New driverless truck in UAE; Hajj security tech
Middle East AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News!
It’s the Eid Al Adha holiday week in the Arab world, but there is still plenty of news to share from around the region!
Estonian autonomous vehicles startup BaseTrack has set up a new operation in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s northern emirates. The company debuted its driverless truck at its launch event last Thursday. Meanwhile, the Volocopter team were in NEOM this month running a week-long trial of its VoloCity flying taxi.
In other news, it’s the Hajj season and Saudi media are full of stories about how AI is being used to improve management and security of the annual pilgrimage. Facial recognition is among the technologies in use for monitoring the holy sites.
And it’s happy birthday to G42! Also known as Group 42, Abu Dhabi’s trailblazing AI and cloud solutions developer, holding group and ICT fund manager is now 5 years old. The group held a company event to celebrate and share its vision for the future.
Scroll down for more AI news from across the region.
Thanks for reading and wishing you Eid Mubarak!
/Carrington
Autonomous Vehicles
BaseTracK debuts autonomous truck in UAE
#UAE #AVs - Estonian autonomous vehicle solution developer, BaseTracK, unveiled its first autonomous truck in the UAE, showcasing advanced capabilities such as route optimization and fuel conservation. The company has opened a facility in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and plans to roll out the autonomous trucks on UAE roads soon. (Emirates News Agency)
Hajj Pilgrimage
AI enhances safety, efficiency for Hajj pilgrims
#Saudi #Hajj - Saudi authorities, in collaboration with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), are using AI to manage and monitor crowds during the 2023 Hajj season. AI-driven technology enhances security control at Makkah entry points. (Arab News)
Saudi launches AI control room for Hajj
#Saudi #Hajj - Saudi Arabia's National Tawafa Establishment has inaugurated an AI-enabled control room to facilitate serving Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The room will use advanced technology including facial recognition for security monitoring. (Arab News)
Saudi uses drones for road safety
#Saudi #Hajjj - The Saudi Roads General Authority will use drones to ensure the safety and quality of the road network in the holy sites during the pilgrimage season. The drones will also be used for automated, accurate examination of bridges and ferries. (Arabian Business)
Egypt
Egypt: MENA's rising tech hotspot
#Egypt #investment- Egypt has been recognised as one of MENA's leading tech hotspots due to high investment in tech startups ($736 million in 2022) and impressive internet connectivity. (IT News Africa)
Intel backs Egypt's digital transformation
#Egypt #digitaltransformation - Intel Egypt has supported the country's digital transformation plans and Egypt Vision 2030 through collaborations with various ministries and private sector projects. (Egyptian Gazette)
R&D
Sorbonne Abu Dhabi sets up Research Institute
#UAE #R&D - Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has launched its Research Institute to boost research efforts and attract international researchers. The institute includes the Sorbonne Centre for Artificial Intelligence. (Emirates News Agency)
Flying Taxis
Saudi's first electric air taxi flight takes off
#Saudi #eVTOL - NEOM, in collaboration with Volocopter GmbH, has conducted Saudi Arabia's first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft flights. The week-long trial is part of an 18-month joint venture between the two entities. (NEOM)
Robotics
Qatar Post launches robotic sorting project
#Qatar #robotics - Qatar Postal Services Company (Qatar Post) has launched a Robotic Sorting Project, using 70 robots to sort an estimated 4,500 - 5,000 packages per hour, a fourfold increase in productivity. (Zawya)
UAE students win in international robotics competition
#UAE #Legoleague - UAE students led by Unique World Robotics won an Innovation Project Award at the Lego League Open International in Morocco. The team created an AI solution, ECO Switch EV3 Robot, that improves energy efficiency. (Zawya)
Cybersecurity
UAE and Israel collaborate to combat cyberattacks
#UAE #Israel #cybersecurity - Israel and the UAE have created a global platform to fight ransomware hackers, dubbed the Crystal Ball initiative. This is a collaboration between Microsoft Israel, the Israel National Cyber Directorate, and the UAE Cyber Council. (Al-Monitor)
Space
Egypt unveils $92m satellite projects in China
#Egypt #satellites - Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, Rania El-Mashat, announced the completion of satellite MisrSat 2 assembly and testing in China, part of two satellite projects worth $92 million, promoting Egypt-China cooperation in this field. (Zawya)
AI Opinion
Middle East workers embrace AI in the workplace
#MiddleEast #adoption- According to a new PwC report, Middle East employees recognize the importance of AI for future work, with 52% believing their jobs will change significantly in the next five years, requiring new skills. (Arabian Business)
Events
G42 celebrates five year anniversary
#UAE #corporate - Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud computing holding group G42 celebrated its five-year anniversary with an internal event named "Supercharged". The event focus was to highlight the potential of AI to transform industries. (Khaleej Times)
UAE AI office discusses generative AI principles
#UAE #government - The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office held a session on generative AI principles. The session saw participation from AI pioneers and global firms such as Accenture, DIFC, G42, Huawei, Meta, Microsoft, Siemens, Snapchat and VMware. (Emirates News Agency)
MBRF organizes ‘NextGen AI Innovators’ session
#UAE #government - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), in cooperation with the UNDP, organized a 'NextGen AI Innovators' session to discuss the value of AI and the role of youth in technological revolution. The session is part of the KnowTalks series. (Zawya)
Saudi commission explores AI in movie making
#Saudi #film - The Saudi Ministry of Culture's Film Commission held a meeting to explore the use of AI in developing the movie industry, highlighting AI's role in processing big data and film production. (Arab News)
Defence
Algeria receives Chinese drones
#Algeria #China #UAVs - Algeria has received Wing Loong II type drones from China, intensifying the regional drone race with Morocco. The new drones are expected to strengthen the capabilities of the Algerian Air Force. (The Maghreb Times)
Iranian drones threaten Morocco
#Morocco #Iran #UAVs - Iran's expanding influence in Africa, particularly its supply of attack drones to the Polisario Front, is causing concerns for Morocco. The drones form part of Iran's strategy of arming and training rebel Shiite groups. (The Defense Post)