PIF takes Magic Leap stake; RATP signs with AlUla

Middle East AI News weekly news digest...

Good morning!

Here’s your weekly roundup of Middle East AI News!

As you see, I’ve finally made the switch to Substack. In case you missed it, Revue (the platform that I’ve used for Middle East AI News for the past two years) is shutting down next month, so Substack is my new platform.

Substack also offers a number of additional features that the previous platform didn’t. The Home Page is a good way to scan recent articles and newsletter issues; the Archive is fully searchable. You can access all the Audio versions of my Middle East AI News articles via the Podcast list. You can also browse Middle East AI News content via the Substack app.

Lastly, as a precaution, you might like to save this email to your email address book to ensure that future emails avoid spam filters: middleeastainews@substack.com

Now, onto the last Middle East AI News digest of 2022! Have a great New Year’s weekend!

/Carrington

FEATURED STORY

Making R&D a national priority

#Saudi #R&D - Middle East AI News 2022 Roundup Part II - A number of significant policy moves and investments were announced by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during 2022 that will help shape the region’s research and development ecosystems for many years to come. (Middle East AI News)

Autonomous Vehicles

Royal Commission for AlUla signs ‘360 Mobility’ services contract with France’s RATP Dev

#Saudi #emobility - RATP Dev signed a ‘360 Mobility’ services contract with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to help the commission shape a future of mobility in AlUla. RATP Dev will support RCU in developing emobility services including driverless pods for first- and last-mile connection. (RATP)

Abu Dhabi trial uses 17 driverless taxis, buses and trams

#UAE #emobility - Abu Dhabi's Smart Mobility Project enters its second phase, with eight Txai self-driving cabs, six mini robo buses, and three ‘autonomous rapid transits’ (ART) are currently being operated on Yas and Saadiyat islands. (Khaleej Times)

Drones

Dubai Shopping Festival hosts nightly drone show

#UAE #retail - Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment will host two drone shows every night during the Dubai Shopping Festival, until January 29. The drone shows are taking place at JBR and Bluewaters Island. (The National)

Metaverse

Saudi Arabia’s PIF acquires majority stake in AR developer Magic Leap for $450 million

#Saudi #investment - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF), has reportedly gained control of augmented reality (AR) developer Magic Leap in a deal worth $450 million. The company has spent billions developing a headset that projects holograms onto the real world to immerse users in the digital landscape. (Fast Company ME)

Industry 4.0

Modon, Neom join hands for Saudi Future Factories Programme

#Saudi #Industry4 - Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) and Oxagon, the advanced manufacturing and innovation destination within kingdom's futuristic city Neom, have signed an MoU to boost co-operation in the implementation of the Future Factories Programme. (Trade Arabia)

Geospatial

Dubai Municipality launches geospatial innovation incubator

Dubai, UAE, 12 December 2022,

#UAE #geospatial - Dubai Municipality has launched the geospatial business and innovation incubator, ‘GeoHub’ within the framework of joint cooperation by its Geographical Information System (GIS) Centre with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME) and the Hamdan Innovation Incubator. (MENAfn)

Defence

US Central Command experimenting with new technologies to deal with Iranian drones

#ArabianGulf #Iran #USA - Commander of U.S. Central Command General Michael “Erik” Kurilla said during a press briefing that the US military has developed three innovative AI military systems to counter expansive Iranian threats on land, air and sea in the region, especially its drone capabilities. (Arab News)

Video

How Abu Dhabi is creating a new generation of AI experts

#UAE #education - Two years since its launch, Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) celebrates its first class of graduates - an important milestone for the UAE's AI ambitions. (CNN)

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