New Dubai rules for driverless cars; Samsung Innovation Campus in Riyadh
From the archive...
Good morning,
Welcome to the first edition of Middle East AI News!
This is a weekly roundup of AI news from across the region which I will aim to send out each Thursday morning. This will cover topics such as national AI strategy, AI policy, R&D, significant AI implementations, startups, funding and some corporate news.
One of the most interesting news items this week is Dubai's introduction of new legislation for testing driverless cars. Driverless cars are being tested in Europe, the US and most extensively in China. In the UAE there has been limited driverless vehicle testing for years, but no extensive commercial testing programmes so far. This may now change.
Scroll down for news and comment on Dubai District 2020 startup initiatives, the G20 Saudi meeting, Egypt's new smart city capital, the new university AI lab in Dammam and the opening of the Samsung Innovation Campus in Riyadh.
Have a great weekend!
/Carrington
Startup News
District 2020 calls for start-ups to be part of its innovation ecosystem
#UAE #startups - District 2020 has launched a global entrepreneur programme, Scale2Dubai, which enables start-ups and small businesses to expand internationally. The programme's target startups include emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, Big Data, and the Internet of Things. (Khaleej Times)
Abu Dhabi Investment Office expands scope of Ventures Fund
#UAE #venturecapital - Abu Dhabi Investment Office will widen the scope of its Ventures Fund to include more innovation-focused companies and will participate in late Series B financing rounds and higher, as part of government efforts to attract high-skilled talent and investment to the emirate. (The National)
R&D
AI and cybersecurity laboratories inaugurated at university in Dammam
#Saudi #R&D - The minister of education, Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh, inaugurated the laboratories of AI and cybersecurity at the College of Computer Science and Information Technology at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam on Saturday. (Arab News)
AI Policy
One Year on, Smart Dubai’s Ethical AI Self-assessment Tool has been used on 18 AI use cases
#UAE #AIethics - Smart Dubai has reported that its Ethical AI Self-Assessment Tool has been used on 18 use cases in the emirate, including 15 initiatives by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and three AI Lab use cases developed with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Dubai Customs. (Dubai Media Office)
G20 2020 Saudi Arabia
Emerging technologies & cyber resilience on G20 table
#Saudi #G20 - Shaping the right frameworks to harness emerging technologies was at the forefront of discussions at the G20 2020 Saudi meeting this week in Riyadh, including the year's first meeting of the G20's Digital Economy Task Force. Day 3 of the G20 addressed space cooperation, digital economy, Smart Cities, and the entry of Big Tech in finance. (SPA)
Education
Samsung Innovation Campus launched in KSA in partnership with MiSK Academy
#Saudi #education - Samsung Electronics and MISK Academy launched the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) in Riyadh this week to provide emersive training courses for young adults skills in emerging technologies such as AI and Internet of Things (IoT). (Saudi Gazette)
Smart Cities
Egypt's building a new capital: Inside the smart city in the desert
#Egypt #smartcities - Egypt's new administrative capital being built between the Nile and the Suez Canal, at a projected cost of between $45 billion and $58 billion, will be the country's first smart city. (ZDNet)
NEOM to be first totally digitized city in world
#Saudi #NEOM - Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM Company, said that NEOM will be the first place in the world to rely entirely on digitization. “NEOM is the land of the future, which is to connect different destinations, big data and artificial intelligence,” he said. (Saudi Gazette)
Smart technology helps Abu Dhabi retain its safest city tag
#UAE #security - Abu Dhabi security has been boosted by the introduction of new technologies such as AI, cameras, sensors, drones and smart traffic systems to detect and control crimes and to improve safety on the roads. Last month, the UAE capital was named the safest city in the world for the fourth year in a row. (Khaleej Times)
Dubai to increase usage of AI to screen passengers for contraband
#UAE #customs - The Dubai Customs have foiled 2,169 attempts to smuggle contraband into the emirate last year. This year, there will be more AI systems involved to best cope with the increasing number of passengers expected for Expo 2020. (Khaleej Times)
Autonomous Vehicles
Dubai enacts new rules for testing driverless cars and accident responsibility
#UAE #AVs - Dubai announced new legislation this week to make it easier for driverless vehicles to be tested on the emirate's roads, under RTA supervision. The new laws fall under the Dubai Smart Mobility Strategy, which aims to ensure that a quarter of journeys in self-driving vehicles by 2030. (The National)
It's An AI Life
Music by numbers? Robot conducts human orchestra
#UAE #entertainment- The conductor on the podium has no baton, no tailcoat and no musical score, but Android Alter 3 is kicking up a storm as it guides a symphony orchestra's players through their paces. Japanese composer Keiichiro Shibuya’s opera 'Scary Beauty' is conducted by a robot in Sharjah. (Reuters)
Events
6 Feb - AI Lab Government Networking event - by ADDA - #Abu Dhabi
12 Feb - AI & Industry Lab 4.0 (email events@srtip.ae for more details) - by Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park - #Sharjah
20 Feb - AI Lab Government Networking event - by ADDA - #Abu Dhabi