Africa approves AI strategy; Sharjah creates new ICT authority

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

Good morning!

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.

Big news from Africa this week, as the African Union approves the Continental AI Strategy. Last week the UAE president spoke at the G7 Summit in Italy, presenting the UAE’s progress in AI. And the ruler of Sharjah has created a new ICT authority by royal degree, aiming to build on Sharjah’s status as an ICT hub.

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No Middle East AI News LIVE - THURSDAY DEEP DIVE today, but you can listen to audio recordings of previous shows in the newly updated Podcast section, on Spotify and also via YouTube. And I’ll be announcing my next show for Thursday June 27th very soon!

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/Carrington

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Africa

AU approves Continental AI Strategy

#Africa #AIstrategy - African ICT and Communications Ministers have unanimously endorsed a landmark Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and an African Digital Compact, to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation. According to the African Union, the strategy will provide guidance to African countries to harness AI to meet Africa’s development aspirations and the well-being of its people, while promoting ethical use, minimizing potential risks, and leveraging opportunities. (AU)

G7

UAE president presents national AI progress to G7

#UAE #G7 - UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, participated in last week's G7 Summit in Italy, which was held under the theme “Energy and Artificial Intelligence / Africa and the Mediterranean Region.” The president emphasised the role of AI in sustainable solutions in the energy sector and played a video about the UAE’s achievements in AI. (Emirates News Agency)

ICT Policy

Sharjah creates ICT authority

#UAE #policy - Sharjah will establish the Sharjah Communication Technologies Authority (SCTA), to develop and regulate ICT sectors in the emirate. According to the government, the SCTA's mandate includes all legal, regulatory, economic and financial aspects necessary to position Sharjah to become a global ICT hub. (Emirates News Agency)

GenAI

Al Hathboor Bika AI announces new LLM

#UAE #LLMs - Dubai-based AI developer Al Hathboor Bika AI, has launched a new large language model and chat bot called Dialog XR. The product is trained on an organisation's unique knowledge base, empowering it to automate routine tasks, enhance customer service experiences, and provide on-demand information and training for employees. (Zawya)

DFF and Meta launch business incubator with Llama 3

#UAE #incubators - Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and Meta have launched a joint business incubator programme, leveraging Meta's large language model, Lllama 3. The programe aims to enhance innovation, and explore how LLMs can be leveraged to support product and service innovation across industries. (Emirates News Agency)

Air Taxis

Ehang conducts first text flight in Mecca

#Saudi #airtaxis - eVTOL aircraft manufacturer EHang completed its first autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft air taxi flight in Mecca, Saudi Arabia last week. Conducted in partnership with Saudi-baseed Front End, the company said that it conducted test flights in Mecca. (Ehang)

AI Adoption

UAE service teams embrace AI

#UAE #CRM - 93% of service teams in UAE are using or evaluating AI, according to Salesforce's new annual State of Service report. 75% of service organizations in the UAE plan to increase AI investments this year, while the top 3 service use cases for AI in the UAE are: Agent-facing and customer-facing intelligent assistants; and AI for Service responses, intelligent offers and recommendations. (Zawya)

Cloud

du deploys Oracle Alloy for sovereign AI services

#UAE #sovereignAI - UAE telecom services provider du, will deploy Oracle Alloy to offer hyperscale cloud and sovereign AI services for the government and public sector entities in the UAE. The deal allows du to provide sovereign AI capabilities and GPU-as-a-Service to government entities, running Oracle's cloud and AI services on NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform and software. (LinkedIn)

Hajj

Saudi uses AI for Hajj security and safety

#Saudi #security - Saudi Arabia's security forces are using a variety of AI technologies at Mecca's Command and Control Center to manage this year's Hajj pilgrimage. The centre is connected to approximately 8,000 cameras at more than 500 locations for real-time monitoring for security, crowd management, traffic management and supporting emergency plans. (Saudi Gazette)

Border control

Abu Dhabi fast-tracks customs at Oman border crossings

#UAE #customs - Abu Dhabi Customs has equipped customs centres on the emirate's border with Oman with control centres, advanced x-ray systems, and AI. The rapid non-stop scanning systems have the capacity to scan 100 trucks, 150 tourist vehicles, and 150 buses per hour, reducing wait times at the border crossings. (Khaleej Times)

Education

Mbank trains managers in advanced technologies

#UAE #banking - UAE-based Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), the first digital bank in the UAE, has commenced a three month Universal Digital Banker training program for its department heads. The workers will learn about AI, machine learning, cryptocurrency, blockchain, information security, decentralised finance and how these technologies can enhance customer experience. (Gulf News)

AI Diplomacy

UAE AI office partners with UNDP

#UAE #UN - The UAE"s AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to enhance research and development in AI technologies and empower talent in the Arab region and beyond. The agreement aims to enhance partnerships, exchange knowledge and support innovation. (Emirates News Agency)