Kuwait joins global AI fund; Algeria to create 1,000 startups
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
A slight slow-down in the region’s news cycle in advance of the Eid Al Adha holiday, but still remarkably busy. The biggest news this week is probably Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund’s decision to join the global data centre fund formed by Blackrock, Microsoft, Global Infrastructure Partners and Abu Dhabi’s tech fund MGX last year.
However, there are plenty more big stories, with a new Presight deal with the government of Malaysia, Dubai’s agreement with Ghana to create a new tech hub, MBZUA’s release of an open-source LLM for Egyptian Arabic, and ALJ’s plans to invest $1 billion in Job Aviation air taxis! Plus the latest news on HUMAIN and big news for AI startups in Algeria!
Scroll down for these stories and more!
As usual, thank you for reading Middle East AI News. If you you’re interested in enterprise AI platforms, do check out our Sponsor, Presight.
Eid mubarak!
/Carrington
Investment
Kuwait joins $100bn AI infrastructure partnership
#Kuwait #infrastructure – Kuwait Investment Authority became the first non-founding sovereign investor in the $100 billion AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) led by BlackRock, Microsoft, MGX and Global Infrastructure Partners. (Middle East AI News)
Venture Capital
Algeria launches $600m venture studio for 1,000 startups
#Algeria #startups – Algeria has launched a national venture studio backed by over $600 million to create 1,000 deep tech startups nationwide. The programme, supported by ASF, CERIST, and DeepMinds, prioritises AI and aims to foster a sovereign innovation ecosystem and tens of thousands of jobs. (Middle East AI News)
IPO
Saudi PIF considers IPO for tech firm SITE
#Saudi #IPO– Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is exploring an initial public offering for Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE). The IPO aims to increase capital, complementing investments in tech firms. (MSN)
LLMs
MBZUAI launches Nile-Chat for Egyptian Arabic dialect
#UAE #Arabic – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has unveiled Nile-Chat, two open-source large language models trained for Egyptian Arabic dialects. Developed at MBZUAI France Lab, the 4B and 12B parameter models excel in dialect understanding and translation. (Middle East AI News)
Mobility
Abdul Latif Jameel, Joby explore $1 billion air taxi deal
#Saudi #airtaxis– Abdul Latif Jameel and Joby Aviation have signed an MoU to bring electric air taxis to Saudi Arabia. The deal could see delivery of 200 aircraft worth $1 billion, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 sustainable transport goals. (Zawya)
Education
Egypt opens AI courses to technical school graduates
#Egypt #education – Egypt has allowed graduates from technical schools direct access to university AI and computer science courses through a new quota system. Approved by the Supreme Council of Universities, this move integrates vocational education into the national AI talent pipeline. (Middle East AI News)
Record number of women graduate in AI at AURAK
#UAE #education – The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) reported a record number of female graduates this year, with the number of AI graduates doubling. The trend highlights a growing shift toward tech-focused careers among women in the UAE. (Zawya)
ADNOC’s AI Schools Challenge attracts 14,000 students
#UAE #education – ADNOC’s ‘Future of AI Schools Challenge’ reached its finals with 27 student teams presenting AI solutions. The initiative engaged over 14,000 participants from 351 schools across the UAE, promoting STEM education and AI innovation among youth nationwide. (Emirates News Agency)
Qatar’s Arab Center partners with Indian AI university
#Qatar #education – Universal AI University of India has signed a landmark partnership with Qatar’s Arab Center for Artificial Intelligence to boost AI education and research across the Gulf, marking the first collaboration of its kind between an Indian university and a regional AI institute. (Loktej)
HUMAIN
HUMAIN to launch enterprise AI OS platform
#Saudi #AIOS - HUMAIN will release a new enterprise AI platform, HUMAIN OS, in August 2025. Designed for conversational workflows, it replaces traditional apps and integrates with email, ERP and productivity tools. The platform will support Arabic and English from day one. (Middle East AI News)
Manufacturing
Saudi, UAE lead world in GenAI adoption
#Saudi #manufacturing – 98% of Middle East manufacturers are adopting generative AI, according to a new study from Rockwell Automation. Firms in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are prioritising quality control, cybersecurity and energy efficiency, with a strong focus on ROI. (Middle East AI News)
Government Deals
Malaysia, UAE’s Presight sign strategic AI deal
#Malaysia #government – Malaysia has partnered with G42 company Presight in a strategic agreement to accelerate digital transformation. Announced at the ASEAN-GCC Forum, the deal focuses on AI infrastructure, sovereign cloud, and public services, marking Presight’s first major Southeast Asia deal. (Middle East AI News)
Ghana, UAE sign $1 billion deal to build tech hub
#UAE #technology – Ghana and the UAE have agreed to build a $1 billion technology and innovation hub in Ningo-Prampram. Led by Dubai’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, the project aims to host 11,000+ global firms and drive AI and BPO innovation in Africa. (BusinessGhana)
Customs
Morocco launches AI customs risk analysis system
#Morocco #logistics – Morocco has kicked off a project to use AI in customs risk analysis, supported by the World Customs Organization and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The system will use predictive analytics and machine learning to streamline trade and improve enforcement. (Yabiladi)
Hajj
Saudi Arabia uses AI and drones to manage Hajj safety
#Saudi #public-safety – Saudi Arabia deploys AI, drones, and 15,000 cameras to monitor the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. The system predicts crowd congestion, coordinates 20,000 buses, and tracks movements to ensure the safety of over 1.4 million pilgrims during the event. (France24)
National Archives
Iraq launches AI-driven National Memory Project
#Iraq #digitalarchives – Iraq has begun phase one of its AI-powered National Memory Project, digitising over a century of petroleum sector archives. The initiative aims to preserve the nation’s industrial history using AI. (Iraq Business News)
[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]