MBZUAI's record intake; New SparkLabs Saudi AI fund

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.

Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence has welcomed 209 new masters and PhD students this year, a 47% increase on last year’s intake! Also SparkLabs has announced a new $50 million fund to invest in the Saudi AIM-X AI startup accelerator programme, which kicks-off this month. Also GAIN shares a more comprehensive list of speakers for next week’s summit.

Scroll down for more news!

No live show today, but lots of interesting guests planned for the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted!

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/Carrington

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Education

MBZUAI welcomes record student intake

#UAE #education – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has admitted its largest and most diverse cohort of 209 students, a 47% increase from last year. The intake includes new groups in computer science and robotics. (Middle East AI News)

New IIT Delhi campus opens in Abu Dhabi

#UAE #education – The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi's new campus in Abu Dhabi. The campus welcomed its first 52 computer science students. (ANI News)

Qatar Digital Academy adds 77 new tech courses

#Qatar #training– Qatar Digital Academy has introduced 77 new courses for Q3 and Q4 2024, enhancing skills in cybersecurity, AI, and project management. The academy, an extension of the Qatar Digital Government Training Programme, now serves 86 government entities. (Qatar News Agency)

Qatar launches Google internship programme with Google

#Qatar #training – Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has sent its first batch of 16 employees to Google's headquarters for a three-month internship. The programme aims to equip participants with advanced skills in Google Cloud technologies. (The Peninsula)

Funding

SparkLabs launches $50 million Saudi AI fund

#Saudi #funding– SparkLabs Group has launched a $50 million AI fund, which will invest in AI startups existing the new AIM-X AI startup accelerator programme. The AIM-X programme aligns with the Kingdom's AI Mission (AI.M) initiative to boost national AI innovation over the next five years. (Middle East AI News)

GAIN

Riyadh's Global AI Summit reveals speakers

#Saudi #GAIN – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has confirmed key speakers for the Global AI Summit 2024 (GAIN), including leaders from Boston Dynamics, Cerebras Systems, Groq and Qualcomm. The summit will explore AI advancements globally. (Middle East AI News)

Startups

Techstars launches AI pitch series in MENA

#Saudi #startups – Techstars has launched an AI pitch series, connecting AI founders with investors across MENA. The first event will be held on September 12th at Saudi Arabia's Centre for Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE). (Register) (Attend)

Dubai AI Campus partners with Google Cloud

#UAE #startups – Dubai AI Campus and Google Cloud have partnered to support the growth of the startup ecosystem. The collaboration will offer mentorship and access to Google Cloud’s startup programmes and resources. (Zawya)

Kuwait's SACGC opens AI startup programme

#Kuwait #startups – Sabah Al-Ahmad Centre for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) is inviting Kuwait startup founders to join its AI innovation programme. Partnered with Silicon Valley's Mind the Bridge, the programme will prepare startups for US market entry. (KUNA)

Fintech

Saudi Interior Ministry launches digital ID for finance

#Saudi #FinTech – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has launched digital identity services for the financial sector via the Absher platform. This initiative enhances security, simplifies transactions, and improves fraud prevention. The service was unveiled at 24 Fintech in Riyadh. (SPA)

R&D

King Abdulaziz University launches AI research programme

#Saudi #research – King Abdulaziz University has launched its first AI research programme focused on AI applications in education and scientific research, aiming to enhance data analysis and leadership skills. (Zawya)

Saudi SDAIA demos Arabic speech recognition

#Saudi #GenAI – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) presented its latest Arabic-language LLM and speech recognition models at the IEEE conference in Greece this week. These models support automated transcription, AI chatbots, and voice systems, tailored for Arabic dialects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Policy

Qatar Central Bank issues AI guidelines for finance sector

#Qatar #guidelines – Qatar Central Bank has introduced AI guidelines for financial institutions, aiming to drive innovation and align with global best practices. The guidelines were introduced in line with QCB’s Third Financial Sector Strategy and the FinTech Strategy. Download PDF. (Gulf Times)

Saudi updates data transfer regulations

#Saudi #dataprivacy – Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has updated its regulations on personal data transfer outside the Kingdom, following public consultation. The amendments ensure data protection and privacy in international contexts. Download PDF. (Saudi Press Agency)

Travel

Travelin AI launches trip planning app in MENA

#UAE #traveltech – Dubai-based Travelin.ai has released an AI-powered trip planning app, available on Android and iOS. The app offers personalized travel itineraries, utilizing local insights to assist travelers across the MENA region. (Travelin AI)

Drones

Oman holds national drone competition

#Oman #drones – Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology is hosting the national drone competition today at Sultan Qaboos University. The event features workshops aimed at enhancing drone operation skills. (Muscat Daily)

[ This newsletter was AI edited & human edited ]