ONPASSIVE sponsors Dubai Metro; TF59 'fully operational'
ONPASSIVE sponsors Dubai Metro; TF59 'fully operational'
Middle East AI News weekly news digest...
Good morning!
Here’s your weekly Middle East AI News!
Scroll down to find my weekly digest of AI and emerging tech news from around the region including: ONPASSIVE’s sponsorshop of a Dubai Metro station; U.S. Navy declares its AI and unmanned system-focused Task Force 59 ‘fully operational’; and why aren’t we seeing more autonomous retail in the GCC?
If you’ve skipped an issue or two over the holiday period, you may have noticed that you’re receiving this newsletter via Substack. If you were a subscriber to my previous newsletter published via Revue, you are already subscribed to this one. However, you might like to save this email to your email address book to ensure that future emails avoid spam filters: middleeastainews@substack.com
Wishing you all the best for 2023!
/Carrington
FEATURED STORY
Is the jury out on cashierless stores?
#Qatar #cashierlesss - This month sees the first new cashierless retail store of 2023 open in Qatar. The new store follows the opening of a number of cashierless stores in Oman and the United Arab Emirates launched by different brands over the past couple of years. And it won't be the last. However, why aren’t those retail operators opening additional stores? (Middle East AI News)
Smart Cities
AI-powered police station receives Dubai’s first ever 6-star rating
#UAE #smartservices - A Dubai Police station managed by AI has received a 99.8% customer satisfaction rating and has become the first service centre in the city to achieve a 6-star rating. (Arabian Business)
Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority launches smart app
#UAE #smartapps - Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority (ADAA) has launched ADAA Smart, an app that allows individuals to report financial or administrative misconduct that may be caused to public funds and resources. ADDA aims to promote a culture of awareness in preserving public resources. (Emirates News Agency)
Advertising
ONPASSIVE sponsors Dubai Metro's Al Safa Metro Station
#UAE #advertising - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) granted the naming rights of Dubai Metro’s Al Safa Metro Station to AI and machine learning company ONPASSIVE. Al Safa Metro Station will be fully rebranded as ONPASSIVE Metro Station for 10 years. (Dubai Media Office)
Aviation
Saudia opens airport operations building in Jeddah
#Saudi #airlines - Saudi Arabia’s national carrier Saudia has announced the opening of its new 50,000 square metre operations building at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. The mini terminal includes AI-powered self-boarding kiosks and five luggage carousels as well as 15 meeting rooms for pre-flight cabin crew briefings. (Gulf Business)
Retail
Al Meera conducts final testing of 'Al Meera Smart'
#Qatar #cashierlessstores - Al Meera Consumer Goods Company is all set to open its first 'Al Meera Smart' at Aspire Park, the first fully autonomous store in Qatar, as it successfully conducts a final trial run. The cashierless store was developed in conjunction with San Francisco-based retail tech startup Zippin. (Menafn)
Education
UAE academics warn of ChatGPT AI tool use by students
#UAE #ChatGPT - Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise the way students' coursework is written, but academics in the UAE have called for greater controls to stop widespread cheating. (The National)
Entertainment
Hundreds of drones light up night sky in Dubai
#UAE #entertainment - Drone light show company Skymagic is running two nightly drone shows at Bluewaters Island, near the Dubai Marina, from December 15 to January 29. The UK and Singapore-based company is using more than 500 drones for the nightly show. (CNN)
Sensetime uses AI+ visual platform to enhance Riyadh Season
#Saudi #RiyadhSeason - A regular partner of the annual Riyadh Season, SenseTime has deployed a comprehensive 3D visual platform transforms isolated data into predictive models to elevate park management. Meanwhile, a smart entertainment solution allows visitors’ entertainment experience to go from offline to online by recreating Riyadh Season entertainment virtually. (SenseTime)
Digital policy
UAE introduces federal level virtual asset regulation
#UAE #virtualassetlaw - The UAE Cabinet has introduced a new regulation governing virtual assets, which sets out the state’s first regulatory regime for the sector at the federal level. The new regulation is expected to come into effect on 15 January 2023. (Pinsent Masons)
Digital assets association to set up Crypto Regulators Committee
#UAE #virtualassetlaw - The Middle East, Africa and Asia CBA (MEAACBA), an Abu Dhabi-based crypto and blockchain association is setting up a new Regulators Committee to help drive change and learn lessons in the wake of last year’s FTX exchange collapse. (Zawya)
Defence
Task Force 59 is now fully operationally capable
#Bahrain #USA #unmannedsystems - Task Force 59, formed by the U.S. Navy in September 2021 to accelerate navy adoption of AI and unmanned systems, is now fully operationally capable, according to 5th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper. Speaking to a Surface Navy Association symposium in Washington this week the Vice Admiral said that he expects Middle Eastern navies to acquire and deploy roughly 80 unmanned systems by this summer. (Al Monitor)
US Navy tests how Saildrone USVs can ID objects
#Bahrain #SentinelShield - Guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) and two Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessels operated by the U.S. 5th Fleet, participated in a three-day maritime Sentinel Shield exercise led by the International Maritime Security Construct. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE participated as IMSC members. (USNI)
Air Force’s Task Force 99 aims to do more with less
#Qatar #unmannedsystems - Task Force 99, formed by the United States Air Force last year, is working on solutions to mitigate one of U.S. Central Command’s primary issues: doing more with less. Based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar the task force is testing aerial uncrewed systems and AI technologies, and their integration with traditional air force assets. (Air & Space Forces)
New U.S. sanctions target supply of Iranian drones to Russia
#Iran #US #Ukrain #sanctions - The United States has issued new sanctions targeting suppliers of Iranian drones that Washington said have been used to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine during the conflict with Russia. The U.S. Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on six executives and board members of Iran's Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), also known as Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries. (Reuters)
In case you missed it...
2023 Middle East AI News Predictions
The Middle East spent billions of dollars on technology in 2022 and invested billions more in local industry and tech programmes, some of which could bring about fundamental changes across the region. What’s in store for 2023? (Middle East AI News)