Middle East's fastest supercomputer; Wa'ed Ventures invests in French AI firm

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

Good morning!

Here’s your weekly roundup of Middle East AI News!

Lots going on this week!

HPE is to provide KAUST with a 100 petaflop Cray EX supercomputer next year, which they say will be the most powerful in the Middle East; NEOM's tech company rebrands to Tonomus; Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures leads French AI firm Alteia’s funding round; and the Dubai Metaverse Assembly takes place this week (yesterday and today - livestreaming from 9am UAE).

Also ALT Advisory's new report on AI governance in Africa.

Have a great day!

/Carrington

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High Performance Computing

HPE to build the Middle East’s most powerful supercomputer for KAUST — apnews.com

#Saudi #KAUST - Saudi Arabian research university KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise to build its next-generation supercomputer, Shaheen III, soon to be the most powerful supercomputer in the Middle East. (AP News)

NEOM

NEOM’s tech unit rebrands amid plans to emerge as cognitive multinational conglomerate

#Saudi #NEOM - Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Tech & Digital Co. has rebranded as TONOMUS, in a move that could help the company build a business that extends beyond creating technology solutions for NEOM alone. (Arab News)

Investment

Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures leads French AI firm Alteia’s funding round

#France #Saudi #funding - Alteia, a European AI and industrial software company, announced that it closed its latest funding round led by Wa’ed Ventures, Saudi Aramco’s venture capital arm. Alteia will utilize its funding to increase its presence in the Kingdom by opening an office in Dhahran, as well as invest in research and development. (Arab News)

Metaverse

Crown Prince: Dubai to consolidate status as testbed for metaverse innovation

#UAE #metaverse - His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, said the metaverse will shape a new digital future for humanity. (Dubai Media Office)

Dubai Metaverse Assembly takes place at Museum of the Future

#UAE #metaverse - The Dubai Metaverse Assembly is taking place today at the Museum of the Future (28-29 September). Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation, the Assembly brings together regional and international experts in the emirate to shape the future of the metaverse and explore its promise and potential applications. (Gulf News)

Ministry of Economy announces metaverse HQ at Dubai Metaverse Assembly

#UAE #metaverse - The UAE Minister of Economy launched the Ministry’s headquarters in the metaverse at the Dubai Metaverse Assembly. The metaverse office would offer an immersive experience for governments, global corporations and the public to connect and collaborate. (Gulf Business)

Education

Oracle opens innovation hub in Abu Dhabi

#UAE #innovation - Oracle has opened an innovation hub in Abu Dhabi aimed to foster digital innovation and the UAE’s knowledge economy.The innovation hub will be located on Al Reem Island, and will be called Al Mustaqbal Oracle Innovation Hub, (Mustaqbal means Future in English). (ITP)

Drones

3 drones attempt to land at Central Prison, one seized two escaped

#Kuwait #drones - Personnel from the Correctional Institutions Security Department of the General Administration of Correctional Institutions thwarted an attempt to fly 3 drones into the Central Prison facility in the Sulaibiya area. (Times Kuwait)

Education

UAE University, Abu Dhabi University organise workshop to develop research cooperation

#UAE #research - The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Abu Dhabi University conducted a technical workshop on the research directions of the two universities. The workshop focused on a range of research projects fields including artificial intelligence. (Emirates News Agency)

AI Policy

AI governance in Africa report

#Africa #research - Research and advisory firm ALT Advisory has released a new report that analyses the state of AI governance in Africa, by mapping the instruments that exist both at the continental level and domestically. (ALT Advisory)

Defence

U.S. and Israel complete unmanned exercise in Gulf of Aqaba

#Bahrain #Israel #US #USVs - Naval forces from Israel and the U.S. completed a four-day 'Digital Shield' exercise in the Gulf of Aqaba last week. U.S. participants included members of NAVCENT’s unmanned systems and artificial intelligence task force, Task Force 59. A MARTAC Devil Ray T-38 and Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel were used. (U.S. Navy)

Exclusive: Israel to sell air defence system to United Arab Emirates

#Israel #UAE #antidrone - Israel has agreed to sell an advanced air defence system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to the United Arab Emirates capable of combating drone attacks like those that struck Abu Dhabi earlier this year, according to a Reuters report. (Reuters)

First published via Revue.