MBZUAI & Weizmann Institute R&D deal; 500 Startups new Saudi fund

Good morning,

Here’s your roundup of Middle East AI News!

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science have agreed a programme for joint AI research; 500 Startups and PPIF subsidiary Sanabil Investments have formed a new accelerator and VC fund; and Dutch photographer reveals modern images of Egyptian King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti.

Scroll down for these stories and more.

Stay safe and have a great weekend!

/Carrington

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Startup News

VC firm 500 Startups partners with PIF vehicle to launch an accelerator in Riyadh — www.thenationalnews.com

#Saudi #USA #VC - California-based venture capital firm 500 Startups and Sanabil Investments, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), have launched a new accelerator and an investment fund to support startups in the Middle East. (The National)

Dailyhunt's parent acquires AI solutions provider Cognirel Technologies — economictimes.indiatimes.com

#India #Qatar #M&A - VerSe Innovation has acquired Bengaluru-based AI solutions provider Cognirel Technologies for an undisclosed amount. Verse Innovation has raised more than $200 million in three months from investors such as Google, Microsoft, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, and ADQ's Alpha Wave Incubation. (Economic Times)

R&D

Abu Dhabi's AI university launches partnership with Weizmann Institute of Science — www.thenationalnews.com

#Israel #UAE #R&D - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science have just announced the MBZUAI-WIS Joint Program for AI Research. The new programme will promote collaborative initiatives in fundamental AI research. (The National)

Healthcare

More than 17 million Saudi residents have used the Tawakkalna COVID-19 app — english.alarabiya.net

#Saudi #Covid-19 - Over 17 million people have used the Covid-19 tracking and assistance Tawakkalna app in Saudi Arabia, since it was launched nine months ago. The Tawakkalna app was first launched by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority's (SDAIA) in May 2020. (Al Arabiya)

New AI-powered Covid test gives results in 5 minutes — www.khaleejtimes.com

#Canada #UAE #Covid19 - Canadian firm Laipac Technology has partnered with two UAE companies to offer the world's first artificial intelligence-powered rapid Covid-19 antigen test system that can deliver real-time coronavirus test results in just five minutes. (Khaleej Times)

Defence

AI militarization will be ‘force multiplier’ for UAE, Saudi Arabia — www.defensenews.com

#Saudi #UAE #defence - Saudi Arabia and the UAE are carving a niche in the defense export market by adding AI capabilities and pursuing emerging technologies. Their militaries will realise benefits from national emphasis on AI. (Defense News)

UAE minister lays out pressing need and challenges of integrating AI in defence — www.thenationalnews.com

#UAE #defence - There is a pressing need to integrate AI into defence systems, the UAE’s Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Omar Al Olama told the International Defence Conference this week. He argued that defending AI systems is now as critical as defending the sovereignty of the nation, or defending lives. (The National)

Education

Using data science to power the UAE’s future — www.timeshighereducation.com

#UAE #datascience - In 2015‭, ‬when Professor Feras Al-Obeidat joined Zayed University in the UAE, ‬the College of Technological Innovation‭ (‬CTI‭) ‬at the university did not offer any courses linked to data science or analytics‭. ‬Since then‭, ‬the discipline has burgeoned as‭ ‬the institution pushes to keep up with the government’s national AI strategy‭. (Times Higher Education)

33 public school teachers receive hands-on robotics training at college of the North Atlantic — www.zawya.com

#Qatar #robotics - Qatar in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education recently distributed completion certificates to 33 public school teachers that were provided training in robotics. (Zawya)

Mastercards Girls4Tech launches in MEA educating girls in Morocco — thefintechtimes.com

#Morocco #STEM - Mastercard’s signature science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program, Girls4Tech, has officially reached its initial goal of educating one million girls worldwide. In the Middle East and Africa, Mastercard will be rolling out the signature program to new markets, including Morocco and Saudi Arabia. (Fintech Times)

Geopolitics

China is happy about the Abraham Accords and the GCC crisis coming to an end — www.atlanticcouncil.org

#China #Israel #Saudi #UAE - Two major events in the Middle East—a burst of diplomatic relations for Israel and the end of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) crisis—have changed the regional landscape. Although China was not involved in either development, change in the Middle East presents opportunities for Beijing as well. (Atlantic Council)

Drones

Drones to aid date palm farming in Oman — gulfnews.com

#Oman #smartfarming - Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, has after the successful testing of drone-aided date palm farming, tested the technology in its pilot project, reports a leading Arabic news portal in Oman. (Gulf News)

Egyptology

Dutch photographer reveals modern images of Egyptian King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti — egyptindependent.com

#Egypt #Egyptology - Dutch photographer Bas Uterwijk has created lifelike photographic images of Egyptian King Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) and Queen Nefertiti using GAN machine learning frameworks. (Egypt Independent)

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