Abu Dhabi $2.5b smart city deal; $340m ADNOC-AIQ AI contract
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
Some big announcements this week, with a $2.5 billion deal being signed between Italian AI firm Synapsia and Abu Dhabi-based Bold Technologies; a $340 million ADNOC contract for AIQ; and a partnership signed between Abu Dhabi government, cutting-edge drone show Nova Sky Stories and Abu Dhabi-based AI/XR company Analog. Then we have the launch of AI-driven learning platform YALPOP and a AI, digital skills programme for children announced in Morocco.
These stories and much more below!
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
Smart Cities
Synapsia wins $2.5 billion Abu Dhabi AI city deal
#UAE #smartcities – Italy’s Synapsia has secured a $2.5 billion contract with Abu Dhabi’s Bold Technologies to implement AI-powered city management solutions. The project will optimise transport, parking, and emergency response. The deal was signed following the UAE President’s state visit to Italy. (Middle East AI News)
UAE advances autonomous mobility with smart infrastructure
#UAE #smartmobilit – The UAE is accelerating autonomous mobility through pilot programmes and strategic investments, according to a report by Arthur D. Little. The country is integrating advanced infrastructure with regulatory frameworks to drive innovation in self-driving vehicles. Download PDF. (Zawya)
Energy
AIQ lands $340 million ADNOC deal for ENERGYai
#UAE #energy – AIQ has secured a $340 million contract from ADNOC to deploy ENERGYai, the first large-scale agentic AI for the energy sector. The three-year deal will automate tasks from seismic analysis to real-time process monitoring. (Middle East AI News)
Cloud
Microsoft to open first Azure Region in Kuwait
#Kuwait #cloud – Microsoft has signed a digital transformation deal with the Kuwaiti government, which includes the country’s first Azure Region. The agreement also covers a Technology Innovation Hub, AI Innovation Centre, and Cloud Centre of Excellence. (Middle East AI News)
Funding
UAE healthtech firm Klaim secures $26M funding
#UAE #funding – Klaim has raised $26 million to transform medical payments across the Middle East. The funding includes $10 million from a Series A round and a $16 million financing deal with Saudi Arabia’s Tharawat Tuwaiq Financial Company. (Middle East AI News)
Education
YALPOP launches AI-driven learning platform
#UAE #UK #edtech – YALPOP, a new platform developed by UAE and UK entrepreneurs, aims to transform learning with AI and behavioural science. It offers hyper-personalised, adaptive learning for individuals, educators, and businesses. (Middle East AI News)
Morocco launches AI, digital skills programme for children
#Morocco #digital – Morocco has launched a national initiative to introduce children to AI and digital technology as part of its "Morocco Digital 2030" strategy. A framework agreement was signed in Rabat with key government officials and UM6P to build a digital ecosystem. (Morocco World News)
University of Tabuk to offer robotics training
#Saudi #robotics – Saudi Arabia’s University of Tabuk has partnered with Proven Solution to provide robotics and AI training. Proven Robotics will introduce hands-on courses to prepare students for AI-driven careers. (Arab News)
IPOs
UAE robotics firm Micropolis debuts on NYSE at $4/share
#UAE #NYSE – Micropolis, a UAE-based autonomous mobile robots developer, has listed on the New York Stock Exchange after setting its IPO price at $4.00 per share. The company aimed to raise $15.5 million. (Middle East AI News)
Presight, ADNOC explore AIQ listing revival
#UAE #IPO – Presight and ADNOC have begun early-stage talks on reviving plans to list their AI joint venture, AIQ. Bloomberg reports that firms have been invited to pitch for advisory roles on a potential IPO. Presight is already listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. (Financial Post)
LLMs
Saudi’s ALLaM AI model listed on Hugging Face
#Saudi #LLM – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has made its ALLaM 7B Instruct Preview model available on Hugging Face. The ALLaM was first made available on IBM watsonx last year. (SPA)
GenAI
Abu Dhabi’s ADQ launches AI Board advisor "Q"
#UAE #boardassistants – Sovereign wealth fund ADQ has introduced “Q,” an AI-powered, voice-enabled board advisor designed to enhance corporate governance and decision-making. (Middle East AI News)
Umrah
Saudi Arabia launches Manara Robot for religious queries
#Saudi #robotics – The Manara Robot, a smart assistant for religious guidance, has been deployed inside the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca. The multilingual AI-powered robot helps worshippers with religious queries during Ramadan. (Gulf News)
Saudi enhances AI-powered services for Umrah visitors
#Saudi #Umrah – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has expanded AI-driven services to support Umrah visitors during Ramadan. Key initiatives include the Baseer computer vision platform for crowd management in the Grand Mosque and 70 AI-powered e-gates at Jeddah’s airport. SDAIA is also ensuring seamless digital services at all entry points. (SPA)
Trade
Morocco unveils AI-powered trade platform TijarIA
#Morocco #trade – Morocco has launched TijarIA, an AI-powered platform designed to streamline foreign trade. It centralises trade documentation and enhances commercial exchange efficiency. (Yabiladi)
Saudi SDAIA issues guidelines on personal data transfer risks
#Saudi #datatransfer – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has released guidelines detailing the stages and steps for assessing risks in personal data transfers. A new tool on the National Data Governance Platform supports compliance with Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law. Guidelines PDF. (SPA)
Tourism
Egypt adopts AI to enhance tourism experience
#Egypt #XR – Egypt is integrating AI-powered tools like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and predictive analytics to modernise its tourism sector. The initiative aims to enhance visitor experiences at key sites such as Cairo, Luxor, and the Grand Egyptian Museum while boosting tourism revenue. (Travel and Tour World)
Media
Abu Dhabi secures world’s largest light-show drone fleet
#UAE #droneshows – Abu Dhabi will deploy 10,000 light-show drones in a government deal with Nova Sky Stories and AI firm Analog. The partnership will create immersive drone-based storytelling experiences. (Middle East AI News)
Volvo pulls AI-generated ad in Saudi Arabia
#Saudi #AIAds – Volvo has withdrawn an AI-generated ad made for Saudi Arabia, stating it did not align with the company's global guidelines. Created by Dubai-based Lion Creative for Volvo’s EMEA division and its Saudi distributor, Electromin, the ad was removed after initial praise but faced criticism for its environmental impact and lack of cars. (Jalopnik)
[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]