Abu Dhabi steps towards predictive healthcare; Metaverse hype
Middle East AI News weekly news digest...
Good morning!
Here’s your roundup of this week’s AI and emerging tech stories.
Two things to note in particular this week:
The first is last week's announcement that Abu Dhabi's health information exchange - Malaffi - has created a Patient Risk Profile product using predictive analytics, initially for use solely by clinicians. We're going to see similar risk products created in other countries in the region, but Abu Dhabi's story - starting from having no unified patient data in 2018 to delivering a predictive healthhare service for all in 2022 - is a good one. (The news arrived too late for last week's newsletter).
The second is the continued rise of metaverse hype around the Gulf. I don't see this going away anytime soon and adding 'metaverse' to your press release has quickly become the new 'AI'! However, there are significant announcements too. How to tell the difference? That's going to be the challenge!
I hope you are enjoying your summer, wherever you are!
/Carrington
Healthcare
Abu Dhabi's health information exchange introduces Patient Risk Profiles
#UAE #HIE - Abu Dhabi is trailblazing predictive healthcare with the introduction of a new Patient Risk Profile as a service of Malaffi (Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange), which could lead to better #healthcare for the 7 million patients in the HIE database. (Read my Linkedin post)
Metaverse
Emirates NBD launches global call for metaverse start-ups to transform the future of banking
#UAE #startups - UAE bank Emirates NBD has launched a global accelerator programme for metaverse start-ups to enhance customer experience for the new virtual economy, in partnership with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Fintech Hive. (Zawya)
Mastercard ties with Saudi Esports Federation to promote gaming industry
#Saudi #esports - Mastercard and the Saudi Esports Federation will collaborate on metaverse and augmented reality (AR) activations, NFTs, gamers’ and fans’ loyalty solutions, and a gaming virtual MasterCard card. (BroadcastPro ME)
Qatar University enters the metaverse
#Qatar #metaverse - Qatar University while espousing to be the first university in the metaverse, will actually be joining 10 other US based universities who will be offering metaverse experience in the fall of 2022. (ITP)
Egypt uses metaverse technology for 1st time to train localities, improve services
#Egypt #VR - Egypt's Ministry of Local Development is about to implement a training program for localities for the fiscal year 2022/2023 (July1st - June 30th) introducing 155 courses and workshops via virtual reality, an increase of 27 percent compared to the previous year, (Egypt Today)
Education
MBZUAI concludes second cohort of its Executive Programme
#UAE #training - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), has concluded the second edition of its Executive Programme (MEP), graduating 43 leaders from various public and private organizations across the UAE. (Emirates News Agency)
Talent
Dubai a ‘magnet’ for global tech talents and innovation: report
#UAE #talent - A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) - ‘Turning a Tech Hub into a Talent Magnet’ - reveals that the UAE exemplifies the benefits of a well-planned, comprehensive strategy for developing a tech hub that deploys both short- and long-term levers. (ITP)
Digital Policy
KPMG joins Saudi Arabia’s Digital Cooperation Organization as observer
#Saudi #DCO - KPMG has become the first professional services organization to join Saudi Arabia’s Digital Cooperation Organization as an official observer. DCO is an intergovernmental organisation established to enable 'digital prosperity'. (Arab News)
Smart Farming
New Carnegie Mellon research project uses AI to optimise Qatar farming
#Qatar #smartfarming - Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) is launching a new research project that will optimise the operations of greenhouses in Qatar. The project is supported by a National Priorities Research Program grant from Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). (The Peninsula)
Archaeology
KAUST uses AI to uncover Saudi Arabia's ancient stone structures
#Saudi #archaeology - A research team from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is using AI to study ancient stone structures in northwest Saudi Arabia. (KAUST)
First published via Revue.