Dubai launches Food Tech Valley; AI and RPA could double Saudi GDP
Good morning,
Here’s your weekly roundup of Middle East AI News!
Food Tech Valley is arguably the biggest announcement of the week; Dubai's initiative to support the UAE's food security, The development focuses on agtech, food innovation, R&D, and smart food logistics hub.
Meanwhile, new study from EY and Automation Anywhere estimates that AI and robotic process automation (RPA) have the potential to double the size of Saudi Arabia's economy to $1.6 trillion by 2030.
Scroll down for these stories, plus startup news, healthcare news, news on Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park's latest hackathon, the Special Olympics and more!
Also, you're also welcome to read my April roundup of GCC AI and innovation news in The AI Journal.
Stay safe and have a great weekend!
/Carrington
Dubai launches Food Tech Valley — gulfbusiness.com
#UAE #foodtech - Dubai's Food Tech Valley was launched this week, a partnership between the Ministry of Food and Water Security and Wasl Properties to explore urban planning of future smart- and food-independent cities. There will be four main clusters: agricultural technology and engineering, a food innovation centre, R&D facilities, and an advanced smart food logistics hub. (Gulf Business)
Startup News
Saudi Arabia-based healthtech platform Mawidy raises funds in Seed Round — www.entrepreneur.com
#Saudi #funding - Mawidy, a Saudi Arabia-headquartered healthtech firm, recently concluded a seed investment round led by angel investors based in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The app-based platform uses AI and other technologies to tackle challenges faced by the healthcare sector. (Entrepreneur)
NYBL acquires of ML startup Nubila — www.logisticsmiddleeast.com
#UAE #M&A - Machine learning platform NYBL has announced its acquisition of Nubila, a visual data mining and machine learning startup, in a deal that will see Nubila's founder, Marlon de Jesús González, join nybl's R&D team. (Logistics Middle East)
Healthcare
Tunisian AI expertise to benefit Africans in need of artificial limbs — www.arabnews.com
#Tunisia #bionics - Mohamed Dhaouafi launched Cure Bionics in late 2018 after identifying that there was a lack of readily available and affordable prosthetics, with artificial hands costing up to $50,000. (Arab News)
MoH, SDAIA launch center of excellence for AI for health sector — saudigazette.com.sa
#Saudi #healthcare - The Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia and SDAIA (Saudi Data and Al Authority) have launched a Centre of Excellence for AI in the Health Sector. (Saudi Gazette)
Economy
AI and automation could double size of Saudi economy to $1.6 trillion: EY — www.arabnews.com
#Saudi #economy - RPA and AI have the potential to double the size of Saudi Arabia's economy to $1.6 trillion and add an extra $293 billion by 2030 if the country fully adopts intelligently automated systems across all sectors, according to a study by EY commissioned by Automation Anywhere. (Arab News)
R&D
Senior delegation from Israel's Weizmann Institute visits MBZUAI in Abu Dhabi — www.wam.ae
#Israel #UAE #research - A senior delegation from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science led by President Professor Alon Chen visited the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi to discuss the strategic planning and roadmap of MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for Artificial Intelligence Research. (Emirates News Agency)
Pandemic puts a Gulf AI company on the cutting edge of genome research — www.arabnews.com
#UAE #genomes - In the race to understand the source of Covid-19, the healthcare division of Group 42 (G42) an Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud computing company, launched its own SARS-CoV2 genome sequencing study. The entire study will soon be published as a scientific paper, which is now in its final stages of production. (Arab News)
Manufacturing
LG and Shaker to upgrade AC production facility in Saudi Arabia with AI and robotics — www.prnewswire.com
#Saudi #SouthKorea #robotics - LG Electronics (LG) and Al Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker Co. (Shaker) have announced new investment in their joint-venture air conditioner (AC) production facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The LG-Shaker plant will deploy industrial robots and AI to automate the production process and optimise operational efficiency. (PR Newswire)
Transport
Huawei and Saudi transport ministry sign AI and Big Data MoU — www.itp.net
#Saudi #transport - The Saudi Ministry of Transport signed an MoU with Chinese technology giant Huawei to enhance future mobility and technology adoption in the transport and logistics sector by exploring the prospects of utilising advanced technologies such as 5G, AI and Big Data. (ITP)
Energy
SRTI Park launches hackathon towards more sustainable energy — www.sharjah24.ae
#UAE #energy - Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park), which recently launched the MEA Energy Innovation Hub, is looking for participants in the 48-hour global hackathon who will identify and co-create innovative solutions that provide a multidisciplinary and socially beneficial response to urgent energy challenges. (Sharjah24)
Special Olympics
KPMG Lower Gulf partners with Special Olympics UAE and Special Olympics MENA — www.dubaiprnetwork.com
#UAE #MENA #robotics - KPMG Lower Gulf and Special Olympics UAE have unveiled a year-round partnership. As part if the partnership, KPMG now becomes an official sponsor of the Special Olympics Unified Robotics programme, the largest STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-based program for neurodiverse students in the MENA region. (Dubai PR Network)
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Carrington Malin — www.carringtonmalin.com Carrington Malin helps large organisations, digital brands and fast growing tech ventures with brand, communications and go-to-market strategies.