. Customers are notified automatically before their trade licence expires and guided through renewal via the intelligent assistant in the AjmanOne government app, with the system also coordinating commercial lease renewals with Ajman Municipality and Planning Department where needed. The launch aligns with the people-first approach of the Ajman AI Programme to build a proactive government.

SO WHAT? - Whilst, most government AI announcements are about faster processing or chatbots answering questions, Ajman has announced how agentic AI is actually helping residents complete transactions. Moreover, the system identifies what a customer needs before they ask, coordinating the paperwork across separate government entities, and then completes a regulatory transaction with minimal human input on either side. This is the future of digitisation and a type of use case that we can expect to see a lot more of in Ajman and across the rest of the UAE.

KEY POINTS:

• Ajman has completed the UAE’s first government transaction to renew a trade licence using Agentic AI, via a proactive, headless government service model developed by the Department of Digital Ajman.

• The first phase covers trade licence renewal through the Department of Economic Development in Ajman, with customers notified automatically before expiry and directed to an intelligent assistant in the AjmanOne app.

• The system integrates with Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, guiding customers through commercial lease renewal first if required, before automatically continuing the trade licence renewal.

• Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council, said the initiative is a practical step under the Ajman Artificial Intelligence Program.

• The Department of Digital Ajman said the headless services model works across existing and future digital channels, and depends on strong governance, data quality, secure system integration and human oversight where required.

• The launch supports Ajman Vision 2030, Ajman for People, and aligns with the UAE’s national direction to deploy Agentic AI to strengthen economic growth and future readiness.

ZOOM OUT - The automated trade licence renewal launch sits under the wider Ajman Artificial Intelligence Programme, a unified government framework for AI adoption. The programme is built on a “People First” principle, treating AI as a tool to improve decisions and services rather than replace people, within a governance structure meant to preserve trust, accountability and data protection. The AI Programme aims to launch 100 AI initiatives covering the eight pillars of Ajman Vision 2030, with the goal of improving quality of life, institutional efficiency and the emirate’s overall competitiveness.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Emirates News Agency

#Qatar #USA #corporate - Global multi-stage investment firm B Capital, which manages more than $8 billion in assets, has appointed Dr Andrew Jackson as General Partner and Chief AI Officer, based at its Doha office. Jackson joins from Abu Dhabi-based technology holding group G42, where he served as Chief AI Officer and most recently oversaw governance for Stargate UAE, part of a 5 Gigawatt AI infrastructure cluster which is expected to be the largest of its kind outside the US. In his new role, Jackson will lead B Capital’s global AI strategy across investment, portfolio management and operations, and provide technology leadership for AI-driven businesses the firm incubates.

SO WHAT? - A Chief AI Officer role at a venture firm is still fairly rare, and putting someone of Jackson’s stature in the seat, signals that B Capital wants AI to be both embedded in how it invests and what it invests in. Jackson will lead the firm’s global AI strategy, working across its investments to include due diligence and sourcing new opportunities. His appointment also bolsters the credentials of B Capital’s new regional office in Qatar, which it opened last year.

KEY POINTS:

• B Capital has appointed Dr Andrew Jackson as General Partner and Chief AI Officer, based at the firm’s Doha office in The Pearl, Doha.

• Jackson will lead B Capital’s global AI strategy, working across investment, portfolio management and operations teams to strengthen sourcing, diligence and founder support.

• He joins from G42, the Abu Dhabi-based technology holding group, where he served as Chief AI Officer and worked on the partnership with OpenAI to develop country-specific AI strategies for the UAE.

• At G42, Jackson oversaw governance for Stargate UAE, part of a UAE-US 5 Gigawatt AI infrastructure cluster that is expected to become the largest of its kind outside the United States.

• He previously led Inception (now Inception42), a G42-owned AI lab that built what the company calls the most extensive family of Arabic-first open-source AI models in the MENA region.

• Jackson also help found a Microsoft-backed regional Responsible AI Future Foundation focused on AI governance, and earlier in his career helped expand data analytics firm Palantir’s presence across the Middle East.

• B Capital co-founder and co-CEO Raj Ganguly said Jackson’s technical and operating experience will strengthen how the firm identifies opportunities and supports portfolio companies.

