New Saudi data centre regs; MBZUAI wins Arabic NLP prize

Middle East AI News weekly digest...

Good morning!

Welcome to this week’s Middle East AI News! The first newsletter of 2024!

Saudi Arabia’s new regulations for data centre service providers came into force this week (links to docs below) and the Kingdom announced a framework for digital education. Meanwhile, MBZUAI won a prize at the recent Arabic Natural Language Processing Conference in Singapore. And, case you missed it last week, news of a new Indian-UAE joint venture in AI and IoT formed in Abu Dhabi.

I also recommend The Economist’s feature on AI Nationalism published this week, which looks at Saudi, UAE and other countries efforts to create their own AI models to limit reliance on foreign AI models, divert spending to local industry and more effectively cater to national needs.

Scroll down for these stories and more!

If you missed it, I posted my list of Middle East AI News top stories for 2023 last week. And for LinkedIn users, I also shared a few lists of 2023 top Middle East stories for Deep Tech, Education, Mergers & Acquisitions, R&D and Centres of Excellence!

There’s no Middle East AI News LIVE - THURSDAY DEEP DIVE this week. However, do save Thursday January 11th, 1-2pm in your calendars (link will be available next week), when I’ll be talking to Dr. Abed Benaichouche, Co-founder and CEO of Abu Dhabi-based AI startup Open Innovation AI about the company’s AIOS platform and the recent deal with World Wide Technology. Read more about Open Innovation AI here.

Thanks for reading! Wishing you and yours all the best for 2024!

/Carrington

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Regulation

Saudi data centre regulation comes into effect

#Saudi #datacentres - Saudi Arabia's Data Center Services Regulations entered into effect on January 1st, and will be applied to all data center service providers in the country. Developed by The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) the regulations aim to enhance quality of services, protect users, and encourage investments in data centre services. English PDF. Arabic PDF. (SPA)

New ventures

Adani forms JV with IHC for AI, IoT & blockchain

#India #UAE #JV - India's Adani Group has announced that a Mauritius-registered subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited has formed 49:51 joint venture (with UAE-based Sirius International Holding Limited, a company of Abu Dhabi's IHC (International Holding Company). The joint venture will focus on AI, IoT & blockchain. (CNBC)

Education

New Saudi framework for digital education

#Saudi #education - Saudi Arabia's National eLearning Center (NeLC) has unveiled a comprehensive framework for integrating artificial intelligence into digital education throughout the Kingdom. This framework creates a set of guidelines, standards, and best practices for implementing AI in all educational sectors, including general, higher, vocational, and lifelong learning. (Saudi Gazette)

RAK to train job seekers in AI and data

#UAE #education - The government of Ras Al Khaimah will offer certifications in AI, machine learning and data analytics to Emirati job seekers and graduates to help grow the UAE’s digital talent. The program is being implemented in collaboration with the PwC Academy. (RAK Media Office)

R&D

Abu Dhabi’s AI university wins top Arabic NLP prize

#UAE #R&D - A team of scientists from Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) walked away with the top prize at inaugural Arabic Natural Language Processing Conference in Singapore last month. The team was awarded for a study proposing a promising approach for processing Arabic speech. (MBZUAI)

Digital Transformation

Morocco ranks 5th in Africa for AI in public services

#Morocco #AIreadiness - Morocco ranked fifth in the list of African countries ready to effectively integrate AI into public services, according to the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2023 report. The country scored 43.34 out of 100, overall. (North Africa Post)

AI to speed up Oman border clearance for motorists

#UAE #customs - The General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs has provided border crossings in Al Ain with AI powered inspection devices with rapid non-stop scanning technology. The new devices will make it faster and easier for motorists to pass through customs when travelling to Oman. (Abu Dhabi Media Office)

GenAI

SDAIA publishes GenAI guide

#Saudi #GenAI - Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) released a guide on generative AI last month. The SDAIA aims to raise awareness about the significance of generative AI. Download the Arabic PDF. (SDAIA)

Invest Qatar launches AI chatbot

#Qatar #GenAI - The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (also known as Invest Qatar) has partnered with Microsoft to develop Aisha, an Generative AI-powered assistant running on Azure's OpenAI service. The chatbot helps potential investors answer questions about Qatar. (The Peninsula)

Robots offer guidance to pilgrims at Grand Mosque

#Saudi #religion - General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, continues to implement artificial intelligence and robotics, at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The authority recently introduced a guidance robot designed to assist pilgrims by offering essential brochures, publications and electronic information. (Zawya)

Mobility

Abu Dhabi gets new autonomous mobility show

#UAE #mobility - Abu Dhabi is to host a global conference and exhibition called Drift X in April 2024, dedicated to the future of smart and autonomous mobility across air, land, and sea. The event is organised by Global Mice, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and the Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster. (Zawya)

Drones

UAE record breaking with New Year drone displays

#UAE #NewYear - Ras Al Khaimah broke a world record for the longest straight-line drones display during New Years Eve, with 1,050 LED drones stretching for a total length of two kilometres. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Festival also broke a world record for the largest aerial logo formed by drones. (The National)

Feature

Welcome to the era of AI nationalism

#Saudi #UAE - Sovereign nations invest in creating their own artificial intelligence technologies to limit reliance on foreign AI models, divert spending to local industry and more effectively cater to national needs. (The Economist)