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.
It’s official! Dubai has won the bid to host the 2029 International Conference on Computer Vision, ICCV29)! The global computer vision conference is expected to gather some 15,000 researchers and experts in Dubai early December 2029.
Otherwise, it’s been a busy week: ADNOC and e& announced plans for a huge private 5G network; Aramco Digital and WWT announced a partnership for AI infrastructure; and KAUST is going to create an GenAI factory to develop new models. Meanwhile, AIREV’s beta trial for its new OnDemand AI app development platform is now in full swing!
Scroll down for more news!
No Middle East AI News LIVE show today, but some interesting guests lined up for the next few weeks. You can obviously listen to the podcasts of past shows here.
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/Carrington
Computer Vision
Dubai wins bid to host ICCV29
#UAE #ICCV - Dubai has won the bid to host the 2029 International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV29), a global event organised by the Computer Vision Foundation and sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Dubai's Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced the win via social media. (Middle East AI News)
Telecom
ADNOC and e& to build energy industry’s biggest 5G network
#UAE #5G - ADNOC and e&, have just announced plans to build the energy industry's largest private 5G wireless network, spanning 11,000 sqm. The high-bandwidth connectivity across onshore and offshore operations, will allow ADNOC to integrate AI at its most remote facilities. The project is expected to generate $1.5 billion in value during its first 5 years of operation. (Abu Dhabi Media Office)
STC deploys first AI operations system on live network
#Saudi #networks - Saudi telecom group STC and Nokia, successfully implemented Nokia’s MantaRay Self-Organizing Network (SON), to optimise live network performance during the Hajj season. This is the first time that STC has deployed an AI system on its network for automatic network optimisation. (Zawya)
ITU to hold global regulators meeting in Riyadh, 2025
#Saudi #ITU - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has selected Saudi Arabia to host the the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) 2025 in Riyadh, as part of the symposium’s work in its edition of this year. (SPA)
AI Infrastructure
Aramco Digital and WWT partner for AI infrastructure
#Saudi #infrastructure - Aramco Digital, the national Saudi petroleum group’s digital transformation arm, has announced a strategic partnership with World Wide Technology (WWT), a privately-held US technology services provider, to drive the advancement of AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. (Middle East AI News)
GenAI
AIREV begins beta trial for easy-to-use AIOS platform
#UAE #AIOS - UAE AI developer AIREV, has begun a beta trial for its new decentralised AI operating system and marketplace. Called OnDemand, the new platform enables AI developers and AI users to build Generative AI and IoT apps in minutes, integrating functionality from plugins and data sources using the AI model of their choice. (Middle East AI News)
KAUST to build GenAI Factory
#Saudi #GenAI - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) launched a Centre of Excellence in Generative AI. The centre will focus on building a GenAI Factory, which develops next generation GenAI models that are accurate, multi-modal, trustworthy, and efficient. The GenAI Factory focus on the fields health and wellness, sustainability, energy, and economies of the future. (LinkedIn)
Law
Virtual court handles 110,000 requests
#Saudi #justice - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Justice, has announced that its Virtual Enforcement Court, received and automatically processed over 110,000 requests during 2024. The Virtual Enforcement Court simplifies execution procedures from 12 steps to just two, without human intervention. The Virtual Court provided over 2 million services to litigants so far this year. (SPA)
AIQ’s RoboWell joins iEnergy hybrid cloud
#UAE #energy - Abu Dhabi-based AI company AIQ has partnered with Halliburton's Landmark to offer AIQ’s RoboWell autonomous well control solution through the Landmark iEnergy hybrid cloud. iEnergy is designed to deploy, integrate, and manage sophisticated exploration and production applications. As a result of the deal, RoboWell will now be made available to iEnergy customers worldwide. (Zawya)
Industry 4.0
KFW backs Industry 4.0 training centre in Morocco
#Morocco #Industry4 - The EuroMed University of Fez (UEMF) and the Investment Facility for Employment (IFE), a subsidiary of the German development bank KfW, signed a €4 million grant agreement this week to establish Usine École Pilote 4.0 (Pilot Factory School 4.0), a training centre focused on Industry 4.0. (Morocco World News)
Education
ADEK, Khalifa University launch high school STEM programme
#UAE #STEM - Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology are collaborating to shape future-ready STEM leaders by elevating the skills and knowledge of teachers and 11th-grade students in Abu Dhabi’s Charter Schools. (Emirates News Agency)
SDAIA launches GenAI training for trainers
#Saudi #GenAI - The Generative AI Academy of Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has opened registrations for its train the trainers program, organised in partnership with global AI chipmaker Nvidia. Masters graduates and PhD holders can apply for the program until July 4th. (SPA)
MBZUAI welcomes biggest internship intake
#UAE #education - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has welcomed 45 international Stem students as part of a month-long undergraduate internship - it's biggest internship intake to-date. The four-week program for top-flight undergraduate students helps them develop foundational AI knowledge and hands-on research skills. (Zawya)
AI Ethics
ICESCO holds workshop on Islam and AI ethics in Oman
#Oman #Islam - The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organised a World AI Charter Regional Workshop (IWAIC) Asia and Middle East Regions in Oman this week. The focus of the workshop was AI ethics and the drafting of an Islamic World AI Charter. (ICESCO)
Awards
Deadline for UAE AI Award extended
#UAE #awards - The deadline for applications for the UAE Artificial Intelligence Award has been extended until July 12th. Organised by the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence, the awards programme includes AI for service excellence, decision-making, operational efficiency, plus Emirati AI solutions. (Emirates News Agency)