• B Capital opened its Doha office in 2025 as part of its global expansion, with plans to partner with sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).

BIO - Andrew Jackson has the past spent fifteen years shaping Abu Dhabi's AI ecosystem from the inside, helping turn the emirate into a global hub for AI development and financing.

Jackson joined what would later become G42 in 2015. He went on to help grow the Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence (now Inception42), the AI lab that built Jais in 2023, one of the first Arabic-first foundation models, developed with Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and Cerebras. From there he moved to Core42 as Chief AI Officer, then taking on the Group Chief AI Officer role at G42 in May 2025.

That final stretch at G42 put him in charge of governance for one of the largest AI infrastructure projects in the world: the 5 Gigawatt UAE-US AI compute cluster announced during President Trump’s visit to the UAE in May 2025. To be built across 10 square miles and including OpenAI’s Stargate hub, the first phase of the project is expected to go live this year. Jackson helped co-found the Responsible AI Future Foundation, a partnership between G42 and Microsoft focused on AI governance, and represented G42 globally as a public advocate for responsible and ethical AI practices including at the UN General Assembly.

Before G42, Jackson worked at Palantir Technologies across the MENA region, built out the data and analytics function at Etihad Airways, and developed electronic trading systems at Susquehanna International Group in Dublin.

Jackson holds a PhD in Machine Learning from Trinity College Dublin, along with postgraduate study at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and MIT. He joined B Capital as General Partner and Chief AI Officer in May 2026, based out of the company’s new Doha office.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: B Capital

• UAE Finance GenAI call centre hits 97 percent resolution (Middle East AI News)

• Saudi Arabia leads regional digital government rankings (SPA)

• Abu Dhabi trains leaders in AI policy (Middle East AI News)

Middle East AI News is a media partner of Ai Everything Abu Dhabi (6-7 October). Register for the event here.

Stories that you may have missed…

• Saudi AI startups outpace traditional rivals on revenue

• SDAIA guide maps more than 100 types of AI Bias

• MGX consortium completes $40 billion Aligned deal

• e&, Core42 launch Sovereign AI Compute

Streaming Services

You can also listen to this podcast via the following services

• Amazon Alexa

• Amazon Music

• Anghami

• Deezer

• Soundcloud

• Spotify

• YouTube

Want to stop receiving email notifications for this podcast?

Or to sign-up for email notifications for this podcast? Navigate to your Settings page, scroll down to Subscriptions, click on Middle East AI News and change your Notifications preferences. You’re find more help here.

Note: this is an experimental podcast using a clone of my voice created by AI. Unfortunately, the voice clone is prone to some errors, including mispronunciations of some Arabic words and place names. However, I’m always working to improve this.

#UAE #training - Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement (DGE) has launched an AI-powered Policy Development Programme, an executive training initiative for Executive Directors and senior leaders involved in policy design and implementation. The DGE is delivering the programme with Singapore-based public policy institute the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), including an intensive module in Singapore covering impact assessment, policy communication, and the application of AI in government transformation. The programme aims to build the skills and systems needed to turn government strategy into measurable outcomes.

SO WHAT? - The latest in a wide range of government training and capacity building initiatives, the AI-powered Policy Development Programme is significant because it targets the people who shape what government does, not just how it delivers on what’s already been decided. Abu Dhabi’s $3.5 billion plan to transform its government into the first AI-powered government globally demands a lot from its leaders and managers. This is one of the key programmes designed to equip government leaders with the knowledge and skills they need for this ambitious AI transformation to succeed.

KEY POINTS:

• Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement (DGE) has launched an AI-powered Policy Development Programme for Executive Directors and equivalent senior leaders with strategic and operational roles in policy design, implementation and oversight.

• The programme is delivered in partnership with Singapore-based public policy institute the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).

• Participants will develop skills to identify policy challenges, select appropriate policy tools, address implementation bottlenecks and engage stakeholders, applying international best practices aligned with Abu Dhabi’s government priorities.

• A core module takes place in Singapore, covering impact assessment, behavioural insights, policy communication, monitoring and evaluation, transformational governance, Smart Nation Singapore, and AI in government transformation.

