Core42 opens European HQ; PureHealth's new AI powered lab
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest, brought to you by big data analytics and AI company Presight!
There’s still much going on as we near the end of 2025, with some big announcements this week including Core42’s opening of a European headquarters in Dublin. There’s also a new version of Inception/MBZUAI’s Hindi LLM, MBZUAI’s first PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Presight’s AI startup accelerator phase II, and the opening of PureHealth’s new seven story AI-powered lab!
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Core42 sets up European HQ in Dublin
#Ireland #UAE #sovereignAI - Core42 has established its European headquarters in Dublin, accelerating G42’s expansion across Europe. The move strengthens delivery of sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, building on national-scale deployments in France and Italy for governments and enterprises. (Middle East AI News)
LLMs
G42 releases Hindi-English LLM Nanda 87B
#UAE #LLMs - G42 has launched Nanda 87B, an open-weight Hindi-English large language model developed with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Inception and Cerebras. Trained on more than 65 billion Hindi tokens, the model targets India’s 600 million Hindi speakers for translation and summarisation tasks. (Middle East AI News)
Startups
Presight opens applications for AI startup accelerator
#UAE #startups - Presight has opened applications for the second cohort of its AI startup accelerator. The six-month programme offers founders enterprise access, advanced compute and commercial pathways, building on a first cohort that generated over 70 qualified leads in under two months. (Middle East AI News)
Morocco invests 1.3bn dirhams in startups by 2030
#Morocco #digitaleconomy - Morocco has committed 1.3 billion dirhams under its Digital 2030 strategy to support 3,000 startups by 2030. Funding will back venture building, VC financing, Technopark expansion and responsible artificial intelligence, strengthening regional innovation hubs nationwide. (Hespress)
Movandi joins Saudi NTDP Relocate initiative
#Saudi #semiconductors - US wireless innovator Movandi has been selected for Saudi Arabia’s NTDP Relocate initiative in Riyadh. Working with the National Semiconductor Hub, the move anchors advanced RF technologies locally, supporting AI readiness, connectivity and Vision 2030 smart city ambitions. (Morningstar)
Dubai concludes second DCAI Accelerator cycle
#UAE #accelerators - Dubai Future Foundation has completed the second cycle of the DCAI Accelerator Programme, enabling AI companies to co-develop solutions with government partners. Projects ranged from GenAI productivity tools to predictive analytics, healthcare assistants and archaeological preservation, strengthening Dubai’s applied innovation ecosystem. (Emirates News Agency)
startAD showcases AI for Good innovations
#UAE #AIforGood - Abu Dhabi-based startAD has showcased AI for Good projects supporting health, wellbeing and youth development across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Backed by Google.org, the initiatives demonstrate how inclusive AI can deliver measurable social impact aligned with SDG 3. (Zawya)
Education
MBZUAI launches first PhD in HCI
#UAE #HCI - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has opened applications for its first PhD in Human-Computer Interaction. Starting in fall 2026, the programme focuses on human–AI alignment and multimodal systems, expanding MBZUAI to six specialised research departments. (Middle East AI News)
ADQ and Gates Foundation launch $40m AI EdTech drive
#UAE #education - ADQ and the Gates Foundation have announced a four-year, $40 million partnership to scale responsible AI and education technology across sub-Saharan Africa. Anchoring two flagship programmes, the initiative targets improved early literacy and numeracy outcomes for millions of children. (Gates Foundation)
Riyadh opens LLM professional training programme
#Saudi #training - SDAIA Academy has opened registration for a four-week Professional Training in LLMs programme in Riyadh. The course offers hands-on LLM development and prepares participants for NVIDIA’s generative AI certification, supporting growing demand for advanced AI skills. (Arab News)
Libya launches first AI Youth Club in Bani Walid
#Libya #training - Libya has launched its first AI Youth Club in Bani Walid, offering training in artificial intelligence, data analysis, robotics and digital ethics. The initiative aims to empower young people and support the country’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy. (Libya Review)
Ain Shams University AI team wins national award
#Egypt #education - Ain Shams University’s artificial intelligence student team has won best project honours at the Egyptian Women’s Summit. The achievement highlights growing AI talent and innovation capacity within Egypt’s public university sector. (Ain Shams University)
Healthcare
PureHealth opens UAE’s largest AI lab in Abu Dhabi
#UAE #healthtech - PureHealth has launched the UAE’s largest AI-powered diagnostic laboratory in Abu Dhabi. The 70,000 square-foot facility integrates AI, robotics and automation, operating 24/7 with capacity to process over 30 million samples annually. (Middle East AI News)
Compute
Ooredoo Qatar partners Rafay on sovereign AI
#Qatar #compute - Ooredoo Qatar has partnered with Rafay Systems to deliver an enterprise-grade AI platform powered by NVIDIA accelerated computing. The collaboration enables secure deployment of AI workloads within Qatar, supporting regulated sectors while keeping sensitive data fully sovereign. (Zawya)
Governance
SDAIA and ICESCO activate Riyadh AI Charter
#Saudi #governance - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has signed a cooperation agreement with ICESCO to activate the Riyadh Charter on AI across 53 member states. The initiative promotes ethical AI governance, capacity building and responsible innovation across the Islamic world. (SPA)
Digital Government
Dubai Customs updates AI-driven strategy to 2030
#UAE #customs - Dubai Customs has launched a project to update its 2026–2030 strategic plan, placing advanced digitalisation and artificial intelligence at the core of decision-making. The initiative aims to reinforce Dubai’s position as a global trade and logistics hub. (Dubai Media Office)
MoHRE processes 13m transactions via AI automation
#UAE #digitalgovernment - The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has completed around 13 million transactions using automation and AI in 2025 without human intervention. The milestone supports Zero Government Bureaucracy goals, cutting processing times by up to 99%. (Emirates News Agency)
Qatar showcases 20 national AI projects at summit
#Qatar #WorldSummitAI - Qatar highlighted more than 20 national AI initiatives at World Summit AI – Qatar 2025 in Doha. Projects included smart tendering, automated legislation drafting and AI-powered permits, aligning closely with Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030 and National Vision 2030. (The Peninsula)
Robotaxis
Dubai launches robotaxi pilot on Uber app
#UAE #robotaxis - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a pilot robotaxi service on Uber, deploying WeRide autonomous vehicles in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah. The initiative supports Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy, with safety specialists onboard ahead of a fully driverless rollout planned for early 2026. (Dubai Media Office)
Dubai offers free robotaxi rides during pilot
#UAE #robotaxis - Dubai residents can now book free robotaxi rides via the Uber app as part of the RTA pilot programme. WeRide vehicles operate in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, with up to 50 trips per user and safety drivers onboard ahead of full autonomous deployment next year. (Khaleej Times)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]