Google Bard in Arabic; Saudi sees 50% jump in AI & robotics firms

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

Good morning!

Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!

The GenAI hype continues this week as a number of new reports are published and Google makes its Bard chatbot available in 40 languages including Arabic! The biggest claim this week comes from Strategy&, which predicts GenAI could drive $23.5 billion in annual economic growth across the GCC by 2030!

Meanwhile, the MENA region saw a 64% drop in venture funding during the first half of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, mainly due to global changes in the VC ecosystem. However, according to data analytics firm MAGNITT, Saudi ventures managed to raise $446 million during that same period!

It’s also noteworthy that the Saudi Ministry of Commerce this week revealed that company registrations in AI and robotics have jumped 50% during Q2 2023, compared with last year’s second quarter!

Scroll down for more AI news from across the region.

As always, thanks for reading!

/Carrington

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Generative AI

Google's Bard AI now speaks Arabic

#Global #Bard - Google's generative AI tool, Bard, has been upgraded to understand and respond in over 40 languages, including 16 Arabic dialects. The responses are provided in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). (The National)

Generative AI may unlock $23.5bn in GCC economic growth

#GCC #GenAI - Strategy& Middle East predicts Generative AI could drive $23.5 billion in annual economic growth across the GCC by 2030. Saudi Arabia is projected to reap over half of the benefit, while media and entertainment may be the most impacted sector. (Zawya)

83% of UAE firms ready for GenAI

#UAE #AI - A survey by Coursera and YouGov reveals that 83% of UAE businesses are prepared to integrate generative AI into their operations. Despite concerns such as job displacement, data privacy, and transparency, 91% view AI as crucial to business growth. (Zawya)

52% Moroccans perceive ChatGPT as a threat

#Morocco #AI - A Sunergia Group survey reports 52% of Moroccans familiar with ChatGPT believe the AI chatbot poses a danger to humanity, with older respondents more wary of the technology. (Morocco World News)

Government Innovation

Dubai Future Accelerators launches GenAI in government programme

#UAE #GenAI - Dubai Future Accelerators announced the launch of the 'Future of Generative AI in Government Services' programme, inviting local and global companies or startups to scale their AI solutions for government or public services. (LinkedIn)

Funding

Saudi startups lead in funds raised: $446m in H1

#Saudi #Startups - Saudi startups topped the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in H1 2023, raising $446 million, accounting for 42% of the total capital deployed in the region, according to MAGNiTT's new Venture Capital Report. (Arab News)

Wa'ed Ventures invests in AI start-up Tenderd

#Saudi #funding- Saudi Aramco's VC arm, Wa'ed Ventures, has invested in Tenderd, an AI start-up offering AI-generated insights to increase efficiency and lower carbon emissions in heavy industries. (The National News)

Market

52% surge in Saudi robotics firm registrations

#Saudi #AI #robotics - Saudi Arabia reports a 52% surge in the number of robotics firms registered in Q2 2023 compared to last year. A similar growth of 49% is also seen in AI solution company registrations. (Arab News)

Drones

Dubai maps drone routes, landing locations in mega project

#UAE #droneinfrastructure - Dubai Municipality and Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority are partnering to map drone routes and landing spots, part of a mega project to develop drone technologies. (Zawya)

Autonomous Vehicles

UK's Alexander Dennis joins autonomous transport contest

#UK #AVs - UK manufacturer, Alexander Dennis, in partnership with Fusion Processing, is among six global consortia shortlisted for the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, as Dubai aims for 25% of all transport to be smart and driverless by 2030. (Route One)

Telecom

TONOMUS opens NEOM Telecoms Center

#Saudi #telecom - TONOMUS, NEOM's tech company, has launched the 'NEOM Telecommunications Center', its first digital communications facility. The centre, built on 18,000 sqm, aims to serve 200 million IoT devices by 2030. (Arab News)

IoT

Aramco collaborates with OQ Tech for satellite IoT

#Saudi #IoT - Aramco and global 5G Internet of Things (IoT) operator OQ Technology are partnering to enhance satellite IoT connectivity for Aramco's remote sites, featuring expansion of Low Earth Orbit 5G-IoT services. (Arab News)

Digital Services

Egypt's digital exports target: $9bn by 2026

#Egypt #DigitalEconomy - Egypt aims to raise its digital services exports to $9 billion by 2026, doubling the revenue of tech-enabled offshoring services, in line with its national strategy. The ICT sector currently contributes 5% to GDP. (Arab News)

Education

Egypt's minister reveals AI boost plan

#Egypt #education - Egypt's ICT Minister, Amr Talaat, unveils initiatives to bolster capacity for the country’s AI industry. The AI Capacity Building Initiative saw its first round completed in collaboration with Dell Technologies. (Mubasher)

Tunisia implements "smart specialisation" strategy

#Tunisia #education- Tunisia has begunthe implementation of the ‘smart specialisation’ strategy in three model regions, intending to enhance education, technology transfer, R&D and socio-economic benefits. (Zawya)

Moroccan teams qualify for Robot Olympiad Finals

#Morocco #Robotics - Three Moroccan teams have qualified for the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) finals, demonstrating their proficiency in robotics and dedication to addressing present challenges. (Morocco World News)

Sport

SoccerNet's AI project changing sports analysis

#Saudi #sportstech - The AI project SoccerNet, developed by Anthony Cioppa and Silvio Giancola, is revolutionizing sports analysis. The platform engages over 500 researchers globally to provide unique football analytics. (Saudi Gazette)

AI Diplomacy

UAE urges balanced approach to AI

#UAE #globalpolicy - At a recent UN Security Council meeting, the UAE called for a balanced approach to AI, urging the international community to assess AI's threat while leveraging its opportunities. (Emirates News Agency)

Defence

Baykar signs major drone deal with Saudi

#Saudi #Turkey #UCAVs - Turkey’s leading drone manufacturer Baykar has signed a deal with Saudi Arabia to supply its Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The deal includes a technology transfer and joint production to enhance high-tech development. (Reuters)