• Dr Yasir Al Naqbi, Director General of GovAcademy at DGE, said the programme reflects a commitment to investing in government leaders to improve people-centred services and public sector performance.

• The programme supports Abu Dhabi’s aim to build a government ecosystem that anticipates future needs through agile, evidence-based policies and services.

• It follows the Abu Dhabi Executive Council’s approval in January 2025 of an AED 13 billion ($3.54b) Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027.

• That strategy aims to make Abu Dhabi the first government globally to fully integrate AI into its digital services by 2027, including 100% adoption of sovereign cloud computing and full digitisation of government processes.

• More than 200 AI solutions are planned for development and implementation across Abu Dhabi government services under the wider digital strategy.

ZOOM OUT - Abu Dhabi’s AED 13 billion strategy to integrate AI across every aspect of government builds on a decade of digital government work. It sets out to add AED 24 billion ($6.53b) to the emirate's GDP by 2027 while creating more than 5,000 local jobs. Beyond the AI integration target, the plan covers a unified digital ERP platform, a revamped customer experience ecosystem, and efforts to attract foreign investment and global companies to Abu Dhabi.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: DGE - Abu Dhabi

Read more about AI adoption in Abu Dhabi:

• Abu Dhabi rolls out Copilot to 35,000 civil servants (Middle East AI News)

• AI to transform Abu Dhabi building permits process (Middle East AI News)

• Abu Dhabi to create AI-powered energy command centre (Middle East AI News)

• Abu Dhabi, Microsoft partner on Health Intelligence (Middle East AI News)

• Abu Dhabi signs sovereign cloud deal with Microsoft, G42 (Middle East AI News)

#UAE #GenAI - The UAE’s Ministry of Finance has exceeded every operational target set for its call centre in the first half of 2026, after integrating generative AI tools across its customer service operations. The ministry says that First Contact Resolution hit 97.11 percent, against a 90 percent target, while Average Speed of Answer dropped to 8 seconds, well under the 20-second target. Customer Happiness rose to 95.43 percent and Service Quality reached 92.41 percent, both comfortably ahead of the government’s benchmarks. The results have been attributed to the ministry’s investment in generative AI to strengthen its digital leadership in government financial services.

SO WHAT? - In April, the UAE government announced plans to deploy agentic AI across 50 percent of government sectors, services and operations within two years. Furthermore, it has made government leaders responsible for the results and given them 90 days to develop plans and AI agent use cases, clearly putting government departments in competition with one another. The Ministry of Finance is one of a number of government entities with advanced plans for implementing AI, but nonetheless the new call centre figures show that adoption of GenAI is accelerating at a competitive pace.

KEY POINTS:

• The UAE’s Ministry of Finance’s says that its Call Centre achieved a 97.11% First Contact Resolution rate in H1 2026, against a 90% target, driven by integrated generative AI tools.

• Average Speed of Answer fell to just 8 seconds, well below the 20-second target, while 93.40% of calls were answered within 30 seconds, above the 90% goal.

• Customer Happiness reached 95.43%, exceeding the 90% benchmark, and Service Quality scored 92.41%, well above the 80% target.

• Average Handling Time improved to 4 minutes 35 seconds against a 5-minute target, and Call Abandonment Rate was limited to 1.88%, far below the 5% threshold.

• The Centre uses an AI-powered Sentiment Analysis system that reads customer tone and language, alongside Speech-to-Text technology that transcribes calls and generates staff feedback and guidance.

• Generative AI has been integrated to deliver real-time responses to customer enquiries around the clock, complemented by a Chat with Documents tool that lets customers query PDFs and user guides through natural-language conversation.

• The Centre also uses Salesforce’s data visualisation platform Tableau for real-time performance dashboards, alongside the ministry’s in-house Talbiyah platform for handling and fulfilling customer requests.

• Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, said the results demonstrate the tangible value of the ministry’s strategic investment in generative AI and its impact on operational excellence.

• The ministry’s Strategic Plan 2027-2029, announced in January, includes a Smart Predictive Budgeting Platform, a Federal Government Monetary Forecasting Platform, an AI-powered procurement system, a National Assistant for Financial Analysis, and digital currency as a payment method for federal service fees.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: UAE Ministry of Finance