MGX fund raises $49 million; Oracle opens second Morocco R&D hub
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News email digest!
Another major week for AI across the Middle East! In this edition, Abu Dhabi's MGX assembles one of the world's largest AI investment funds with a near $50 billion raise; the UAE accelerates AI adoption across education, weather forecasting and public services; Saudi Arabia expands AI talent, tourism and sovereign AI initiatives; Qatar strengthens digital skills; and new research highlights both the rapid growth of AI adoption and the increasing need for stronger governance and corporate networks across the Gulf.
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/Carrington
Investment
MGX nears $50 billion AI investment fund raise
#UAE #funds – Abu Dhabi-based MGX has reportedly raised $49 billion from regional sovereign wealth funds, global pension funds and institutional investors, exceeding its $45 million target. The capital will fund AI infrastructure, semiconductors and core AI technologies, strengthening Abu Dhabi’s role as a global AI investment hub. (Middle East AI News)
Rawdat Capital targets China AI for GCC investors
#Qatar #China – Doha-based Rawdat Capital is creating new investment pathways for GCC institutional investors seeking exposure to China’s AI and deep technology sectors. The venture capital firm aims to overcome regulatory, cultural and market barriers through specialist local expertise and partnerships. (Gulf Times)
R&D
Oracle opens second Morocco R&D hub to grow AI, cloud talent
#Morocco #R&D – Oracle has opened its second Moroccan research and development centre in Agadir and plans to expand its workforce to nearly 1,000 professionals. The new facility will develop Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AI applications and data platforms, supporting the company’s $140 million investment in Morocco through 2030. (Africa AI News)
Startups
1001 raises $30m for sovereign AI platform
#UAE #Investment – AI company 1001 has raised a $30 million Series A led by Lux Capital, with backing from PIF-owned Sanabil Investments. The funding will expand sovereign AI operating systems for aviation, ports, energy and manufacturing across GCC markets. (Middle East AI News)
Propeller graduates five MENA AI startups
#USA #startups – Venture capital firm Propeller has graduated five AI and deep-tech startups from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt through its inaugural eight-week Kernel Camp residency. The programme connects MENA founders with investors, executives and mentors ahead of a second cohort. (Middle East AI News)
LLMs
OmniOps launches Kurdish AI platform
#Saudi #Kurdish – Riyadh-based OmniOps has partnered with Allai Newroz Telecom to launch the first conversational AI platform designed specifically for Kurdish. The sovereign AI platform supports Sorani, Badini and Kurmanji dialects alongside Arabic and English while keeping data within the region. (Middle East AI News)
Education
Qatar launches digital workforce programme
#Qatar #education – Qatar has introduced a Digital Transformation Programme combining scholarships, internships, mentorship and guaranteed employment pathways in AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing and digital analytics. The initiative also increases allowances for computer engineering professionals to encourage more young Qataris to take up technology careers. (Middle East AI News)
UAE launches Project NOVA for AI education
#UAE #education – The UAE Ministry of Education has launched Project NOVA to modernise education operations using artificial intelligence and unified data systems. The initiative aims to improve workflows and decision-making for students, teachers, schools and parents. (Middle East AI News)
GEMS and Oracle to train 11,000 students
#UAE #schools – GEMS Education has partnered with Oracle to train more than 11,000 students and alumni in AI, cloud computing and data analytics over three years. GEMS becomes the first private school network globally to join Oracle University’s Skills Development Initiative. (Middle East AI News)
SDAIA trains 215 AI students
#Saudi #Education – The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) has welcomed 215 students from 28 universities into a new AI training programme delivered through SDAIA Academy. The initiative combines technical education with practical experience to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s future AI workforce under Vision 2030. (Middle East AI News)
Weather
UAE deploys first agentic AI forecasters
#UAE #weather – The UAE National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has introduced the country’s first agentic AI assistants for operational forecasting. Al Rasid and Forecaster Assistant analyse live weather and satellite data, supporting specialists while keeping all final forecasting decisions under human oversight. (Middle East AI News)
Tourism
Saudi launches AI Tourism Vision
#Saudi #tourism – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has introduced its AI Tourism Vision and a new TourismX platform, providing AI tools for hotels, tour guides and tourism businesses. The initiative builds on a record 123 million tourists in 2025 and supports the Year of Artificial Intelligence 2026. (Middle East AI News)
Energy
AIQ explores Egypt AI joint venture for petroleum sector
#Egypt #energy – The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based AIQ to establish AIQ Egypt, a joint venture for AI-powered petroleum operations. The platform would combine Egypt Upstream Gateway data with AIQ’s technologies to improve exploration, production efficiency and decision-making. (Egypt Oil & Gas)
Manufacturing
El Sewedy Electric cuts process times 84% with AI
#Egypt #manufacturing – El Sewedy Electric says 30 completed AI projects have reduced process times by an average of 84% across manufacturing, legal, HR and customer service operations. The company is also deploying AI for workplace safety, engineering project monitoring and EV charging support after training employees through more than 2,000 AI sessions. (Zawya)
Agriculture
AI lifts Saudi mango farm flowering rate to 98%
#Saudi #farming – Haswah Mango Farm in Rijal Alma has used AI to increase flowering rates from 60% in 2025 to more than 98% in 2026. AI-powered analysis of soil moisture, wind and water quality is improving irrigation, fertilisation and disease prevention while supporting more efficient water use. (Saudi Gazette)
Pax Silica
Gulf nations advance trusted AI infrastructure
#UAE #semiconductors – Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE strengthened international AI cooperation at the Pax Silica Summit in Washington D.C. signing the summit’s joint AI statement. Qatar and the UAE are both full signatories to the Pax Silica alliance. (Middle East AI News)
Research
UAE firms lag on AI workforce training
#UAE #workforce – Marsh’s People Risk 2026 report found only 32% of UAE organisations train staff to prevent AI-related data privacy breaches, while fewer than four in ten address AI-generated misinformation. The findings highlight widening workforce readiness challenges as AI adoption accelerates. (Middle East AI News)
Quarter of Gulf firms lack AI governance
#UAE #cybersecurity – New KnowBe4 research shows 24% of organisations across the UAE and Saudi Arabia use autonomous AI with little or no governance. The study also highlights growing concern over deepfakes and Shadow AI, underscoring the need for stronger oversight. (Middle East AI News)
AI surge strains Gulf enterprise networks
#Saudi #networks – Cisco research finds 86% of Saudi organisations expect campus and branch network constraints within two years, while 81% of UAE organisations expect similar pressures within three years. Agentic AI is forecast to more than triple enterprise network traffic. (Middle East AI News)
Competitions
Dubai launches AI-powered park design challenge
#UAE #smartcities – Dubai Municipality has unveiled what it describes as the world’s first AI-powered park design challenge. The competition invites global participants to redesign Al Safa 2 Park using AI-assisted analysis while keeping final planning decisions under human leadership. (Dubai Media Office)
Saudi AI team wins six Olympiad awards
#Saudi #competition – Saudi Arabia’s national AI team secured six awards at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, including one gold and three silver medals. The achievement reflects the Kingdom’s continued investment in developing AI talent through education and specialist training. (Saudi Press Agency)