ADNOC rolls-out AI for rig control; HUMAIN takes stake in MOZN
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest!
Lots of news to share this first week of August! In this edition, ADNOC scales AI across more than 120 drilling rigs; Falcon H1 tops a new global sovereign AI index; QDB backs Multiverse Computing’s Doha expansion; Warba Bank launches a voice-enabled banking assistant; and Saudi Arabia approves the statute of its UNESCO-backed AI research and ethics centre.
Scroll down for more news!
And if you haven’t yet read our debut Feature of the Week from Daniel Valle, CEO of SCC Middle East — ‘An Emirates ID for AI Agents’ — read it here.
Thanks for reading!
/Carrington
ADNOC scales monitoring across 120 rigs
#UAE #energy - ADNOC is deploying a real-time operations centre across more than 120 Abu Dhabi drilling rigs. Developed with SLB, it lets engineers monitor up to three times more rigs, detects problems hours earlier, reduces downtime and keeps critical operational data within UAE jurisdiction. (Middle East AI News)
Fintech & Banking
Egypt approves two more insurance pilots
#Egypt #sandboxes - Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority has approved two more insurance projects for testing in its regulatory sandbox. EG InsurTech’s Ameen assistant and Allianz Insurance Egypt’s voice-agent and chatbot platform will be assessed before launch, taking the sandbox to seven projects in its first year, with insurance now the largest category. (Middle East AI News)
Warba Bank launches voice banking assistant
#Kuwait #GenAI - Kuwaiti Islamic bank Warba Bank has launched Bdr AI, an agentic assistant that lets customers execute transfers and generate payment links using voice or text in Kuwaiti Arabic or English. Every transaction requires on-screen confirmation, while biometric access and Central Bank of Kuwait-compliant infrastructure support security. (Middle East AI News)
M&A & Funding
HUMAIN backs MOZN for enterprise deployment
#Saudi #M&A - HUMAIN Ventures has made its first investment in a Saudi company by backing Riyadh-based MOZN. The partners will combine sovereign AI infrastructure with MOZN’s products and embedded engineering to deploy production systems for banks and public bodies, initially targeting financial crime, knowledge intelligence and regulatory compliance. (Middle East AI News)
QDB backs Multiverse Computing expansion
#Qatar #funding - Qatar Development Bank has invested in Multiverse Computing as part of its €500 million Series C round and will support the Spanish company in establishing its regional headquarters in Doha. The deal supports Startup Qatar’s target portfolio of QR1 billion by 2030. (Qatar Tribune)
DESAISIV launches agent and seeks $8 million
#Saudi #insurance - Saudi insurtech DESAISIV has launched an AI Insurance Agent and opened an $8 million funding round to expand its enterprise platform. The company says it already serves more than 600 corporate clients and manages insurance portfolios worth over two billion Saudi riyals. (Wamda)
Cybersecurity
IBM puts average regional breach cost at $8m
#MiddleEast #cybersecurity - IBM says the average Middle East data breach now costs organisations $8 million. Its 2026 report found 26% of malicious breaches were AI-enabled, while extensive security automation reduced average costs by more than $3 million. Financial and technology companies suffered the region’s highest losses. (Middle East AI News)
TokenAI prepares Horus Cyper for release
#Egypt #AImodels - Alexandria-based TokenAI is preparing to release Horus Cyper, a specialised cybersecurity model approved by Egypt’s national AI council. It can analyse large codebases, reports and audit logs, identify vulnerabilities, explain risks and suggest fixes, while testing how the country may regulate high-risk AI systems. (Middle East AI News)
Sovereign AI
Falcon H1 tops sovereign model index
#UAE #LLMs - Counterpoint Research ranks the UAE’s Falcon H1 first globally for government ownership, foundational model development, Arabic-language depth and large-scale deployment. Built by the Technology Innovation Institute and integrated into TAMM, Falcon H1 leads an index that also recognises Saudi Arabia’s ALLaM and UAE models Jais 2 and K2 Think V2. (Middle East AI News)
Education & Skills
Tuwaiq Academy and NVIDIA open innovation centre
#Saudi #COEs - Tuwaiq Academy and NVIDIA have opened a first-of-its-kind AI Innovation Centre for the Middle East in Riyadh, initially focused on natural language processing. Joint practical programmes will train Saudi specialists to build and operate AI applications, supporting the academy’s goal of qualifying 100,000 programmers by 2030. (Middle East AI News)
