New Saudi Smart Ports initiative; OurCrowd to open AI R&D centre in UAE
Good morning!
Here’s your weekly roundup of Middle East AI News!
Several noteworthy announcements this week.
First we have the launch of a Saudi Smart Ports initiative by MAWANI, the Saudi Ports Authority.
Then we have the official postponement of the 'full enforcement' of the new Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) until March 2023.
We have the launch of ten initiatives under the banner of the UAE's Coders' HQ. Meanwhile, OurCrowd announced Israel's first major UAE investment in R&D, with plans for a new AI R&D centre in Abu Dhabi.
Scroll down for more stories below!
And for those interested in AI in education, UNESCO's Regional Center for Educational Planning will launch its regional guidance for AI and education policy-makers next Thursday March 31st from 12 noon to 2PM GST. You can watch the event and discussion live. See this link for more details.
Stay safe and have a great day!
/Carrington
Digital Transformation
Saudi Ports Authority to digitally transform Kingdom’s ports with 5G technology — english.alarabiya.net
#Saudi #smartports - Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI), the government agency that supervises all port development in Saudi Arabia, has launched a Smart Ports initiative to digitally transform the Kingdom's ports, leveraging 5G. Agreements have been signed with Saudi telecom operator stc, and global telecom vendors Ericsson and Huawei., plus a number of other parties (Al Arabiya)
Bahrain International Airport's digitalisation journey - Interview with the VP of ICT — www.internationalairportreview.com
#Bahrain #smartairports - Bahrain International Airport worked with ICT firms Thales and SITA, to automate airport processes in advance of the opening of the new terminal building, Mahmood AlSeddiqi, Vice President of ICT at Bahrain Airport discusses the journey to digitalisation with Airport Review. (Airport Review)
R&D
Israel's OurCrowd set to open artificial intelligence R&D centre in Abu Dhabi — www.reuters.com
#Israel #UAE #R&D - OurCrowd , one of Israel's largest venture firms, plans to open an artificial intelligence-based R&D centre in Abu Dhabi by early June this year that will help with investment decision making, a company official said. (Reuters)
Data Law
SDAIA postpones the enforcement of Personal Data Protection Law — www.spa.gov.sa
#Saudi #datalaw - Saudi Arabia has postponed the 'full enforcement' of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) until March 17th, 2023, according to a statement made by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The law came into effect this week, but public consultation is ongoing. (SPA)
Startups
Egyptian AI-based healthcare startup DilenyTech acquired by US firm — disrupt-africa.com
#Egypt #M&A - Egyptian deep technology healthcare startup DilenyTech, which is developing innovative AI solutions for screening and diagnostic radiology workflow, has been acquired by US firm Astute Imaging LLC. (Disrupt Africa)
Coding
Coders HQ launches 10 innovative initiatives to empower over 15,000 coders — www.thenationalnews.com
#UAE #coding - The Coders' HQ, a programme announced by UAE National Programme for Coders in January, has now launched 10 innovative initiatives to empower over 15,000 coders. The announcement included partnerships with Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates, Microsoft and VMWare. (The National)
Education
MBZUAI celebrates first class of Executive Programme graduates — wam.ae
#UAE #education - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world's first graduate-level, research-based academic institution, held the graduation ceremony for its first 12 week MBZUAI Executive Program on Tuesday. The programme saw forty senior leaders from across the UAE participate to build their capacity in AI. (Emirates News Agency)
MBZUAI hosts student opportunities fair to connect AI talent with companies in the UAE — mbzuai.ac.ae
#UAE #careers - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) hosted a virtual Student Opportunities Fair this week, giving students from the University’s master’s and Ph.D. programs in machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing exclusive access to prominent employers from across the UAE. (MBZUAI)
Saudi data authority releases Arabic glossary of data, AI terms — www.arabnews.com
#Saudi #policy - The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has released a data and AI glossary of key technical terms in Arabic in an effort to promote language unity in the region’s technology industry. (Arab News)
Smart Cities
Saudi Arabia launches smart city project for light industries — www.arabnews.com
#Saudi #smartcities - Saudi Arabia has launched a new smart city project for light industries and car maintenance in Jeddah. Located on Jeddah University Road, the Smart City project spans a total area of 5 million square meters. (Arab News)
Drones
ITA runs pilot project to test delivering anti-doping samples via drone — www.insidethegames.biz
#Qatar #security - The International Testing Agency (ITA) has begun using drones to transport anti-doping samples, in collaboration with Swiss drone company RigiTech and the Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar (ALDQ). The four day exercise saw drones conduct multiple flights over distances of up to 20 kilometres in Doha. (Inside The Games)
Drones used in online flare inspection for ADNOC — energyreviewmena.com
#UAE #energy - Testing services company NDT Corrosion Control Services Co. LLC (NDTCCS) has conducted flare inspections using drones for ADNOC Offshore in Abu Dhabi. The company's first such drone project, NDTCCS used the DJI M300 RTK drone with a Zenmuse H20T sensor, and was supported by Terra Drone Indonesia. (Energy Review MENA)
Robotics
Robots to guide passengers at Oman airport — gulfnews.com
#Oman #airports - Two robots will guide travellers inside the new Muscat International Airport after its March 20 inauguration, according to Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC). [No information on the robots was announced, but it looks like they might be FURo-D service robots by South Korea's Future Robot.] (Gulf News)
AI Diplomacy
Interview: Cooperation between Egypt and China in Al "promising": expert — english.news.cn
#Egypt #China - Cooperation between Egypt and China in Al applications is "promising" to help the Arab country achieve digital transformation, as China is a leading innovator in the field, said Osama Abdel-Raouf, an Egyptian professor in AI at Menoufia University. (Xinhua)
Defence
British Navy-led task force trials drones in Gulf — www.royalnavy.mod.uk
#Bahrain #UK #UAS - Solar and wind-powered drones have been tested in the Arabian Gulf by a Royal Navy-led multi-national task force force to bolster security. The drones were loaned to the Bahrain-based task force by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet to test how they might use them on a security patrol, working hand-in-hand with surface ships. (Royal Navy)
Qatar's Dimdex defence show - in pictures — www.thenationalnews.com
#Qatar #DIMDEX - The three-day Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition in Qatar's capital welcomed key decision makers and industry leaders in the maritime defence and security industry this week. (The National)
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