G42 releases 20 Jais AI models; Oracle's new Riyadh cloud
G42 releases 20 Jais AI models; Oracle's new Riyadh cloud
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.
The big news of the week is G42’s open-source release of 20 different Jais AI models from the new Jais 70 billion parameter model, down to models that can run on your laptop. Read my full story on this here.
Meanwhile, lots of education and training initiatives to report on today, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue their unrelenting efforts to upskill their talent with AI and other future economy skills.
Scroll down for more news!
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/Carrington
LLMs
G42 Group open-sources 20 Jais AI models
#UAE #LLMs - G42’s R&D company Inception has released Jais 70B and 20 other AI models for Arabic NLP, under open-source licencing. Jais 70B is the largest and most powerful Jais model to be released to-date and, according to the developer, was pre-trained using the largest Arabic dataset ever used to train an open-source foundational model. The family of 20 Jais models is the largest single release of large language models in the Middle East and North Africa. (Middle East AI News)
Cloud
Oracle launches second Saudi public cloud region
#Saudi #cloud - Oracle has launched its Riyadh CLoud Region, the company's second public cloud region in Saudi Arabia, and part of the company's 1.5 billion investment aimed at enhancing the Kingdom's digital infrastructure. (Arab News)
Investment
MGX joins bid $AU 20 billion for APAC hyperscaler
#UAE #Australia #investment - According to the Australian Financial Review, Abu Dhabi's technology investment fund MGX has joined consortium in the $AU 20 billion ($12.87 billion) bid for APAC AirTrunk! The group currently has 11 data centres across five markets with over 1.4 GW of capacity. (LinkedIn)
UAE integrator joins global quantum network
#UAE #quantum - UAE systems integrator and solution provider ITQAN Al Khaleej, has joined Boston-based QuEra Computing's global network for quantum computing. The neutral-atom quantum computing leader, has announced a new global partner program which aims to accelerate the development and deployment of quantum computers. (The Quantum Insider)
R&D
KACST embarks on AI research for gaming
#Saudi #gaming - The Augmented Reality and e-Games Technologies Institute, at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has embarked on a variety of research projects for AI in gaming. The research includes studies on player behaviour and performance and developing player skills in e-sports through artificial intelligence. (SPA)
Oman develops AI project to count trees
#Oman #agriculture - A pilot project in Oman is combining the use of space data, AI and drones to identify and count tree species, such as palm trees, lime trees and mango trees. The project is being run by the AI and Advanced Technologies Projects Unit of the countrys Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, and has achieved a success rate of 90 per cent. (Oman Observer)
Education
ATHKA winners join Oxford University programme
#Saudi #UK #education - Ten ATHKA winners have been selected to take part in the prestigious Scholars Programme, a joint initiative by Oxford University and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The students were among 300 finalists in ATHKA, the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, which concluded in April. (Arab News)
2,400 students join Abu Dhabi summer AI programme
#UAE #education - 2,400 Abu Dhabi students are to join AI Summer Programs, organised by Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), in collaboration with 42 Abu Dhabi and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). Bootcamps provides students in grades 9 to 12, with hands-on AI learning experiences. (Zawya)
SDAIA and KFUPM announced masters in AI scholarship
#Saudi #edcuation - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) have launched the Artificial Intelligence Pioneers Initiative, a masters degree scholarship in AI for Saudi students. The application deadline is Sunday, August 11th. (SPA)
New education programme to upskill 100 Emirati women in ML
#UAE #training - Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation in the UAE, and AI community and knowledge hub Zaka, have launched a Women in AI education programme to upskill 100 Emirati women in machine learning and AI. Applications for the new programme are open until September 30th. (LinkedIn)
SDAIA runs workshops for tech pros on LLMs
#Saudi #training - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has run a training programme on large language models (LLMs), bringing together 80 technology specialists to provide them with advanced skills, tools and knowledge for large language models (LLMs). (SPA)
AI Policy
Oman issues draft national AI policy for review
#Oman #AIpolicy - Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has published a 14-page draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy, and has announced a public consultation for the new document. The public consultation period ends on August 28th. (Muscat Daily)
Advanced mobility
Dubai Police moves forwards with Smart Boat Project
#UAE #USVs - Dubai Police has signed an MoU with Radio Holland Middle East to develop smart systems for the Dubai Police Smart Boat Project (Haddad). The project aims to increase security coverage of water areas, reduce operational and maintenance costs of security boats, and help shorten response times. (Emirates News Agency)
RTA runs training in sustainable mobility
#UAE #urbanmobility - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), organised eight virtual training programmes focusing on The Future of Sustainable Mobility for RTA employees. (Emirates News Agency)
Digital Transformation
Bahrain achieves ‘89% digital transformation rate’
#Bahrain #digitaltransformation - Bahrain has achieved 89 per cent digital transformation rate with over 4 million transactions completed across all eGovernment channels, according to the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA). The government has launched over 700 eServices to over 700, reduced government costs by 75pc, and transaction times by 68pc. (Gulf Daily News)
UAE to use AI to manage visa amnesty programme
#UAE #immigration - The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), will use AI to help streamline procedures for a two-month visa amnesty, which begins in September. The amnesty allows residents with lapsed visas to resolve their status or leave the country without fines. (The National)
Qatar Ministry of Labour launches AI platform for graduates
#Qatar #talent - The Ministry of Labour in Qatar, in collaboration with Google Cloud and Mannai InfoTech, has launched the 'Ouqoul' platform, an AI-powered employment platform for university graduates. The platform supports the entire employee journey from job search though to signing employment contracts. (Zawya)