SDAIA opens professional badge registration
#Saudi #workforce - SDAIA has opened registration for Saudi Arabia’s AI Professional Badges programme, beginning with AI Engineer and Data Scientist pathways. Candidates will be assessed through a standardised framework with independent supervision, creating nationally recognised credentials for practitioners in two of the kingdom’s most important technical roles. (Middle East AI News)
SDAIA Academy launches eight training programmes
#Saudi #training - SDAIA Academy has launched eight data and AI programmes and bootcamps for Saudi professionals and beginners. The July initiative covers data engineering, computer vision, AI agents, generative AI, prompt engineering and responsible use, supporting national technical capacity during Saudi Arabia’s Year of Artificial Intelligence 2026. (Saudi Press Agency)
Khalifa Fund trains students in agentic systems
#UAE #schools - Khalifa Fund and 42 Abu Dhabi are training secondary school students to build agentic AI systems, entrepreneurial tools and working prototypes through the AgenticVerse summer programme. Running in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the initiative combines technical development with entrepreneurship and practical product creation. (WAM)
Jordan trains government leaders in AI
#Jordan #government - Jordan has launched its second six-month Artificial Intelligence for Government Leaders programme, targeting senior officials across ministries and public bodies. Delivered by JAGA with GIZ and government partners, it covers responsible governance, institutional readiness, digital services and innovation, supporting a proactive, data-driven public administration. (Petra)
BIBF launches Bahrain’s first AI study assistant
#Bahrain #banking - Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance has introduced Newt, an AI-powered study assistant, in its CPA and CMA programmes, becoming Bahrain’s first training institution to offer such support. Based on Becker materials, it provides instant explanations alongside classroom teaching, with expansion planned across additional professional qualifications. (Zawya)
Policy & Global Cooperation
Saudi cabinet approves ICAIRE statute
#Saudi #ethics - Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved the statute of the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), giving the Riyadh-based UNESCO Category 2 centre legal, financial and administrative independence. Its work spans research, ethics, education, policy and international cooperation, supporting Saudi Arabia’s role in global AI governance. (Middle East AI News)
Egypt to lead regional governance and quantum groups
#Egypt #emergingtech - Egypt has been elected to chair Arab working groups on AI governance and quantum computing under the Arab Permanent Committee for AI and Emerging Technologies. The groups will coordinate regional policy, research and implementation, giving Egypt a leading role in shaping shared approaches to two strategic technologies. (Tech Review Africa)
AI Strategy
Ajman starts execution phase of AI programme
#UAE #government - Ajman has moved its government AI programme from planning into execution, activating governance committees and appointing coordinators across public entities. A unified operating framework will guide 100 initiatives aligned with Ajman Vision 2030, with emphasis on measurable service improvements, responsible use, data protection and future readiness. (Middle East AI News)
Algeria reviews national AI strategy rollout
#Algeria #AIstratgey - Algeria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari, has chaired a coordination meeting to review implementation of the country’s National Strategic Plan for Artificial Intelligence. Representatives from government ministries and national institutions attended, signalling a cross-government effort to advance the strategy. (APS)
Healthcare
Longevium plans $7 million research laboratory
#UAE #healthcare - Dubai-based Longevium will open an AI research laboratory at Dubai Science Park in the fourth quarter of 2026 after raising $7 million. Using data from more than 30,000 patients, it will develop tools for biological-age assessment, early detection, digital twins, regenerative medicine and personalised healthspan programmes. (Middle East AI News)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]