ADNOC unveils Neuron 5; Saudi starts lifelong AI learning

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

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Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News, brought to you by OnDemand, an innovative AI platform which enables you to fast-track AI product development and seamlessly integrate AI and IoT apps into your environment.

ADNOC has launched Neuron 5, an AI-enabled process optimisation platform to reduce unplanned shutdowns by 50%; Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched a lifelong learning initiative for AI; and SDAIA has issued guidelines for Data Protection Officers in Saudi Arabia.

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ADNOC’s Neuron 5 AI to optimise operations

#UAE #energy - ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) has launched Neuron 5, an AI-enabled process optimisation platform developed with AIQ and AVEVA. Operating at the Northeast Bab field and Taweelah plant, Neuron 5 aims to reduce unplanned shutdowns by 50%, lower costs, and boost efficiency. (Middle East AI News)

Education

Saudi Arabia launches Lifelong Learning programme for AI

#Saudi #education - Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, together with the National e-Learning Center, has launched a Lifelong Learning programme to promote AI awareness and skills. The initiative targets students, professionals, and the public. (Saudi Press Agency)

Saudi Arabia launches 'Digital Future Readiness Program'

#Saudi #training - Saudi’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, with the Human Capacity Development Program, launched the “Digital Future Readiness Program” to boost AI skills among 7,000 students, fostering innovation and digital development in Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Gazette)

Tuwaiq Academy, Stanford to launch ML Bootcamp

#Saudi #machinelearning - Tuwaiq Academy and Stanford University are launching a Machine Learning Bootcamp on September 30. The two-and-a-half-month program will enhance machine learning skills and provide accredited certificates, with job placements for top performers. (Saudi Press Agency)

MBZUAI places 90+ AI students in global internships

#UAE #internships - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has successfully placed over 90 master’s and PhD AI students in internships with top organizations in Canada, China, Pakistan, Russia, and the UAE, providing valuable hands-on experience. (Emirates News Agency)

Oman and Huawei to train 100 youths in AI

#Oman #training - Oman's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Huawei have launched a program to train 100 young Omanis in AI. The training includes three weeks in Oman and one week at Huawei’s headquarters in China. (Muscat Daily)

Challenges & Hackathons

Saudi Arabia’s 'Spark Tomorrow' hackathon open for registration

#Saudi #hackathons - Ericsson, stc, and King Saud University have announced the ‘Spark Tomorrow’ hackathon, set for Riyadh. The event will bring together developers to create advanced applications using AI, IoT, and eXtended Reality, enhancing user experiences. (Ericsson)

Oman launches 'Engineer it with AI' competition

#Oman #challenges- Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, in collaboration with the Programming Academy and SAS Media, has launched the "Engineer it with AI" competition. Featuring 100 competitors in 25 teams, the contest includes stages from intensive training to developing generative AI solutions, culminating in a final evaluation. (MTCIT Oman)

Qatar’s Open Innovation Call for AI chatbot proposals

#Qatar #challenges - Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council (QRDI), with the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), has announced an Open Innovation Call for AI chatbot proposals. Companies are invited to develop chatbots that handle consumer complaints and inquiries for the CRA. (The Peninsula Qatar)

Saudi's SDAIA closes registration for Allam Challenge

#Saudi #Allam- Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has closed registrations for the Allam Challenge, a competition to develop Arabic language applications using its large language model Allam, starting at the Global AI Summit on September 10th. (LinkedIn)

LLMs

MBZUAI unveils Exams V dataset for VLMs

#UAE #VLMs - Researchers at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) have introduced Exams V, a dataset testing Vision-Language Models across 26 subjects and 11 languages. With over 20,000 questions, it sets a new benchmark for evaluating VLM capabilities. (MBZUAI), (arXiv)

Retail

Ubox, Siwar Foods partner to introduce unmanned retail in Saudi

#Saudi #retail - China’s Ubox and Saudi Arabia’s Siwar Foods have partnered to launch AI-driven unmanned ready-to-eat retail machines in Saudi Arabia. The machines offer various consumer goods with payment options like facial recognition, QR code scanning, and NFC payments. (Zawya)

Regulation

Saudi SDAIA sets rules for Data Protection Officers

#Saudi #PDPL - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has released guidelines for appointing a Data Protection Officer under the new personal data protection law (PDPL). The law, approved last year, will be enforced starting September 14th, and these guidelines are part of a series of rules and regulations published over the past few months. (LinkedIn), (PDF En, PDF Ar)

Saudi CST updates IoT Regulatory Framework to boost innovation

#Saudi #IoT - Saudi’s Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) has updated its IoT Regulatory Framework to promote innovation and investment. The new regulations, effective in 60 days, support various sectors, including smart cities, logistics, and energy. (Saudi Press Agency)

Advanced air mobility

EANAN completes test flight of heavy cargo drone

#UAE #cargodrones - Dubai-based EANAN successfully tested its RIKAZ unmanned heavy cargo VTOL and UAV. The drone can carry up to 50kg with a speed of 60 km/h, with plans to increase its payload capacity to 200kg. (Zawya)

Media

Qatar News Agency expands AI services with Microsoft

#Qatar #media - Qatar News Agency (QNA), in collaboration with Microsoft, is expanding its AI services across multiple platforms, including introducing a simultaneous translation service for news in 26 languages. (Zawya)

Events

Dubai to host 30th I.T.S World Congress

#UAE #transport - Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority will host the 30th Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress from September 16th to 20th, with 20,000 participants and over 800 speakers focusing on automated transport across air, land, and sea. (Gulf Today)

[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]